Want to rock out to holiday music while supporting a local charity? Easy.
At Home(s) for the Holidays, concertgoers donate the cost of their ticket to one of four local charities.
“This is an opportunity for us to give people a really good time at a rock show while their money is going to people who really, truly need it,” Jim Ousley told “Cityscape” host Steve Potter on Friday. “We’re hoping this becomes a tradition in St. Louis, where this is something you can bring your family to, learn a little bit about the charities and just have a good time.”
In addition to Ousley, a bassist, members from several St. Louis bands, including My 2 Planets, Soul Kiss, Seven Star, the Rough Ryders and Vote for Pedro, will play their favorite rock versions of holiday songs. The St. Louis University High School varsity choir will open the show and back the bands.
“We’re doing a lot of songs that people may know, but different versions of those songs,” Ousley said. “There’s a song called ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham, which was kind of a classic when I was growing up. And there’s a Jimmy Eat World arrangement that we’re doing. We’re doing the Bryan Adams’ version of ‘Run, Run Rudolph.’ We’re also doing all kinds of songs you don’t really hear at shows like this usually, like ‘Father Christmas’ by The Kinks, which is probably my favorite Christmas song. We’re really mixing it up.”
Each of the charities that the concert will support deals with homelessness.
“We really realized that everybody has things they’re passionate about, so we really tried to partner with charities that would kind of cover the gamut,” said Ron James, one of the event’s organizers. “(Homelessness) is basically a breakdown of some system. A lot of the charities we’re working with aren’t just about supplying homes, but they’re about rebuilding those systems.”
The concert will support Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis, Catholic Charities of St. Louis, Project Restore and BackStoppers.
Tickets purchased online carry service fees; concertgoers can eliminate fees by paying cash at the box office. Online or in-person, ticket buyers will get to choose the charity they want to support. The full price of the ticket will then go to that charity, James said. Golden Oak Lending is covering the costs for the concert, and The Pageant is donating space for it.
Related Event
Home(s) for the Holidays
- When: 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014
- Where: The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis
- More information
“Cityscape” is produced by Mary Edwards and Alex Heuer and sponsored in part by the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis.