The '1st Annual Rock and Sox Benefit for The Jimmy Fund and The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute' was held at The Connecticut Yankee in San Francisco on Saturday, June 26th. The Yankee, as it is known locally, is a great Red Sox and Boston sports restaurant, bar, and live music venue located less than 2 miles from the Giants' AT&T Park. The Benefit was scheduled to coincide with the Red Sox 1st trip to play the Giants in San Francisco for the 1st time in 6 years.
The inspiration to produce this event was a result of several different events that occurred within a short time period. My oldest brother was diagnosed in November of 2008 with stage 4 lung cancer despite quitting smoking 2 years prior. His doctors gave him about a year to live. November of 2009 came and went with him still alive and battling his affliction. The 2010 MLB schedules were released and I saw that the Red Sox would be playing the Giants here in San Francisco in June. Coverage of the 2010 Hot Stove Cool Music event that takes place in Boston this past winter was published. Fenway West had become one of the more popular Red Sox fan sites on the Internet according to RedSox.100.com, and at times had been clearing 10k hits per month. Two friends, one a former band mate, were diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and passed away earlier this year. All these events got me to scratching my head and coming up with an idea of staging a similar event, but on a smaller scale this year, as the Hot Stove Benefit. I ran the idea by Matt, he liked it, and before we knew it, we realized that this benefit was actually going to happen.
I assembled a house band which I dubbed ‘The Cancer Sucks Band’, consisting of some of the finest musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Pat Nevins, Mike Chase, Dave Stein, Sam Flot, Jeff Faust, and myself. Red Sox fan Stu Allen sat in on a few numbers. Stu has played with Dark Star Orchestra (DSO), which is a nationwide touring Grateful Dead tribute band. Sam Flot and Jeff Faust are MA natives and Sox fans. I am a RI native and a Red Sox fan since at least 1967. The band was booked to play at The Connecticut Yankee on the only night that would allow fans to be able to attend the event without missing any of the games. Fritz Frisbie is the owner of The Yankee and a NH native. Click here if you would like to know how a Red Sox bar came to be named The Connecticut ‘Yankee.’ Susan J. Weiand, a native of Holbrook, MA and a Sox fan, is a regionally and nationally known concert photographer who donated her time to document this Benefit.
Web sites were set up to disseminate information regarding the show and to collect donations. I composed an ambitious set list of songs about Boston (the city), songs by bands from Boston, and songs that are played at Fenway Park. A likewise ambitious goal of raising $2000 was set.
The lengthy set list of Boston songs would have to be cut in half, as it became apparent that it would be very difficult to learn 2 full sets of songs that most in the band had not ever played before. Sweet Caroline and Tessie were on the set list, but as this was the 1st time in many years that I had produced a public event of this size, mistakes were made, and circumstances beyond my control left the show vulnerable to a late start and eliminated those 2 songs, as well as a couple of others. Unfortunately, a last minute equipment issue pushed the start back even furthur. ‘Take Me Out To The Ball Game’, ‘Dirty Water’, and ‘Centerfield’ remained on the list. I instructed the singer of ‘Centerfield’ to change ‘Joe’ DiMaggio to ‘Dom’ DiMaggio. Bob Dylan’s ‘Maggie’s Farm’ became ‘Yankee’s Farm,’ (no, I ain’t gonna work for Yankee’s farm no more…) Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ and ‘Powderfinger’ made the list as Theo Epstein has played these 2 at the Hot Stove benefit. Another Dylan song, ‘Tom Thumb’s Blues’ made it onto the set list as a last minute replacement and included lyrics that were changed to take some serious jabs at the Yankees that I was unaware of.
After my brother was diagnosed with his cancer, after 2 friends in their 60’s passed away this year, and after I started experiencing as of yet still undiagnosed neurological symptoms, I decided that life was too short to be hatin’, ya know what I mean? The Yankees aren’t worth wasting time on, so I stopped wearing my ‘Yankees Suck’ t-shirt and passed that along to someone at the Benefit.
