Rockin for a good cause
Phase II and Friends playing for St. Paul’s Church social action projects on Sunday
They’re one of the most popular, grooviest good-time bands on the Island and they are also good about supporting good community causes.
Phase II and Friends are playing in the great setting of Charlottetown’s St. Paul’s Church on Sunday, Oct. 21, to give a boost to the church’s outreach and social justice ministry.
Audiences have been tapping their toes to the music of Phase II for more than a quarter of a century. They got going in 1990 as a rock ’n’ roll band.
A couple of years ago, they took to playing concerts as well, and added the ‘Friends’, singers Keila Glydon and Jeanie Campbell. The other musicians are John McGarry on bass, Pat King with vocals and ‘almost anything’ in the way of instruments, Ed Young on drums, Blaine Murphy on guitar and Gerry Hickey as front man and lead singer. These folks are known for lively musicianship, plus humour and a lively patter between songs.
The band’s repertoire is huge — 500 pieces! The St. Paul’s concert will pack about 30 of them into two hours.
“We’ll have something for everyone,” says Gerry Hickey, “Mainly good old rock ’n’ roll, but also hits by Abba, Glen Campbell, Gene MacLellan and more.”
And, because this is an evening to raise money for good works outreach, there’ll be songs like Michael Jackson’s “We Are The World” and Johnnie Reid’s “Today I’m Gonna Try and Change The World’’.
The venue itself adds something special.
St. Paul’s Church is one of the Island’s finest performance spaces. The historic Harris design provides amazing acoustical clarity plus the glorious warmth of its woodwork and windows. That’s why it’s the favoured place for recitals, chamber orchestras, choral groups, and the annual P.E.I. Jazz and Blues Festival.
The members of Phase II and Friends love playing together but they have an altruistic side too — they want to help good things happen. That’s why they’ve given literally hundreds of benefit events to support community groups. All the funds from this concert will be used for St. Paul’s outreach and social justice projects, particularly the Christmastime food-hamper and simple-gifts program for limitedmeans families. But the purpose is also simply to share an evening of fun entertainment and fellowship for young and old. The audience can bet that after the first few numbers, people will be getting up and dancing at the back of the church. And, as an added bonus, there will be mouth-watering refreshments.
Phase II and Friends perform on Sunday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at St. Paul’s Church in downtown Charlottetown at the corner of Grafton and Church streets, across from the Department of Veterans Affairs building.
Admission is $12 at the door, or $10 in advance — via the St. Paul’s office (902-892-1691), Gerry Hickey (902-393-3251) or Blaine Murphy (902-393-8379).