Keith Richards walks into a bar to meet up with his old pals Jack Daniels and Saint Nick. The resulting hangover is tempered knowing that big money was raised to for a good cause.
Keithmas fundraiser is indeed like few other events on the annual concert schedule.
Now in its eighth year, the seasonal holiday gig returns to the Rickshaw Dec. 16 for a night that combines riffs and whiskey with goodwill and philanthropy.
Started in 2010 as a 鈥渄umb idea for a party,鈥� the gig has grown in every way since: it鈥檚 moved from the Fairview to the Rickshaw, donation totals are now routinely in five-figure territory and the acts come to organizers, rather than vice versa. The event has raised more than $40,000 for the Greater 麻豆传媒映画Food Bank in seven years.
The one stipulation year after year is the need for performances to have some tie to Keith Richards or the Rolling Stones. Otherwise, no other rules really apply.
The Keithmas alumni list includes Colin James, Bif Naked, DOA鈥檚 Joe Keithley and the Odds, while this year鈥檚 performers include Pointed Sticks, Rich Hope, the Pack A.D., La Chinga, Elliot C. Way & The Wild North, Slip-Ons, the Knast and the Bad Beats.
The Courier caught up with the event鈥檚 organizer John Hewer to talk about Keithmas鈥檚 enduring popularity, Keith Richards鈥� secret to survival and other bits and bobs ahead of this year鈥檚 show.
Most yearly events last five years at most before petering out. Yours continues to grow. What鈥檚 the secret behind the popularity of Keithmas?
The event is just really fun. The amount of repeat business we have now is crazy. These types of events come and go but we have people showing up to shows with event T shirts from three and four years ago. People will see me wearing a Keithmas shirt and tell me, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the event I most look forward to around Christmas.鈥�
There was a time when you had to approach all the bands to ask them to perform, but now they come to you. That speaks volumes about your show.
Pointed Sticks came to us this year. A couple years ago when we were much smaller we approached them and didn鈥檛 get any feedback. And then I got an unprompted email four months ago from them saying, 鈥淲e want in.鈥� They鈥檒l be doing a very strong, early 鈥�60s style set.
Without tipping your hand too much, what details can you give about the song selection planned for the show?
I know what everyone is going to play just so I know that there won鈥檛 be any duplicates. It fluctuates year to year, but this year is definitely more 鈥�60s and 鈥�70s focused. There鈥檚 going to be a little bit of the 鈥�80s and virtually no 鈥�90s or beyond. Everyone likes to go to the golden era.
You selected Keith Richards as the figurehead of the event partly because his birthday (Dec. 18) always falls around the show date, but is there more to it than that?
Part of it is coincidental with the timing around Christmas and realizing it was his birthday. But the reality is, he鈥檚 the archetype. He is the ultimate rock star.
We鈥檝e lost scores of beloved musicians and entertainers in the last three years. Keith Richards has outlived them all. How is this possible?
I think he鈥檚 tougher than God. That鈥檚 the deal. He has outlived all of these people that by all rights, should have outlived him. And he鈥檚 still up on stage, doing it. That鈥檚 part of reason why we celebrate. It sounds kind of goofy, but it鈥檚 almost like a celebration of life in way. We are celebrating his spirit.
You鈥檝e done seven of these shows now. Which one is your favourite and why?
Every year is different and they鈥檙e all fun but the first year was incredible because we got just such a great response I remember after the gig we were all on cloud nine. It felt like more than just putting on a show. Everyone who went to the event was so positive, so in to it and wanted to donate. It was like, 鈥淗oly crap, I can鈥檛 believe what people are doing for us.鈥� I couldn鈥檛 even sleep the next two nights.
Advance tickets for Keithmas are available at Red Cat, Zulu, Highlife and Neptoon鈥� for $17. Tickets at the door will cost $20 and the gig kicks off with doors at 7 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m.
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@JohnKurucz
