October 25th, 2008
Cheatham Street Warehouse to stage Hurricane Ike benefit

By HAP MANSFIELD
Scene Editor

There are three things all humans need in order to live: food, water and hope.

It may be difficult to get the first two on a regular basis but without hope, the food and water seem pretty pointless. What are we living for? Survival? For what? The reason we build things, make things, have children, sing songs, paint pictures, sell real estate, drive to a tedious job in a boring office complex, teach school, attend college, skimp and save and go on trying to do whatever we do is because we have hope for the future.

When someone stops bothering to do anything for their companions on earth, he has left the human race and become a hopeless creature just living for his own survival. You know, a nematode. Maybe nematodes hope to be better parasites, but it’s doubtful.

Kent Finlay has been providing TLC to musicians, singers and songwriters, nurturing their hopes of an audience, a good tune, a well-turned phrase and a career in music. Like most humans, he also has hope for the future and provides a venue for musicians to hone their craft and also to give back to the community, so that they can pass on that hope to others.

At the last Cheatham Street fundraising event, humorously titled “Save the Boobies,” he and the contributing musicians who performed raised an impressive $25,000 for breast cancer treatment and research.

This Sunday, Finlay, and a host of musicians are at it again. This time it’s a benefit for the coastal victims of hurricane Ike. Even a nematode would see this as a good cause, and nematodes don’t get the benefit of the extraordinary talents that will be making music for you and the folks devastated by the hurricane who need both the basics of food, shelter and clothing and the hope that others will have compassion for their circumstances.

Finlay is modest about his own part and gives credit to the many performers who are coming to support this event.

“I am amazed and proud to be in the music business,” Finlay said. “It’s always the musicians and the bands that come together to help. It never is the bankers or the lawyers – and it’s certainly not the insurance companies. It’s always the musicians who gather together to help.”

The gathering for Sunday’s benefit includes many of Finlay’s hand-picked future talents like Russell Bisby, as well as the familiar skills of Dr. G and the Mudcats, the Texas Sapphires and many more. The show starts at 2 p.m. and goes on until midnight.

The show promises to be quite a throw-down for a $10 donation, and if you just want to donate to the cause and watch the Cowboys beat the Bucs (one has to have hope), you can send your donation to Concert for the Coast, c/o Cheatham St. Warehouse, 119 Cheatham, San Marcos, TX 7866 or call them at (512) 353-3777 for details.

There’s nothing quite like music to raise the spirits and nourish hope. On Sunday, you can have a great time and give a little of it to others, whether you are a musician or a listener. Here’s a list of times and bands that will be playing throughout the day.

2-2:50 p.m. – Texas FX
3-3:45 p.m. – Wade Bowen and Brett Eldridge
3:50-4:35 p.m. – Cameron Joiner, Russell Bisby, Jason Bednorz
4:40- 5:25 p.m. – Andy Bertlesen, Big John MILLS, Charla Corn
5:30-6:15 p.m. – Forest Allen, Missoula Slim, Victor Holk
6:25- 7:10 p.m. – Dr. G and the Mudcats
7:20-8:05 p.m. – South Texas Destroyers
8:15-9 p.m. – Texas Sapphires
9:10-9:55 p.m. – Mark Jungers
10:05-10:50 p.m. – AJ Downing
11:00-11:45 p.m. – Kyle Park