THUNDER BAY – ‘GLOVES OFF! A musical knockout,’ in support of the Underground Gym will be held on Thursday, Aug. 29 at Branch 5 Legion Hall, 229 Van Norman St.
Cindy Long, event organizer, said ‘Gloves Off’ refers to one of the main things children do at the Underground Gym, boxing.
“My husband and I were going to an open mic night at a local venue and were really impressed by some of the performers there. I had the idea to invite these musicians to do a fundraising event that would support the Underground Gym.
“To my surprise, they all agreed,” she said.
The Underground Gym is a really critical facility for some children in Thunder Bay, Long said.
“I used to be a teacher and that's how it came to my awareness. There were some children who absolutely relied on the Underground Gym as a safe environment and a caring space that they could go to where they always felt welcomed.
“It turned out to be run by pretty much one man, Peter Panetta, and volunteers. It simply runs on donations and volunteers. Having an event like this to raise funds can only help,” she said.
Long said the legion donated the hall since it’s a fundraiser.
“I think people might want to come out to this because this is five really excellent performers for only $20. And where are you going to really get that?”
The five musicians that will be at GLOVES OFF are, Rodney Brown, John Christopher, Cassidy Huston, Mitch Tones, and Kris Tonkens.
The musicians come from different backgrounds, Long said.
“I know one of the performers is fairly new to Thunder Bay and performs often with a band, although I believe he's performing solo that night.
“I simply know that I've heard them, I can vouch for the fact that they're going to put out a good show.
“Everyone knows Rodney Brown puts on a terrific show. So, I thought it might be really interesting to blend an older fan favourite in Thunder Bay with some younger, less well-known musicians. This will give people an opportunity to enjoy a performer that they know they like and, at the same time, get to learn about some performers that maybe they haven't heard of before,” she said.
Doors open at 7 p.m. with tickets $20 online in advance or $25 at the door.