Press releases billed the event as a ‘musical journey from Fenway Park to San Francisco.’ As the musicians in The Cancer Sucks Band have all played in several Bay Area Grateful Dead tribute bands, in addition to DSO, the 2nd set would be comprised of San Francisco’s own Grateful Dead music. Little or no rehearsing would be necessary for the Dead Set. The band was of such a high quality of musicianship, the music that was performed was performed well. We were well received by all in attendance that night. Fritz was happy with the total of his till, as well.
Donations of prizes from Narragansett Brewing Company, and Red Sox merchandise from the personal collections of Matt and myself were given away over the course of the evening. Fritz generously donated dinner for 2 and a pair of tickets to the Sunday Sox-Giants game. We had received 3 signed balls to be part of a silent auction. The Mike Lowell ball received a generous donation of $100, while the Dice-K and V-Mart balls will be up on eBay next month. $900 was raised prior to and at the show. With the $100 from the Mike Lowell ball, and the proceeds from the 2 remaining balls, we will have raised over $1000 for The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Donations are still being accepted at the Rally Against Cancer web site.
As representatives of The Jimmy Fund and Rally Against Cancer, Tim Wakefield, a fine guitarist in his own right who has played at Hot Stove, and Clay Buchholz were invited to perform at the event. Theo Epstein, another guitarist who has performed at Hot Stove, was invited, along with Jerry Remy. Realistically, I did not expect them to make an appearance, as Wake and Clay had already fulfilled their required public appearances. I did leave enough wiggle room to be pleasantly surprised, though.
At first, I said that I would have my hair cut on stage if any of those mentioned in the previous paragraph showed up and played. By the time the show came around, I decided that I was tired of buying Drano and would have my hair cut anyhow. Many could not believe that I was serious.
Big Thanks go out to Fritz Frisbie, owner of The CT Yankee, Matt O’Donnell, owner of Fenway West, Mike DeGuglielmo of The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, photographer Susan J. Weiand, Geraldine Cohen, Sarah Hamilton and all of the musicians mentioned above, especially Pat Nevins, Mike Chase, and Stu Allen.
Check back here at Fenway West for links to youtube videos taken at the show, links to the audio recordings, and links to the signed balls being auctioned on the eBay site.
The Red Sox won’t be playing in San Francisco next year, however, the Oakland A’s remain on the schedule. Once the 2011 MLB schedules are released, I will take the lessons learned from this year’s Rock and Sox event and will make next year’s even better.
Photos coming in the next post!
The inspiration to produce this event was a result of several different events that occurred within a short time period. My oldest brother was diagnosed in November of 2008 with stage 4 lung cancer despite quitting smoking 2 years prior. His doctors gave him about a year to live. November of 2009 came and went with him still alive and battling his affliction. The 2010 MLB schedules were released and I saw that the Red Sox would be playing the Giants here in San Francisco in June. Coverage of the 2010 Hot Stove Cool Music event that takes place in Boston this past winter was published. Fenway West had become one of the more popular Red Sox fan sites on the Internet according to RedSox.100.com, and at times had been clearing 10k hits per month. Two friends, one a former band mate, were diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and passed away earlier this year. All these events got me to scratching my head and coming up with an idea of staging a similar event, but on a smaller scale this year, as the Hot Stove Benefit. I ran the idea by Matt, he liked it, and before we knew it, we realized that this benefit was actually going to happen.
I assembled a house band which I dubbed ‘The Cancer Sucks Band’, consisting of some of the finest musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Pat Nevins, Mike Chase, Dave Stein, Sam Flot, Jeff Faust, and myself. Red Sox fan Stu Allen sat in on a few numbers. Stu has played with Dark Star Orchestra (DSO), which is a nationwide touring Grateful Dead tribute band. Sam Flot and Jeff Faust are MA natives and Sox fans. I am a RI native and a Red Sox fan since at least 1967. The band was booked to play at The Connecticut Yankee on the only night that would allow fans to be able to attend the event without missing any of the games. Fritz Frisbie is the owner of The Yankee and a NH native. Click here if you would like to know how a Red Sox bar came to be named The Connecticut ‘Yankee.’ Susan J. Weiand, a native of Holbrook, MA and a Sox fan, is a regionally and nationally known concert photographer who donated her time to document this Benefit.
