Blues fans can come out to Concord, New Hampshire this Sunday, May 22nd to listen to the blues while contributing to a great cause as well. Mr. Nick, of Mr. Nick And The Dirty Tricks and formally of Mr. Nick’s Blues Mafia, has been hard at work trying to make this outdoor concert and fundraiser a success.
The cause is close to Mr. Nick’s heart.
This is a benefit blues festival for Jeannine David, Mr. Nicks’ Aunt. Mrs. David suffered brain injuries in a car accident two years ago. Wheel chair bound, Mrs. David and her husband have incurred hundred’s of thousands of dollars worth of medical bills.
“Anything anybody could do to help out, we’d love to see people come out,” Mr. Nick said. “It’s going to be a great concert, but just know that it’s for a great cause as well.”
Mrs and Mr. David lived in Hill, New Hampshire for 30 years but their Hill home could not accommodate her current needs. Today, they are residing in a home in Concord, New Hampshire.
The Blues For Beanie festival will raise money to help offset the cost of Mrs. David’s medical expenses. Soul and Blues singer, Nick David, intends to organize this fundraiser every year to help his aunt pay down her medical bills. Bands having been jumping at the chance to play Mr. Nick’s fundraising festivals.
“These guys have been great,” Mr. Nick said, his voice choking up some. “Everybody here’s been volunteering their time. There’s a lot of cool people in the blues world around here.”
The Soul Band will headline this year’s fundraising event. Singer Tim Pike, guitarist Monster Mike Welch, horn playing brothers Scott and John Aruda, bass player Brad Hallen, drummer Chris Rivelli and B3 Hammond Organ player Cliff Spencer have been working on their set list for this festival.
The Soul Band has not been very visible in the last few years but they do reform now and then for special events and this is one of them.
Mr. Nick’s Blues Mafia is performing at the fundraiser as a reunion act. This will be only the second gig for Mr. Nick’s Blues Mafia since they disbanded four years ago.
The Evan Goodrow Band will be on the roster too, and, 20 year old New Hampshire blues staple Otis And The Elevators will be turning in their own performance.
The Kimball Jenkins Estate, an art school in Concord, New Hampshire, will be the site for this fundraiser for the second year in a row.
“They were really cool. They’ve been really accommodating both years,” Mr. Nick related. “They let us come in a day early and set up. (Executive Director) Brian Linehan has been great.”
Merchandise and raffles will be also be available. “There was a lot of cool stuff we raffled off last year,” Mr. Nick said. “We had a guitar that was signed by all the musicians there.”
Mr. Nick’s aunt Vickie is helping out.
Mr. Nick, his voice thickening with emotion, added a few words about his Aunt Jeannine.
“My aunt and my uncle were really hard workers and they never asked anybody for anything their whole lives,” the singer said. “Not only that, but they’ve given back ten fold to their community. They both volunteered in numerous places, soup kitchens, and city councils and all kinds of different places. My Aunt Jeannine was actually on her way to do a radio interview about one of the charities she worked for when she got in the accident.”
Tickets are $20