A concert at Hope College on Saturday, Sept. 24, by local alternative folk musician Josh Schicker has been scheduled as a benefit on behalf of victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The concert, which will also kick off Schicker's third solo CD release, "Moonlighting," will take place at 9 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The event is being presented through the Hope College Concert Series and culminates the student-organized, campus-wide "Pulling for Hope" Gulf hurricane relief effort.
Tickets are $5 for the general public and at the door, and $3 for Hope students who purchase them in advance. They are on sale at the Student Union Desk on the main floor of the DeWitt Center, and will also be available at the door. All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the American Red Cross.
Schicker, who is a 1999 Hope graduate, has been writing and performing for 15 years. Since fronting for the bands Paisley Dave and The Episode, he has been redefining himself. Committed to creating a natural emotion with his music, he chooses mostly acoustic instruments.
In response to hearing Schicker's first solo release, Grammy-winning producer Mitch Dane said, "Josh has a beautifully organic sound that is an incredible complement to his engaging lyrics and memorable melodies." Dane, who has produced Jars of Clay, Christopher Williams and Bebo Norman, among others, has since worked with Schicker on "Moonlighting."
Schicker's previous two solo releases are "Josh Schicker" (2001) and "Wonderful Fool" (2003). Copies of "Moonlighting" and "Wonderful Fool" will be available before and after the concert, as will t-shirts.
"Pulling for Hope" was formed following Hurricane Katrina by a collaborative team of student organizations, concerned students, administrators, Campus Ministries staff and others of the Hope community to provide a unified campus effort for victims of the hurricane. In addition to the concert, activities have ranged from gathering goods to send to the storm-ravaged region, to street performers playing for donations, to a blood drive. The conclusion coincides with the date of the college's traditional Pull tug-of-war, which will be held during the afternoon of Sept. 24.
Schicker's concert is the second event offered through the Hope College Concert Series, which debuted on Saturday, Sept. 3, with a performance by Sleeping at Last. Events forthcoming through the series this semester include Blue Merle on Friday, Oct. 28, at 9 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre, and Brian Vander Ark, lead singer of the Verve Pipe, on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 9 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre.
The Student Union Desk is open Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The DeWitt Center is located on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street, and Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located on College Avenue at 12th Street.