Sunday’s inaugural outdoor event hosted by Seven Steps Up benefits The Little Red House adult day care and concludes with an indoor acoustic show.
Courtyard Crooners: Rock’s Honor By August will headline Spring Lake’s first-ever Courtyard Concert on Sunday afternoon. (Photo/Brett Winter Lemon)
By Mary Mattingly
LocalSpins.com
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Spring Lake is getting ready to rock for a good cause in a brand new way.
Honor By August, from Washington D.C., will bring its brand of energetic rock ‘n’ roll to the first-ever outdoor Courtyard Concert hosted by Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up listening room, with Grand Rapids progressive bluegrass band Fauxgrass opening the Sunday afternoon show.
The benefit concert raises money for The Little Red House, a local nonprofit organization that provides adult day-care services. “With our aging population, the need for this type of service is growing daily,” said Michelle Hanks, co-owner of Seven Steps Up. “We told [Little Red House] that we had an idea for a fundraiser; they were thrilled.”
Sunday’s event is actually a two-part affair. Gates open at 1 p.m. with music starting at 2:30 p.m. for the Courtyard Concert in the parking lot next to Seven Steps Up. Randy McClain, lead singer for Grand Haven’s The Rain in Yuma, will open, followed by Fauxgrass. Honor By August – a four-piece band that recently released a new album, “Monuments to Progress,” including the lead single, “Last Chance” – will close the show starting at 4:30 p.m.
Progressive Bluegrass Charm: Fauxgrass will also play Sunday afternoon’s show. (Photo/Anna Sinkevics)
“Fauxgrass is very energetic, modern, kind of hip bluegrass,” Hanks said. “They are able to provide a bunch of energy, the kind of mood we wanted before Honor By August plays.”
General admission tickets for the Courtyard Concert are available online for $12 (or $10 at area businesses); folks can bring their own chairs for seating. VIP tickets are available for $40 which gives access to seating in a reserved section. Attendants are available to deliver food and beverages to VIPs.
(Above & Beyond will cater the event, with Sweet Temptations serving ice cream. Kettle corn will be provided by Dorothy & Tony’s Gourmet Kettle Corn . Wine and beer will also be available for the 21-and-over crowd.)
ACOUSTIC PINDROP SHOW TO CLOSE EVENING
The second half of the event takes place the same evening, featuring an Honor By August acoustic performance inside Seven Steps Up. “We’ll play a stripped-down set,” said Michael Pearsall, lead singer and rhythm guitarist. “It’s an acoustic show; people are listening to the lyrics and meanings of the songs.”
Honor By August has played Seven Steps Up before, with its show there last December selling out a week in advance. “We’re looking forward to seeing Michelle and Gary (Hanks), hanging out with new people and the warm weather,” Pearsall said.
Pindrop Power: Honor By August played a riveting, sold-out acoustic show at Seven Steps Up last December. (Photo/Kevin Reedy Photography)
The acoustic show is part of Seven Steps Up’s popular Pin Drop Concert series which promotes a pristine, quiet setting for live music. Admission to the evening concert is $25. “We are very upfront about not allowing people to talk during concerts,” Hanks said. “Respect the artist, respect your neighbor.”
Net proceeds from Sunday’s inaugural event will benefit Little Red House, which provides adult day care for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. “It’s such a great thing they’re doing,” Hanks said, “and they’re only a couple of blocks from the venue.”
The event already has raised $15,000 from corporate sponsors in Spring Lake, including Seven Steps Up Event & Banquet Center, Corporate Cleaning Inc., Magnum Coffee, Live Space Inc. and others. Food vendors also will donate a portion of their proceeds from Sunday’s sales.
“[Little Red House is] an awesome cause,” Pearsall said. “We like to give back to the community whenever possible. We like supporting more local organizations; it’s way more personal, you get to know the community members.”
Added Hanks: “Hopefully the weather will be nice. There will be great food, fellowship with friends and phenomenal music. It’ll be a day for the community.”
As part of the event, Seven Steps Up also sponsored a Songwriting Contest for high school-age musicians. The winner was Spring Lake High School’s Jonah Yoshonis of the band Natively Foreign, who submitted the song “The Forest.” Emily Sumney placed second and Olivia Mainville, third.
For more information about the Courtyard Concert and to buy tickets, visit courtyardconcerts.com.
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
