New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Benefit-concert producers the Wild
Honey Foundation present The Band's first two albums,
Music From
Big Pink and The Band, plus bonus songs, performed by a star-studded house band featuring Garth Hudson, multi-instrumentalist and founding member of The Band, with guest singers. The event, which benefits the Autism Think Tank, takes place Saturday, March 25, 2017 at 8 p.m., at the historic Alex Theatre, 216 N.
Brand Blvd. in downtown Glendale, Calif.
Led by acclaimed musical director Rob Laufer (whose credits include
George Martin's Hollywood Bowl tribute to Sgt. Pepper), the Wild
Honey Orchestra, in collaboration with Hudson, his partner Sister Maud and friends, will tackle the deeply influential and unforgettable
Music From
Big Pink and The Band in their entirety, with the same level of love, passion, and stunning musicianship brought to previous takes on the
Beatles and the Beach Boys. These iconic records include timeless tunes like "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Weight," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." The show will also include bonus songs such as "It Makes No Difference," "Stage Fright," and "The Shape I'm In."
No musical detail will be spared as Wild
Honey cuts to the heart of these iconic songs with help from guest performers: Jackson Browne, Van Dyke Parks, Carlene Carter, Terry Reid, The Continental Drifters,
Peter Case, Pete
Thomas (Elvis Costello) Motown legend Brenda Holloway, Syd Straw, Jerry Riopelle, Keith
Allison (Paul Revere & the Raiders), Cait O'Riordan (Pogues)
David Baerwald (David & David),
Victoria Williams, Steve Barton (Translator),
Louise Goffin, Luther Russell, Robert Francis, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Skylar Gudasz,
Jackson Browne and
Steely Dan collaborator Jeff Young, Plainsong (feat. Iain Matthews & Andy Roberts), Julianna Raye, Nick Guzman, Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate), Bebopalula, All Day Sucker, bassist Bob Glaub, and the always-possible Very Special Guests.
Current members of the Wild
Honey Orchestra include a who's who of respected L.A. recording artists: musical director Rob Laufer, guitar, vocals;
Sarah Kramer, horn and string leader/vocals; Jim Laspesa (Dave Davies/Susanna Hoffs),
David Goodstein and Ryeland Allison, drums; Derrick Anderson (The Bangles) and Robby Scharf, bass; Rusty Squeezebox (Baby Lemonade, Love), guitar; Chris Price (Emitt Rhodes) and Willie Aron, keyboards, vocals; Jordan Summers,
Danny McGough and Robert Lloyd, keyboards;
Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson Band), percussion; Kaitlin Wolfberg (L.A. String Explosion) and Lyn Bertles, strings; Tara Austin, vocals. After performing at the 2015 Wild
Honey White Album show, Chris Collingwood of Fountains of Wayne declared the Wild
Honey Orchestra to be "just about the most cracking backup band I've ever heard. I told my friends that playing with that many amazing musicians behind me felt like piloting a 747."
As with last year's sold-out
Beach Boys tribute at the Alex, the concert will benefit the Autism Think Tank. This non-profit organization brings together a team of top autism specialists, via an
Internet medical conference, to tackle the medical and psychological problems faced by children and young adults with autism like Wild
Honey co-organizer Paul Rock's 13-year-old son Jake, whose own issues have improved since his involvement with the organization.
About the Wild
Honey Foundation:
Dating back to 1994, the 501(3)(c), non-profit Wild Honey's numerous grassroots benefit events have featured appearances by Brian Wilson, Dave Davies from the Kinks, the late Alex Chilton, The Bangles, Beach Boy Al Jardine, Micky Dolenz, Mike Mills (R.E.M), Al Stewart, Denny Laine, Tony Asher, Dave Gregory of XTC,
Danny Hutton from Three Dog Night, Chuck Negron, Matthew Sweet, Colin Hay, Dan Wilson, Jody Stephens of Big Star, The Continental Drifters, Mike Mills of R.E.M., the late P.F. Sloan, Jon Brion,
Peter Case, The Plimsouls,
Victoria Williams, The Williams Brothers, Dave Alvin, The Blue Shadows, Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, Scott Miller from the Loud Family, Ann Magnuson, and many others. The shows have been produced at the Alex Theatre and various Los Angeles-area locations including the Morgan-Wixson Theater, the Roxy, the Knitting Factory (Hollywood) and the El Rey Theatre.
Besides the Autism Think Tank, Wild
Honey shows have raised funds and awareness for the Children's
Music Fund, Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, Habitat for Humanity, the
Liberty Hill Foundation, USC Norris Cancer Center, and the Coalition to End Gun Violence while paying tribute to musical idols such as Brian Wilson, The Beatles, The Kinks, Big Star, The Byrds, The Everly Brothers, The Hollies, Harry Nilsson, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, and Elvis Costello.
For more information about the Autism Think Tank please go to https://www.autismthinktanknj.com/ https://thecmf.org/who-we-are
For more information on the Wild
Honey Foundation, please go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183120448393501/
