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Friends of the Eva Rothwell Centre Benefit
Two McMaster University Sociology students turned their necessary volunteer community work into so much more. Marissa Cunnington and Lena Pignatelli ended up volunteering at a North End community center for their education but now continue to work there after recently graduating – and they’re offering a follow up to their first successful musical benefit for the Eva Rothwell Centre.
“We wanted to help out with students and originally Eva Rothwell fit best in with our schedule but somewhere along the course of third year the centre became somewhere I loved to be, and decided to volunteer again the next year, where I recruited Lena to come with me,” recalls Cunnington. “When Lena and I and the rest of our group entered the centre for our training, we found out the centre had been robbed, and all the after school equipment had been stolen. Lena and I made a pledge to not graduate without replacing the gaming systems, DVDs, TVs, and everything that was stolen.
“I decided to hold a benefit show, because I had a few friends who were in a band and introducing me to the music industry, and with some helpful hints and some connections from my dear friends Jose Batista and DJ Porter [of Fall of Spring], I was able to find many bands willing to help us out,” adds Cunnington. “Ideally we wanted to raise money, since it was mainly a concert to replace the equipment, but
Jesse Dore and everyone at the Corktown Pub were so amazing, they convinced us awareness was key, and have encouraged us to continue the concerts and spread awareness for the centre.”
The Eva Rothwell Centre near Barton and Wentworth Streets, in the old Robert Land School, provides a number of resources and services free of charge for the community including after school programs for students up to 18 years old, a food bank, clothing and furniture handouts, and a health clinic with a limited volunteer staff. With their first benefit receiving a wealth of response and donations, Cunnington and Pignatelli replaced all of the stolen equipment as well as a $500 donation. The pair returns with Another Friends of the Centre Benefit with hopes of raising more funds and
perhaps more awareness for the worthwhile center. “It’s going to be a crazy, heartfelt indie–rock night of local entertainment while supporting an amazing cause,” notes Cunnington. “I
want some bands to have a fun night playing their heart out, and showing the Hamilton community what talented musicians are raised in this town, and those from surrounding cities. I want everyone to have tons of fun, but I want to make sure that people see the importance of volunteering and what a difference it makes in the children’s lives.”
Another Friends of the Centre Benefit Show happens this Friday June 25 at the Corktown Pub with Max Wray, Don’t Tell Aaron, the Stragglers, the Grey Owls and Dark Mean. Doors open at 9pm and tickets are only $10 with proceeds going to the Eva Rothwell Centre. For more info find the event on facebook or email friendsofthecentre@hotmail.com
Dave Rave’s Live With What You Know
Dave Rave Desroches began making music in Hamilton in the late ‘70s. Taking from the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Everly Brothers, he’d form the Shakers with long time friend Rick Andrew. Once the band broke up, Rave would join Teenage Head but then branch out and form his own group. With three albums under his belt, 2003’s Everyday Magic would be his last all new rock and roll record for some time. Since 2003, Rave would explore jazz with Mark McCarron, and other songwriting opportunities over the next nine years with people like the Trews but remained a performer in demand around the world. It was one such performance in England that seemed to put things back into perspective for Rave and would begin the development of his new CD Live With What You Know.
“We went to Liverpool around 2006 and I took Dave King, Mark Foley and Rick Andrew,” recalls Rave. “We were playing at the Cavern and it
dawned on me, because we started off the show with ‘Here Comes The Weekend’, the Dave Edmunds/Nick Lowe tune, and I just thought it was almost as if I’d found my spiritual home. Rick and me learned doing harmonies to Nick Lowe, Badfinger, Everly Brothers, Jagger and Richards, the Beatles, the Move. This is where we had our roots. After that trip, I wrote [the song] ‘Liverpool’, and really wanted to get that band back together to record that song. That’s when I realized I wanted to get back to my roots. That was where the record began and I simply started navigating the path.
“Gary Pig Gold is a great friend and helped begin my journey into the
US with [the Dave Rave Group’s album] Valentino’s Pirates,” adds Rave. “We got together for some coffee and before you know it we had the acoustic guitars out and had [the song] ‘You’re Going to London’ done. We ended up doing four songs and I realized then that we had a bit of a theme. I had gone back with Rick and then with Gary – I was going backwards to go forwards. There were a lot of old friends – it started there – but there were new people, too.”
Working with Andrew, Gold, Lauren Agnelli and Mark McCarron as well as recording at Grant Avenue Studio (where Rave had done his first
recordings 30 years ago but this time with Amy King producing and co–writing with Rave) offered a nod to his past and working with a variety of newer song writing partners he’s met over the last few years offers a light towards Rave’s future.
“It’s an acceptance of who you are and by going to who you are, you can go forwards,” ruminates Rave on the Live With What You Know title. “It’s like if you get lost in the woods – you just go back the way you came, you should find your path, get out of the forest and see the whole picture. That’s how the record came up. I realized a lot of my life has been around these great people so why not see what we can do with them again and have some more fun together. “I wanted to do a journey,” adds Rave. “I really believe that you should instinctively follow the plot when the time is right to change. We went to Grant Ave, back to Gary, back to Rick Andrews – it just brought everything back – the highway got lights and I could see how
to get to this record. It was so many talented people. The Trews, the Madhatters, The Plastic Heroes – it’s good because you get a lot of interaction and you’ve got to have a little grit and a little energy to make good rock and roll.”
