Lunch Report Tuesday September 7

I was thrown off by the board being down. I didn't know if my offer to do the LRs was accepted until this morning. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Lunch: I'll bring something from home, like left over Chinese food, I don't know for sure yet. I am writing this at 5:30 a.m. my time.

Cool gig report: On Sunday, we played at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC for a program called "Wounded Warriors". Several times a year a barbecue is held for wounded soldiers and their families through a group called CAUSE. A corporation volunteers to have their employees help to cook and distribute food at the barbecue and they ask for bands to provide music. We provided the music this past week and it was a great time. We had beautiful weather. We played under a tent and all were very appreciative of our music.

Today's question: Do you ever have your band play at charitable events? If you are not in a band do you work or contribute to charitable events involving music?

I'll see you all later.

-bassman

That sounds like a really cool gig Bassman, it is awesome your band does more than the standard fare for gigs. There was a guy on the carvin forums a while back who was doing 'guitars for grunts' where he would get guitars over to the middle east, from donation or purchase, after dressing up the frets proper and whatnot.

I am not involved in any charitable events, mostly as I cannot see anyone sitting through my playing. I also have a grave inability to play both guitar and bass simultaneously.

Volunteer with a non-profit dirt track race team, MP2HP.

Unfortunately, no music involved.

Jamie

I’ve never played music for a charitable event but I'm sure some in my audience have felt like they were at a charitable event. Asking friends and family to show up at a gig has always felt like, “charity” to me.

Tom

Thanks for stepping in. It sounded like if you didn't, the "Lunch Reports" were to be scrapped. Talk about a gun to the face...

Kudos on the gig. I bet that went over well. I took part in a performance for WaterAid in 2007. Overall, they raised a few hundred thousand. I was by no means the headliner...

Have a great week!

The Wounded Warriors is one of the charities I give to every single year. It is a great organization, and one of the most worthy (IMHO).

Great job playing for our boys who gave up so much.

Hope is was a fine gig!

Bassman, that's a great thing your band did. Our armed forces are just doing their duty, but sometimes unpopular wars make some portion of our public unfairly turn against our soldiers.

Our drummer had a neighborhood fair last summer where they raised some money for his neigborhood. Our hobby band provided music for about 2 and a half hours. We volunteered to play since I don't think anyone would be willing to pay us to play. It was great fun and we got some compliments which felt good.

Kit

Good for you Bassman, and thanks for stepping up. Was it RAGS that did the gig, or was it the Capital Blues Ensemble?

When I'm feeling charitable, I put the guitar down and let the kids get their sleep.... ;+)

I'm better off giving cash or some of my time. So is everybody else.

Thanks for all of the replies.

Ed, it was a RAGs gig. Capital Blues Ensemble plays this weekend, Sat 9/11, at the Greenbelt Blues Festival and we are backing up some other artists, so that should be fun.

I know war is unpopular but you have to respect the folks that do their duty and follow the orders to go to war. Some of these men and women pay the ultimate price and all who we saw last Sunday have had their lives altered for the rest of their days as they deal with their disabilities.

It gave me a lot to be thankful for when I saw fathers with their sons, who were about my son's age, and they all had lost limbs in battle. It could've been me out there comforting my son. I am very grateful for their service.

I will gladly play music for those heroes, anytime, free of charge. Its the least that I can do.

Bassman,

Sounds like a both a a cool show and worthwhile cause. How many bands participated and how many days does it cover?

I don't play any charitable causes and cannot think of the last music related cause, although I do support many charities. Do you have any other music related charities you (or anyone else) can recommend?

Thanks for jumping in this week.

I know war is unpopular but you have to respect the folks that do their duty and follow the orders to go to war. Some of these men and women pay the ultimate price and all who we saw last Sunday have had their lives altered for the rest of their days as they deal with their disabilities.

People can dislike war and complain all the want, but when they take the issue direct to the soldiers, men doing their job because they believe it is the right thing. Then there is an issue. Unfortunately folks don't seem to be able to disconnect the two, due to foolish beliefs that without the soldiers there would be no war (and no one would bother you...)

Better stop there, before I get worked up

About the whole war and peace thing: There will always be war. This is because people will always covet what others have. War is the highest form of complaining...

Bassman,

Sounds like a both a a cool show and worthwhile cause. How many bands participated and how many days does it cover?

I'm sorry that I didn't see your question yesterday.
We were the only band playing on Sunday and that is the way they do it. One band should be enough because its not about the bands. It is a one afternoon barbecue and I don't know how many times this is done throughout the Summer, but our drummer plays with a number of other bands and he has done it two or three times before over the past couple of years.