Local rocker Bryan Curtis knew how it felt to be the recipient of a fund-raiser, which fueled his motivations behind "Listen Up!" a day-long rock festival benefiting local suicide prevention and child abuse.
"I've got a spinal tumor and they raised money for me," Curtis said, pointing to Chris Inlow, a member of 20ozNothing, who was part of "Save Bryan" in 2001 and is playing in Listen Up! "I was completely gracious when the did that for me," Curtis said.
So Curtis organized a fund-raiser himself and chose "Crisis Link," a suicide prevention group, and "Child Protection Partnership," a child abuse awareness group, as the fund-raiser recipients.
"Both of them are really excited about it, me and Chris approached them," Curtis said.
The fund-raising concert is Saturday, Sept. 27, at the East Coast Cafè in Woodbridge. It's a rock and roll extravaganza featuring bands from around the Northern Virginia area. The list includes Devvin, with Curtis as the singer; 20ozNothing; Human Room; Frown Upon; Breaking Ground; Ghost in the Gears; Scarred Vision; Jazebel's Cure; Fools Wisdom and Brutyl Dysfunction. The show starts on Saturday, at 12:30 p.m., and continues until Sunday, at 1 a.m.
The show is aimed at teenagers, many of whom have been touched by suicide or abuse. Curtis wants it to be a learning experience.
"Everybody knows you learn more when you're having fun," he said.
Raffles will be offered throughout the day from businesses such as Vans Skatepark and Shoes, Hot Topic, Monument Snowboards, Rally Harwear, Tower Records, Red Bull, Asylum Skateboards and Music City. Proceeds from the raffle tickets will go directly to the programs.
Stacy Brooks, development director for Crisis Link, likes the exposure from rock and roll venues.
"The exposure is great, that's what gets us the phone calls," she said.
Crisis Link also has a table at the Take Action Tour, a nationwide music show, which started in 2001 and is growing.
"We actually have participated in rock and roll venues before. This year it's [Take Action Tour] at the Nissan Pavillion," Brooks said.
MUSIC AT THE BENEFIT falls under the hard rock umbrella, with most of the bands honing their performance skills with appearances at Jaxx in Springfield. Curtis' benefit, "Save Bryan," was at Jaxx in 2001. This time, the situation wasn't right to have the fund-raiser at Jaxx but many of the musicians feel at home in the movie theater turned rock arena. Devvin members Bryan Curtis and brother Jeremy on guitar live in Stafford but spend a lot of time in Springfield. Guitarist Joe Hunter is a Gar-Field High School graduate now living in Woodbridge, Juli Messamore on bass and vocals is a an alum of West Springfield High School Class of '99 and drummer Rachel Gresham is an alum of West Springfield High School Class of '97. They all know each other from the local rock and roll circuit.
"We were all good friends," Gresham said.
Each band has songs that aren't lumped under the "light hearted" label as well. Subjects for Devvin include relationships, child abuse, self doubt and rape.
"Different things [and] people have touched someone in our band," Curtis said.
20ozNothing has hits such as "Burn," "Five Knocks" and "Charley in the Box," based on a character on the classic holiday show "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer."
Rachel Gresham noted how addictive that song is.
"You walk away singing the song," she said.
Inlow, on vocals and management for 20ozNothing, writes some songs on the road. He has a tape recorder for spontaneous ideas.
"You get an idea, you hit record," he said.
Curtis has high hopes for the benefit. He's been working on it for three months.
"I really think this is going to make some tidal waves in the local music scene," Inlow said.