From 2010 through 2013, Sound Off for Vets was a series of benefit concerts in Central Pennsylvania, with proceeds benefiting the Wounded Warriors Project. Combined below are several articles which were published on our network and affiliated websites, covering the four events that occurred 2010-2012. A fifth benefit concert was planned for November 9th, 2013 in Harrisburg, but cancelled for logistical reasons. Unfortunately, there have been no further Sound Off for Vets events.
This article was originally published on Keystone Rock Review May 16, 2012.
With injury reports from the Middle East no longer prominent in the news, wounded service members may feel like they have been forgotten. But the Wounded Warrior Project has been established to make sure America’s finest are never forgotten. Lebanon musician Chris Nelson has been doing his part by organizing the concert series Sound Off for Vets to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project and keep these fine men and women in the public arena, all while providing an entertaining showcase of Pennsylvania musical artists.
This year’s show was held Saturday, May 19th at City Island in Harrisburg in conjunction with Armed Forces Day. The show featured four performers starting with Nelson himself, followed by Rhyne McCormick, Michael Anthony Smith & the Dirty Thieving Gypsies, and Shift Seven, with each act starting on the hour from Noon through 3:00 pm. Fittingly, each act in this year’s show possess strong ties to U.S. Military service. McCormick served in the U.S. Air Force from 1987 to 1996 before launching his successful career as a performer and recording artist. Shift Seven played the first two Sound Off concerts in June 2010 and May 2011, and Michael Anthony Smith and the Dirty Thieving Gypsies played last year. Both of these bands have relatives serving in the military. Nelson himself is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served from 1983 until 2004. This is the fourth overall Sound Off concert and third to be held on City Island. The last show was held on Veteran’s Day last year (11/11/11) at Champions Sports Bar in Highspire, PA.
Nelson, who has been writing and recording music for over 25 years and labels his own music “dark folk”, released his second full-length solo album last summer called The Invisible Man. He is currently working on a compilation of his some of his older music which we be called Fish Stories, 1986-2005. The tight-riffed rock trio Shift Seven also released their second album last year called Love Lust, while the bluesy Michael Anthony Smith and the Dirty Thieving Gypsies have been writing and recording original material for the past few years. Rhyne McCormick has toured extensively and released several albums through the years, with his latest effort being 2010’s Live At the Capitol Theatre.
Armed Forces Day transforms City Island into a bustling military base for one day, with great food and over 100 displays and equipment from all services and service-related groups including aviation, artillery, construction, employment information and recruiting booths, veterans’ resources, living history demonstrations and a wide variety of family and children’s activities and fitness challenges. This year’s concert will have an MC, Mike Randazzo, who coordinates media for Armed Services Day. Video will be provided by Tim Dyer of Dyer’s World Video, with professional sound by Chris Hicks of Voyager Music, and drums donated by Dale’s Drum Shop. Nelson’s goal is to raise $1000 for Wounded Warriors and he says they are off to a good start due to the generosity of local businesses and donors who have already made contributions.
List of 2012 Contributors and Contributions
Since it is a free concert, funds will be raised at the show through raffles and voluntary cash contributions by attendees. Nelson said he would like to eventually “franchise” the event by holding multiple Sound Off for Vets concerts at multiple locations each year with the help of various promoters. But he realizes he can’t do it all alone, as one event is quite enough work each year.
The show will be videotaped in its entirity and there are discussions about possible DVDs for sale to raise further funds for the cause. On this Memorial Day weekend, it is essential that we all remember and give appreciation to those who put it all on the line in defense of our country, our citizens, and our freedom.
A Special Thanks following the 2012 benefit concert.
Originally published 04/29/12 at The Peverette Phile
Recently, Sound Off for Vets organizer was interviewed by the blog Peverett Phile about this concert series.
Peverett Phile: Hello, Chris, welcome back to the Phile. So, how have you been?
Chris Nelson: I’ve been recovering from the flu, but other than that, I’m okay.
PPh: You’re based in Pennsylvania, right? My wife is from the Mechanicsburg area. What part of Pennsylvania are you from?
CN: Lebanon, which is about 30 miles to the east of Mechanicsburg.
PPh: Last time you were here you were plugging your The Invisible Man CD. Have you been working on any new music?
