Benefiting St. Francis Dining Hall
November 19, 2009
Crystal Ballroom
Portland, OR
www.mcmenamins.com
with special guest Clayton Senne
Buy tickets online | 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m show | $20 advance, $25 day of show | All Ages | with special guest Clayton Senne
McMenamins Crystal Ballroom is pleased to host and co-sponsor Everclear's 1st Annual Holiday Benefit in support of Portland's St. Francis Dining Hall, a local non-profit organization that serves an average of 300 people an evening meal, six days a week, in an atmosphere of respect, dignity and peace.
The immediate goal is to feed 2,000+ homeless, hungry people for the 2009 holiday season. The ultimate goal is that this annual event gains momentum each and every year – "that's what makes this bigger than all of us involved," says Art Alexakis, frontman for Everclear.
McMenamins Crystal Brewery, located onsite, will brew a beer specifically for the event, dubbed Survive Ale – half of all sales of this special-edition beer will go directly to the charity in need. Red Bull will also donate $1 of every drink sold to St. Francis Dining Hall; if sales exceed 10 cases (240 drinks), Red Bull will double their donation to $2 per drink. In addition to McMenamins and Red Bull, other corporate sponsors are sought to help make this fundraiser a smashing success.
THE EVENT
Everclear singer/songwriter Art Alexakis has built a solid career and devoted fan base on heartfelt songs culled from real-life experiences about which he's always been open. His father abandoned the family when Alexakis was a child, leaving his mom to raise five kids in a tough Los Angeles neighborhood. Nonetheless, says Alexakis, his mother instilled in him a sense of duty to help those less fortunate. "My mother would have us go and volunteer on Thanksgiving and Christmas, to serve food and to see what's going on in a different life." That desire to give back to his community motivated him to volunteer for years. Unfortunately, as Alexakis's fame grew, his presence became a distraction, and people doubted his motivation. Hence, he decided he'd work his celebrity to his advantage with this 2009 holiday benefit.
"I've done benefits with McMenamins before, like the 9/11 Firefighters' Fundraiser," says Alexakis, "and there's just a mindset with McMenamins that I love and respect. I thought together we could make this holiday fundraiser big. [Selected charity] St. Francis Dining Hall is not funded. They are not just about feeding people, but they offer medical assistance, check-ups, a place to stay. … It's stupid why we can't figure out how to end homelessness in Portland. It can totally be done. Portland people are community-minded – we give a damn! And that's exciting."
Concertgoers will enjoy a live performance of Everclear hits, both old and new and reprised, with two dollars from every ticket sold going to benefit St. Francis Dining Hall.
Opening act Clayton Senne's sound has been called "bright, blues-flavored pop … that bellows over the sonic landscape of other musicians today." Another as-of-yet-unnamed local band will be selected via a poll on Everclear's Facebook and MySpace pages. "We want to give a local band exposure at the Crystal Ballroom and, of course, draw more people in the door to support the cause," explains Alexakis.
Join Us in Sponsoring this Event!
Become a corporate sponsor of Everclear's 1st Annual Holiday Benefit either by 1) purchasing a block of tickets to the show or 2) by donating a corporate match (i.e., $1) for every ticket sold. Local organizations interested in helping out can contact the Crystal Ballroom's Jimi Biron at (503) 341-1989.
ST FRANCIS DINING HALL
This local non-profit organization located at 1131 SE Oak St. in Portland, Ore., serves an average of 300 people an evening meal, six days a week. Dining Hall guests are treated with respect and served a hot meal in a Christian atmosphere of dignity and peace.
EVERCLEAR & THE "IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT" TOUR
For Art Alexakis, charismatic frontman and driving force behind the multi-platinum powerhouse Everclear, there's truly no debate about evolution. If you're not growing and changing and getting creative with your classic songs over time, he says, "then you're not a band, you've become a jukebox!" And every so often, to remind yourself that making music is still the invigorating joy it's always been, it's a great idea to take a look back at your classic songs, as Alexakis does on Everclear's 429 Records debut, In A Different Light.
Nearly fifteen years since his Portland, Oregon based unit captured the hearts of Gen-Xers and rock fans everywhere—and hit #1 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart—with "Santa Monica" and their Top 30 Capitol Records album Sparkle and Fade, the happily restless singer/songwriter gears up for Everclear's next phase by taking a unique, organic look back at "Santa Monica" and a personal selection of eight more their biggest hits and fan favorites from throughout their career: "Learning How To Smile," "I Will Buy You A New Life," "Summerland," "Everything To Everyone," "Wonderful," "Father Of Mine," "Rock Star" and "The Maple Song."
The dynamic new set also features two new Alexakis penned tunes, "Here Comes The Darkness" (originally recorded for their 2006 first post-Capitol set Welcome To The Drama Club, but never before released) and the infectious first single "At The End Of The Day," featuring backing vocals by performers in Portland's underground funk gospel scene, including soul singer Liv Warfield.
Alexakis' reasoning for embarking on In A Different Light was not only to bridge the gap between the previous Everclear lineup and the new one, but also because of that long-held belief that songs, like bands, evolve naturally over time. He wanted to chronicle the way he had been playing many of these classic tunes for years, with the help of the backing band that was instrumental in taking them to a whole new creative and musical place.
"There's nothing more fun for me than exploring the possibilities of my songs when we play live," he says, "and I always thought it would be cool to reproduce the way they've grown in a studio setting. I've played songs like "Santa Monica" and "Father Of Mine" what, thousands of times by now? Doing the same old thing doesn't interest me, so performing them the way I did ten years ago would be ridiculous. But recreating them, as the album title goes, In A Different Light is exciting. We're showing how the arrangements for these songs have changed over the years. I know the word ‘organically' is overused but that's what the vibe and approach was. The basic songs are still there, the recipes are still intact, but I turned down the guitars, favored acoustic over the electric and added more keyboards."
"Besides my love for making music, one of the reasons I still keep Everclear out there and evolving is because our fans still want us to do this," he says. "Many rock bands have the strange experience of watching the same fans come to their concerts over the years and age before their eyes, but I am proud to say that we've always attracted new young fans even as our most loyal ones have stuck with us from the beginning. One of the reasons I had fun making In A Different Light was because while my voice has aged and gotten lower since we started the band, I think it still sounds good but in a different way, and it was great to explore new possibilities. I've got some mileage on my voice as well as my life, but I'm still here, enjoying new ways to look at the great things we've done in the past and looking forward to Everclear's next adventures."
Please visit www.everclearonline.com for more information.
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