While costume parties, horror movies and haunted houses tend to dominate Halloween festivities, Motherstone Productions offers a gala this weekend that concentrates more on the "treat" aspect of candy-lovers' favorite holiday.
Tonight, at the Charlottesville Performing Arts Center, Nickeltown, Mississippi Tom & the Mudcats, Afrikan Drum Festival and numerous other native Charlottesville talents will perform at "Gimme Shelter," part of a project that will benefit the Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE). The event also serves as a CD release party for SHE's newly-issued compilation disc.
The Shelter CD reads like a Trax greatest hits list, featuring over 20 local artists such as the Dave Matthews Band, John McCutcheon, John D'earth, Baaba Seth, Van Devon, Sharon Worrell, The Secret, Cynthia Burke, Claire Quilty and many others. It also boasts previously unreleased poetry readings by Rita Dove and an interactive portion with downloadable local visual arts.
Whether or not the disc is musically up your alley, this particular representation of the humanities is a pleasure because of its ultimate purpose.
SHE has served the Charlottesville area since 1979, providing temporary housing for battered women and their children. The organization also provides counseling, educational programs, legal advocacy and a 24-hour hotline.
Wendy Repass - singer, songwriter, director of Motherstone Productions and volunteer at SHE - started arrangements for the CD last spring and contributed a track to the disc.
"I've been wanting to do something beneficial for SHE that incorporates music," Repass said.
Luckily, local artistic talent (along with trendy coffee shops) seems to be one of Charlottesville's greatest resources. The generosity and cooperation of Charlottesville artists and businesses increasingly have impressed her. Because of a sufficient amount of funding for the project, all of the profits from the concert - as well as those from the CD - will go directly to the shelter.
Charlottesville rarely has concerts that offer such a diverse and large mix of bands. In this case, students can delight in benefiting one of Charlottesville's local battered women's shelters, while enjoying the eclectic rhythms of a talented community.
The concert starts tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at the University Bookstore, Plan 9 and other locations around Charlottesville and cost only $8.
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