Working for a Grand Rapids-based charity, the singer-songwriter has seen the dire needs first-hand. Rhys and Valentiger play The B.O.B.’s ‘Will Play for Food’ show to aid the cause tonight. (Podcast, videos)
‘Doing Something to Solve the Problem’: Rebekah Rhys plays The B.O.B. tonight (Thursday).
As highly touted as Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Rebekah Rhys seemed to be a few years ago, poised to take the next step in what seemed a bright musical future, something more pressing became her priority: feeding hungry children.
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Joining the Cause: Valentiger’s Brent Shirey with Rhys. (Photo/Local Spins)
“The more I learn that one in five kids in West Michigan and in the country go hungry every single day, the more I recognize that the problem is completely solvable,” says Rhys, associate director of North America’s Will Play for Food Foundation, based in Grand Rapids.
“We have the money, we have the food, we have the resources. It’s simply a matter of putting pieces together to make sure that happens. It kind of angers me to be honest with you, but it also makes me feel I’m doing something to solve that problem.”
That “something” has amounted to utilizing the artistry of local musicians to attract attention and donations for a noble cause: Since April 2014, “Will Play for Food” performances on Thursday nights in H.O.M.E. at The B.O.B. in downtown Grand Rapids have raised enough contributions to provide more than 150,000 meals for children in West Michigan.
RHYS: RETURNING TO THE STAGE AFTER A HIATUS
More than 50 solo artists and bands – including familiar names such as Brian Vander Ark, Kari Lynch, Brena, A.B., Karisa Wilson, The Mainstays, Rick Chyme, Nicholas Thomasma, Sweet J Band, The Love Hate and The Mines – have taken part in the free-admission shows to help bolster the series.
And this week, Rhys herself returns to the stage to play the Thursday night event, with popular Grand Rapids rock/pop band Valentiger also on the bill. The pop-hued singer-songwriter aims to perform more frequently in 2015 and start work on a new studio album.
“I think typically, if people have seen me perform, it has been in an acoustic capacity,” says Rhys, who will be joined on stage tonight (Thursday) by guitarist Paul Tefft, drummer Eric Ellis and bassist Steve Secor. “But my interest has always been in collaboration with other musicians. My past EPs and new album I hope will reflect that, and I’m working to match my recordings more closely with my live performances.”
On Wednesday, she took an acoustic tack, performing the song, “Risky,” in the studios of News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW) as part of Local Spins Live. Valentiger guitarist Brent Shirey also was on hand to talk about Will Play For Food and play an acoustic rendition of the band’s “Connection.” Check out the full show podcast here, with videos of their performances below.
PLAYING FOR FOOD, BENEFITING NEEDY CHILDREN
Started in 2013 by singer-songwriter and producer Jay Riggs, of Grand Haven, the Will Play for Food Foundation works with independent entertainment artists and sports figures to generate donations for meals to feed children. Together with Gilmore Collection CEO Greg Gilmore, Riggs “came up with the promotion” that created the Thursday night shows at The B.O.B.
Rhys (Photo/Local Spins)
Riggs, Rhys and Jason Veeder began booking local bands and solo artists, with two acts performing each night. The venue pays the performers and feeds them (thus “playing for food”), with all donations by patrons from the free-admission shows going directly to the charity, which partners with Feeding America West Michigan.
“Every artist has loved helping out and many have donated their pay back to the foundations,” Rhys says. “They end up building a stronger fan base and helping end childhood hunger at the same time.”
Matt Dowdy, creative director for the Gilmore Collection, calls it “an opportunity to both contribute to a cause we believe in – ending hunger – and also host up-and-coming Michigan artists in our own backyard. The ‘Will Play For Food’ Thursdays have been an absolute pleasure to host.”
Shirey adds that bands get inspired “when there’s that extra benefit” of supporting a charity through their performances. “I like that the cause is right here in America and especially in West Michigan,” he says. “It’s one of the better things about being in a band: You get invited to do events like this.”
For Rhys, the 8:30 p.m. performance tonight (Thursday) serves as a coming-out party of sorts as she re-ignites her pop-rock music.
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“Working with the foundation has given me a new platform with which to present my music, and hopefully capture a new group of fans,” says Rhys, who was home-schooled and attended Hope College. “I’m excited to have a full band with me at the show.”
While pop music “can be a hard sell in this area,” Rhys points out that iconic artists such as The Beatles and Carole King created enduring pop music “that stands the test of time.”
“I’d like to think I’m more inspired by classic pop and not, perhaps, the formulaic girl/boy band-type pop we typically see today,” she says. “I’ve realized that first and foremost, pop music means something melodic and memorable, and I strive toward that in my songwriting.”
For more about Rhys, visit her website. Information about the foundation is available online at willplayforfoodfoundation.org.
REBEKAH RHYS, “RISKY,” ON LOCAL SPINS LIVE
BRENT SHIREY, “CONNECTION,” ON LOCAL SPINS LIVE
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