By: David de Young
 The Vibro Champs at Lee's - photo by David de Young. Click for full-size version |
A "Help us help ourselves" benefit for the Vibro Champs, with guests Harmonius Wail from Madison, Wisconsin will take place at Lee's Liquor Lounge Saturday night. Lee's Liquor Lounge |
If anything positive can be said to have resulted from the nightclub fires and deaths of the past week, it's the additional kinship between bands, fans and venues that has welled up across the country. Here in Minneapolis, a potential tragedy that was averted on Monday night by quick thinking Fine Line employees took on far more serious overtones by week's end when the death toll had reached 97 in a tragic Rhode Island club fire that started in nearly the same way.
One local band affected by Monday's Fine Line fire was rockabilly band the Vibro Champs whose instruments were damaged or ruined by water or smoke in the fire.
According to Dave Wolfe, lead singer of the Vibro Champs (pictured above with his band in a recent performance at Lee's Liquor Lounge) the band is hosting a "Help us help ourselves" benefit concert Saturday, March 1st at Lee's Liquor Lounge in Minneapolis to help defray some of the costs. "We have a lot of friends that are helping us out," Wolfe told me Sunday night. "We will over come! Please come to the show and help us have a good time, and not think about the past."
Photographer Steve Wolf (no relation to Wolfe) was at the Fine Line to capture some photographs of the band, but like me and many others who had our cameras at the club Monday ended up capturing an entirely different experience. See some of Steve's photos in the news section of the Vibro Champs website (http://www.vibrochamps.com/news.html) along with the band's account of the fire.
The Vibro Champs have been a mainstay at Lee's for some time now, and with them on the bill on a Saturday night at Lee's you are almost guaranteed a good time and plenty of incentive to hit the dance floor. If you had been following the events of the past week and wondered what you could do to help, attending this concert would be one thing you could do. A percentage of the $6 cover will go to help replace and repair instruments damaged in the Fine Line fire.
For more information on this event, call Lee's at 612-338-9491.
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In other Fine Line-related benefit news, keep an eye on the Urban Wildlife Club's calendar at http://www.urbanwildlifebar.com/calendar.htm for details on a upcoming benefit concert to help the hourly employees of the Fine Line who have lost shifts while the Fine Line is closed for repairs.
According to Shannon Bretl in a posting at musicscene.org (http://www.musicscene.org/portalpak/forumdetail.asp?frid=68350#reply69634) Urban Wildlife Club will also be picking up some cancelled local shows from the Fine Line and maybe even have some work for those Fine Line employees who lost shift when they fill in dates that were been postponed or cancelled.
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This Fine Line employees benefit announcement comes from Kate Chapman at Plasma Entertainment.
GB Leighton was scheduled to play the Fine Line on March 21st. The band has decided to move the show to Ogara’s and play a benefit for the Fine Line staff. All of the proceeds from the door will be donated to the Fine Line staff! On top of that, the Ogara’s staff has elected to donate ONE-HALF of their tips from that evening to our staff! And just when you thought it could get no better…the owner, Danny Ogara, is going to match the tip money and donate it to our staff!
So if your looking for a fun night out with good friends, then mark your calendar for Friday, March 21st at Ogara’s in St. Paul.
Friday, March 21st @ Ogara`s Doors- 8pm Music- 9:30pm Cover- $7.00
If you`d like to make a DIRECT donation to the fine line staff here`s what you do:
Send a check/money order/cashier`s check with a note specifying "STAFF DONATION" to:
Fine Line Music Cafe
ATTN: DIANNA/DONATIONS
318 1ST AVE N
MPLS, MN 55401
No amount is too big or too small.
Location Info:
Lee's Liquor Lounge
Artist Info: Harmonious Wail, The Vibro Champs
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