CN: I’ve been doing a lot of writing and I have enough material for a new album, but it may be a while until I record anything. I’m currently working on putting together a complilation of recordings that I made from 1986 to 2005. I’ve gone back into the archives and have been remixing, retooling, and in some cases, re-recording portions of these tracks for the release. I’m about three fourths of the way through it. It will be called Fish Stories: 1986-2005 and I hope to have it done around the end of the year. I’d also like to mention that “In Praise Of Failure”, a song from The Invisible Man was recognized as one of the top five songs of 2011 by DAMES of PA.
PPh: Nice, well done. Okay, let’s talk about Sound Off For Vets. For those that don’t know, explain what that is.
CN: Sound Off for Vets is a free benefit concert put on by local musicians in support of the Wounded Warrior Project. We sell raffle tickets on prizes that have been contributed by community members, clubs, and businesses and we also have some items that sell to raise additional money. There’s a ‘tip jar’ that we have placed near the stage area and two more that are located around the concert site where people can put in whatever they want to. Basically, it’s an outdoor party to entice people into making a contribution while giving them something to listen to.
PPh: The last benefit Sound Off For Vets was on Nov, 11th, 2011. How much did you raise, Chris?
CN: About $1,111 before expenses were paid.
PPh: That’s a helluva coincidence. You must’ve been surprised and slightly suspicious that was the amount you arranged. Am I right?
CN: Well, that whole event was a surprise. My friend Ric Albano… who has a thing about numbers… knew the guy who owns Champions Sports Bar and Grill in Highspire, where the event was held. The idea was to do something special for Veterans’ Day. I was supposed to play, but I had to back out at the last minute. They drew quite a crowd, from what I heard. They also got a lot of clothing donations to go to the YWCA’s homeless veterans program. I’d say it was a huge success, overall.
PPh: What exactly is the Wounded Warriors Project, Chris?
CN: WWP assists those combat-wounded veterans from the recent conflicts to deal with their disabilities. Sometimes its helping with overcoming physical disability, other times it’s mental health counseling for deailing with the stress of living in a combat environment, some need assistance with job training and placement. There’s a lot of services that they provide our wounded veterans. They have a complex near Jacksonville, Florida where they do most of their training and counseling.
PPh: How did you come to be a part of all this? You founded Sound Off For Vets, right?
CN: Yes. It all started when I was sent to cover a military funeral of an Army Lieutenant out of the Scranton area when I worked for the Pennsylvania Office of Veterans Affairs. He was a victim of a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. As I spoke with those who know him, I found out that he had been a musician and also played all the instruments on his records, although he perferred jazz. The point was, this could have been me a few years ago when I was still in the service. I had wanted to do something to give back to the military ever since I retired, but I didn’t know what I could do. After the funeral experience, I really felt motivated to do something and started to explore different options. A friend of mine from Pittsburgh began organizing his “Pennsylvania Hero Walk” where a group of people walk from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh over the course of a few months to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. I’ve always wanted to do something like this with my music, since it’s something I’m quite passionate about. I decided to make Sound Off an extension of the PA Hero Walk in 2010 and planned to hold it during the week when they were passing through Harrisburg. We held it on the deck of the Pride of the Susquehanna riverboat overlooking the shore. We drew a pretty good size crowd for a Thursday. The following year, we decided to hold it during Armed Forces Day, since it sort of fit with that theme. We raised close to $500 that day.
PPh: Were you in the military at all?
CN: Yes, I was in the U.S. Air Force from 1983 to 2004 and retired as an E-7 after 21 years.
PPh: So, how is this years event different from the last one, Chris?
CN: It’s a little shorter since we have to clear out for the Harrisburg Senators baseball game scheduled for later that evening. Everything will have to be done by 4 pm to give time for the Army helicopters to take off. We will, however, be occupying the main stage, so we will be able to get more people’s attention that way. This year, we’re located in the center of all the activity. In years past, we were near the riverfront area. People didn’t always know about us since the acoustics there swallow up the sound.
PPh: Will it be at the same place?
CN: Yes, on City Island in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
PPh: So, why do another one so soon after the last event?
CN: The actual Sound Off for Vets happens every Spring. The first one was June 2010 and last year, we did it in May of 2011. The November event, Sound Off for Veterans Day was a special event for the year. Ric was intrigued by the 11.11.11 date and wanted to do something special. I haven’t heard from him about if there will be another one for this Veterans Day.
PPh: Hey, maybe one year you can have Foghat play there… or not. LOL. How often are you gonna be doing these benefits, Chris?