Web sites were set up to disseminate information regarding the show and to collect donations. I composed an ambitious set list of songs about Boston (the city), songs by bands from Boston, and songs that are played at Fenway Park. A likewise ambitious goal of raising $2000 was set.
The lengthy set list of Boston songs would have to be cut in half, as it became apparent that it would be very difficult to learn 2 full sets of songs that most in the band had not ever played before. Sweet Caroline and Tessie were on the set list, but as this was the 1st time in many years that I had produced a public event of this size, mistakes were made, and circumstances beyond my control left the show vulnerable to a late start and eliminated those 2 songs, as well as a couple of others. Unfortunately, a last minute equipment issue pushed the start back even furthur. ‘Take Me Out To The Ball Game’, ‘Dirty Water’, and ‘Centerfield’ remained on the list. I instructed the singer of ‘Centerfield’ to change ‘Joe’ DiMaggio to ‘Dom’ DiMaggio. Bob Dylan’s ‘Maggie’s Farm’ became ‘Yankee’s Farm,’ (no, I ain’t gonna work for Yankee’s farm no more…) Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ and ‘Powderfinger’ made the list as Theo Epstein has played these 2 at the Hot Stove benefit. Another Dylan song, ‘Tom Thumb’s Blues’ made it onto the set list as a last minute replacement and included lyrics that were changed to take some serious jabs at the Yankees that I was unaware of.
After my brother was diagnosed with his cancer, after 2 friends in their 60’s passed away this year, and after I started experiencing as of yet still undiagnosed neurological symptoms, I decided that life was too short to be hatin’, ya know what I mean? The Yankees aren’t worth wasting time on, so I stopped wearing my ‘Yankees Suck’ t-shirt and passed that along to someone at the Benefit.
Press releases billed the event as a ‘musical journey from Fenway Park to San Francisco.’ As the musicians in The Cancer Sucks Band have all played in several Bay Area Grateful Dead tribute bands, in addition to DSO, the 2nd set would be comprised of San Francisco’s own Grateful Dead music. Little or no rehearsing would be necessary for the Dead Set. The band was of such a high quality of musicianship, the music that was performed was performed well. We were well received by all in attendance that night. Fritz was happy with the total of his till, as well.
Donations of prizes from Narragansett Brewing Company, and Red Sox merchandise from the personal collections of Matt and myself were given away over the course of the evening. Fritz generously donated dinner for 2 and a pair of tickets to the Sunday Sox-Giants game. We had received 3 signed balls to be part of a silent auction. The Mike Lowell ball received a generous donation of $100, while the Dice-K and V-Mart balls will be up on eBay next month. $900 was raised prior to and at the show. With the $100 from the Mike Lowell ball, and the proceeds from the 2 remaining balls, we will have raised over $1000 for The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Donations are still being accepted at the Rally Against Cancer web site.
As representatives of The Jimmy Fund and Rally Against Cancer, Tim Wakefield, a fine guitarist in his own right who has played at Hot Stove, and Clay Buchholz were invited to perform at the event. Theo Epstein, another guitarist who has performed at Hot Stove, was invited, along with Jerry Remy. Realistically, I did not expect them to make an appearance, as Wake and Clay had already fulfilled their required public appearances. I did leave enough wiggle room to be pleasantly surprised, though.
At first, I said that I would have my hair cut on stage if any of those mentioned in the previous paragraph showed up and played. By the time the show came around, I decided that I was tired of buying Drano and would have my hair cut anyhow. Many could not believe that I was serious.
Big Thanks go out to Fritz Frisbie, owner of The CT Yankee, Matt O’Donnell, owner of Fenway West, Mike DeGuglielmo of The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, photographer Susan J. Weiand, Geraldine Cohen, Sarah Hamilton and all of the musicians mentioned above, especially Pat Nevins, Mike Chase, and Stu Allen.
Check back here at Fenway West for links to youtube videos taken at the show, links to the audio recordings, and links to the signed balls being auctioned on the eBay site.
The Red Sox won’t be playing in San Francisco next year, however, the Oakland A’s remain on the schedule. Once the 2011 MLB schedules are released, I will take the lessons learned from this year’s Rock and Sox event and will make next year’s even better.
Photos coming in the next post!
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