Downtown Live

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Songs For Susan

by Jamie Manser

f there is one thing the local music scene has proven to be–besides dramatic–is community oriented.

When I put out an email alert to local musicians soliciting them to play a benefit show for a close friend of mine with advanced breast cancer, I was overwhelmed by the response. Over thirty musicians answered the call with a resounding affirmative. Maebelle Reed (Plush) and I actually had to scale the list down to 28 performers in order to make a proper fit for the seven venues that are participating.

I wasn’t actually surprised by most of the bands that volunteered to play this gig –Susan Sykes (Powers) has been an integral figure in the downtown music scene for years.

Chris Holiman of the Downtown Saints wrote this to me when he signed up to play: “I have known Susan since the music scene started. She and her sister Jennifer use to get me and my friends into punk rock shows when we were too young. They put together shows at Pearl’s Hurricane. That was a bar downtown that I think they took down to build the Ronstant center. Anyway, they put on some of the shows that the first “punk” bands like The Pills and Green-on-Red ever played. Me and my friends Mike and Jeff were 14 at the time so the older kids at Pearl’s and later Tumbleweed’s on Forth Avenue (where the scene moved after Pearl’s) used to sneak us into shows and put us at a table by the stage. We couldn’t move, so we didn’t get caught for being underage, but we got to see the bands.”

That’s the kind of gal Susan is–amazingly kind-hearted and cool. We hope that you will join us on Wednesday, August 24 to raise money and positive energy for one helluva woman.

As always, the list of venues and participating acts are accurate as of press time. With that disclaimer outta the way…

Venues will include Plush, Congress, Heart V, Rialto, Surly Wench, Sharks and O’Malley’s. Performers will include (in no particular order) a re-grouping of Fourkiller Flats (with members of Final), Howe Gelb, Al Perry and the Cattle, Chris Burroughs, Creosote, Great American Tragedy, Maggie Golston, Campo Bravo, The Solace Brothers, Blind Devine, The Deludes, Bombs for the Bored, Sunday Afternoon, La Cerca, Lagoon, Cathy Rivers, Lemonman and Friends, Downtown Saints, George Squire Orchestra, Ozlo, Tony and the Torpedoes, The Carnivaleros, Seven to Blue, Motel, The Stellas, Greyhound Soul plus entertainment by a dance troupe.

Raffles will be held at a couple of the venues and wristbands will cost you 5 bones and will be available for pre-sale at Plush (340 E. 6th St.), Rialto Theatre (318 E. Congress St.), Hotel Congress (311 E. Congress St.) and Biblio (222 E. Congress St.).

Questions? Give me a ring at 547-3342.

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