CN: I am trying to make this a recognized annual event that will be associated with the city of Harrisburg. Even after all our troops are back home from overseas, many of them are going to be needing assistance with their injuries for years to come… in some cases, for the rest of their lives. We can’t forget the sacrifices these people have made. I’m glad we have organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project to help.
PPh: Who are some of the bands and acts who will be performing there this year with you this time? If any of them would like to be on the Phile, please let me know. I’d love to have them.
CN: I’ll pass along your information to them. We currently have Rhyne McCormick, Shift Seven, and Michael Anthony Smith and the Dirty, Thieving Gypsies… and me. Mike Smith and Shift Seven have played here before; in fact, Shift Seven was one of the bands in the first show. This year, all the acts have strong military connections. Rhyne McCormick and myself are both U.S. Air Force veterans and both Michael Anthony Smith and Shift Seven have relatives in the military.
PPh: Chris, so, what’s next for you?
CN: Besides working on the retrospective album I mentioned earlier, I’m also going to be publishing my first science fiction novel on Amazon in a few weeks. I also plan to start recording, but I’m not sure when that will happen yet.
PPh: Thanks for taking time out to do this interview. I know you must be busy getting everything organized, sir. Please come back soon when you are gonna do the next one, or your next album.
CN: Thanks for having me on your blog!
Published November 17, 2011 on Modern Rock Review
On Friday, November 11th, four Pennsylvania bands donated their talents to a Veteran’s Day benefit at Champion’s Sports Bar in Highspire, PA. The benefit concert, associated with the Sound Off for Vets concerts, donated proceeds to The Wounded Warriors Project and was organized by Karyn and Ric Albano. The original vision for this event was to have a benefit dinner followed by a the concert but the earlier, dinner portion was cancelled on 10/27/11 with the concert part proceeding as planned with a 9PM start.
The event kicked off at 9pm with singer/songwriter Mycenea Worley, who performed all original songs, including many from her soon-to-be released new album. These included “Set Me Free”, “You Don’t Owe Me”, and the fine, alternative-tuning driven “That Is All”. Mycenea also performed a fine version of “Low” from her 2009 EP Love.
A brand new band from Lebanon, Meeka, formed by the father/daughter duo of Terry and Romeeka Gayhart performed next. Along with bassist Drew Washington, keyboardist Arte Munoz, and drummer Wyatt Latimer, the band played jazz/rock fused originals with an original sound. The best of these songs were “Black Dog Barking”, Land of Giants”, “Avalanche”, “Love Life”, and “Call Me”.
Next up was Carmen Magro with his six-piece band from Philadelphia. They put on an energetic and inspiring performance, including the hit “America”, which is also the official theme song of the event. “Come Alive”, the title song from their new EP, included some excellent guitars from Mark Burkert and Rob DiSimone, while Chuck Scarpello, Dave Murphy, and Steve Sauer added perfect backing for Magro as he performed songs that ranged from the ballad “Looking at Me” to the frenzied rocker “Take Me Back”.
Closing out the night was the talented HotWing Jones of Harrisburg. Starting with their funky classic “Jambalaya Stew”, the band migrated through a mix of original songs and originally arranged covers such as blues classics “Killing Floor”, “Mustang Sally”, “Back Door Man”, and the more recent Kenny Wayne Shepherd classic “Blue On Black”. Lead by vocalist/bassist Andy Shemeta along with guitarist Anthony Pepoli, drummer Steve Montresor, and pedal steel/rhythm guitarist Corey Woodcock, the band also worked through their fine catalog of originals including “Be My World”, “Dream Day”, “Tanker A”, and “Rhiannon” with Mycenea Worley coming up to offer backing vocals.
In between sets, donated items and gift baskets from businesses and individuals were raffled off to attendees who contributed to the cause by purchasing raffle tickets. There was also some entertainment provided by DJ Kai, who incorporated video throughout the night. Sound for the event was provided by Chris Hicks of Voyager Music, while video was shot by Tim Dyer.
The benefit was a great success, drawing a total of $1,111.00 in monetary donations between the show itself and online donations. The music was quality and entertaining, the venue was large and attractive, and the cause fantastic.
Many thanks to all who contributed to this event!
This article was originally published on May 23, 2011 at DAMES of PA.
May 21, 2011 was a spectacular spring day on City Island, Harrisburg, a long welcomed break from the rain of several previous days. The second annual Sound Off for Vets benefit concert, which benefits The Wounded Warriors Project, was held in conjunction with Armed Forces Day. The concert was organized by Chris Nelson, and sponsored by 33 Dimensions as well as several other local businesses and contributors.
