Benefit Makes Grade
By John Swartz
Saturday night there was a full house at the Geneva Event Centre for Strings For Students. Ringleader Jimmy Johnston, told SUNonline/Orillia they raised over $2500 at the event, meeting the $4000 goal needed to buy 15 guitars to donate to the Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary music program.
The entertainment began with Danny Webster doing a set. It was the first time for many to see him perform with a backing band because all his previous appearances in Orillia have been solo affairs.
Bleeker did a rare set here, playing the first half with acoustic instruments, putting a different spin on their first hit song, Small Town Dead and having fun with Randy Newman’s Short People, before strapping on the electric gear and going through some familiar tunes, and some new ones.
The Doug Trucker Band, lead by Johnston, then closed out the show. Their familiar tunes are at least ten years old. Having recently resurrected themselves, they played those songs with updated arrangements.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia)