Live With What You Know bristles with energy shaking some action throughout with some diversions into balladry and even psychedelia without ever losing sight of Rave’s eagerness to return to those original melodies and excitement that inspired him to start making music. After the CD release this weekend – featuring Lauren Agnelli, Mark Foley, Jack Pedler, Mike Hickey, Ed Roth and Rick Andrew – Rave returns to his roots on the new CD but hopes its release begins a new journey to newer places.
“I like to keep it fresh so that people can say, ‘wow, that was different,’” offers Rave on translating the new music to the live stage. “That’s the great thing because I don’t know how these songs will transform live – that’s the question mark for me and I’m really excited to find that out.
“The record has taken me back around the world and maybe it’ll help me develop some areas I haven’t been to that often,” adds Rave. “I’m going to be hitting the West Coast and into the States, then off to Europe and then back to the East Coast but there are still places to visit. There’s a whole world out there that I need to get to that I haven’t been there yet.”
Dave Rave performs this Saturday June 26 at Fenian Films (211 Locke St. S.). Doors open at 8pm and tickets are 20 at the door if it doesn’t sell out. Advance tickets available at Picks and Sticks Music (208 Locke St S). Click on dave-rave.com
Shelley Adams’ The Coach House
Shelley Adams has found a poetic muse beginning in her early years but only turned that muse into music a few years ago when she began her first duo, Liam Ruby. Over the last two years, Adams has continued to search for her own voice in song writing competitions and open mic nights. This weekend all her hard work pays off with her debut full–length, The Coach House. “Hamilton has a pretty unique musical scene,” notes Adams. “I’d always heard about it, but didn’t really get it until I started playing at the West Town open mic nights when they were hosted by JP Riemens. The calibre of musicians here is like nowhere else I’ve seen and the support everyone lends each other is great.
“I’ve met a lot of cool people there, musicians and non–musicians who have all influenced me,” adds the singer. “JP’s influence was huge. I really like the country type feel his music has without sounding typically country. I think that has opened me up to the idea that a country sound can be pretty cool, not that I’m countryish, but I think I’d like to be – like country–pop is what I’d like.”
Adams ended up taking that initial influence from Riemens and brought 20 songs to choose from for a potential EP release at Riemens’ Grant Avenue Studios but ended up working out a full length CD on the strength of the material.
“I felt comfortable with JP, he totally understands my music and I completely trust him,” explains Adams. “I knew I wanted a simple record and JP let me do it the way I wanted to. We only did two days in the studio with the band, plus a few more days to add some more vocals, guitar and violin. Personally, I can’t listen to one voice and one guitar for more than a couple songs, so I didn’t want to put that type of album out. I like a little variety. I also know that I’m not the greatest musician and am surrounded by extremely talented people who all offered their expertise on my album.”
Enlisting Mary Simon, Dan Walsh, Danny Lockwood, as well as the players that make up the Shelley Adams Union – Jordan Fox (guitar, banjo), Carrie Ashworth (bass) and Matt Coleman (violin), Adams offers up some confident performances on songs that showcase a serious songwriter.
“I'm an emotional person, which is hard to hide when you’re writing, so it comes out in full force and I hope grabs people’s attention,” offers Adams. “Whether that attention is directed to some personal experience or something similar to what I’ve been through in life, I just want people to feel something real. “I called it The Coach House because I live in the coach house,” adds
the singer. “I have this amazing little apartment that used to be a coach house – where the horses and buggy stayed on the ground garage floor and the driver lived above. The space is open, simple and full of love – so hopefully that does sum up the album.”
That simplicity and authenticity of emotion comes through in her performances although Adams readily admits she’s still growing use to the spotlight on the live stage. Although her CD release party offers her front and centre, Adams enlists some of her musical friends in a novel locale to big what should be the beginning of quite the musical journey. “I used to be pretty shy on stage, and still can be, but I’ve made efforts to be more outgoing and entertaining for the audience and I hope people who saw me play last year or the year before will be happily surprised when they hear and see us play now,” confides Adams. “I chose Patacino’s back courtyard because I love it back there. It is very private and quaint looking. I like that it is outdoors and that it isn’t where everybody else has done their CD releases. I know it will be a lot of my friends and family there, so I wanted it to be more like a party than a listening concert. We’ll be putting up strings of lights, some seated tables and some high tables so that people can feel free to move around and mingle. I don’t want people to feel as though they have to just sit and listen. I’m just hoping to have a nice party and share some drinks with my friends and family and hopefully some new fans, too.”
The Shelley Adams Union performs this Sunday June 27 at the Pastacino Italian Restaurant (1151 Upper James). The show gets underway at 7pm, tickets are only $5 and CDs will be available for $10. Click on
ShelleyAdamsMusic.com
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