The event kicked off at Noon with singer/songwriter Chris Nelson performing a nice mix of original songs plus some covers. Next was Carmen Magro and his five-piece band, who performed several inspiring numbers including the hit “America”.
Michael Anthony Smith and the Dirty Thieving Gypsies played a mix of original blues and early eighties-tinged rock along with a cover of the Beatles “Helter Skelter”. The impressive trio Shift Seven, performed next with a well-crafted sound that could be a hybrid of ZZ-Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Aerosmith.
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Next came a couple more acoustic acts. Mycenea Worley performed some interesting arrangements of cover songs such as “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel and “Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin as well as her excellent originals. Brian Xander then performed a unique acoustic set that included a country-rock version of “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC and some fine originals, such as his ode to American servicemen “Standing Tall”, which was a definite highlight. The final act was the Driving Vegas, with original songs that have a soulful, early seventies sound as well as some covers such as “Walking in Memphis”.
In between sets, many of the donated items and gift baskets were raffled off to attendees who contributed to the cause by purchasing raffle tickets. All in all, Sound Off for Vets 2011 was a success. The music was quality and entertaining, the weather was spectacular, the setting was unique, and the cause fantastic.
Related article: The Power of Music by Chris Nelson
This article was originally published on June 25, 2010 at DAMES of PA.
It was a spectacular summer’s day on City Island, Harrisburg with a festive atmosphere of food, drink, music, and relaxation. The first (annual) Sound Off for Vets benefit concert was held on June 17, 2010. The event was organized by Chris Nelson and sponsored by The Harrisburg Riverboat Society and DAMES of PA. It was scheduled to coincide with the Harrisburg arrival of The PA Hero Walkers who are walking 342 miles from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to raise money for The Wounded Warriors Project, which also received proceeds from this event.
The event kicked off at 3pm with singer/songwriter Chris Nelson performing a nice mix of original songs plus covers such as R.E.M.’s “Driver 8” and “Pink Houses” by John Cougar Mellencamp. Nelson, the organizer and primary engine behind this event, was introduced by DJ Nipsey from the rock station 105.7 “The X”.
Nipsey also stuck around to introduce the talented Mycenea Worley, who performed some interesting arrangements of cover songs such as “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks and “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel, but really stole the show with her powerful originals “Low” and “100 Days”.
At 5:00, the third and final acoustic act, Brian Xander performed a unique acoustic set that included a wide range of material from Green Day to AC/DC to some country-rock standards. His original tune about American servicemen “Standing Tall” was a definite highlight and totally gelled with the theme of this event.
The first band to perform was the New York trio Fools On Sunday, featuring 13-year-old prodigy “Johnny Lightning” on lead vocals and drums. The band performed some interesting, punked-out of versions of rock standards, such as “Summertime Blues”, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, and “Free Bird” as well as a few originals.
Another trio, Animal Society from the Harrisburg area, followed with a solid set of mostly original tunes from their upcoming album Animal Society I. These included the standouts “Say No More”, “California”, and “The Lion” – a song actually written about a wounded warrior. They also adapted some unique covers such as Widespread Panic’s “One Arm Steve” and the Zeppelin rarity “We’re Gonna Groove”.
Another local power trio, the impressive Shift Seven, performed next. The band has a well crafted sound that could be a hybrid of ZZ-Top, Lynard Skynard, and Aerosmith, or as they put it, “Acid Fried Funkabilly Blues Rock”. They performed a crisp, tight set made up of selections from their latest studio project 1.5 Days.
Odd Man In? capped off the night with their original set of rock/jam tunes plus some covers that ranged from Sublime to Pink Floyd as darkness descended upon the boat and the 10:00 city curfew quickly approached.
Odd Man In? Video
In between sets, many of the donated items and gift baskets were raffled off to attendees who contributed to the cause by purchasing raffle tickets. These prizes included a basket of wine from the Finger Lakes region of New York, passes to Hersheypark and The Civil War Museum, an autographed baseball bat, several gift certificates to local businesses, and much more.
All in all, Sound Off for Vets 2010 was a success. The music was quality and entertaining, the weather was spectacular, and the setting was unique. The event had some inherent uphill challenges such as going head-to-head with Mechanicsburg’s Jubilee Day and Game 7 of the NBA Finals, not to mention it was the first of it’s kind so there was no habitual pattern of attendance to count on. But Nelson feels this was a good start and a learning experience and already has some big plans for doing it again in 2011.
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