Davey Moore and Maddie |
Dusk is the place to be this Saturday (the 2nd) for Music For Paws, an all-day (and -night) pet-friendly block party benefiting the Bristol Animal Shelter. The event is loaded with plenty of outdoor family fun and activities during the day, followed by some of RI’s finest rocking out straight through the evening on the Dusk stage. All of the proceeds will benefit Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter (friendsofthebristolanimalshelter.org), a non-profit organization devoted to assisting the town’s no-kill animal shelter.
The event was spearheaded by local musicians Davey Moore (Satellites Fall and co-founder of Midday Records) and Garrity siblings Tracy and Shawn (of VulGarrity), who formed the charitable collaboration Music For Paws earlier this year. Dusk (and Rottweiler) owner Rick Sunderland jumped onboard, and I chimed in with some input on an all-star lineup, which includes B. Dolan (and his live band!), Gertrude Atherton, Jay Berndt & the Orphans, Viking Jesus, and plenty more, all for just a $10 donation at the door.
The outdoor block party runs from noon to 5 pm, with vendors and food trucks on site, a wide array of family-friendly activities (from face-painting to animal psychic readings), and acoustic sets from Malyssa BellaRosa, Ants In the Cellar, and more. After 5 pm the action moves indoors with a special appearance by the acclaimed Seekonk School of Rock leading off and monstrous headliner Extinction Machine closing out the festivities.
I checked in with some of the performers about a beloved pet in their lives, either past or present (because who doesn’t love showing off their furry friends?). Check it out below, and I hope to see you at Dusk on Saturday!
Davey Moore , Satellites Fall (satellitesfall.com) and Midday Records (middayrecords.com): This is our rescue boxer, Maddie . They never gave us full details but we were told she was “severely abused” and as a result, “dangerously aggressive.” They tried to talk us of out adopting her. They said she wasn’t safe or fit for adoption and they had to put her down. Needless to say, we weren’t going to let that happen. She didn’t trust anyone and did not like being told what to do. This pic is from one of the first times she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep with me. I continued to work with her. I gave her as much love and affection as I did discipline and direction, when needed. Today, Maddie is an angel. She is my baby girl and a part of our family, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. (My apologies for the bedroom eyes.)
Tracy Garrity and Beau |
Tracy Garrity , VulGarrity (vulgarrity.com): One day my father rushed through the door from work soaked and distraught — “I found this dog, roaming around work. He’s soaking wet and shaken up.” We called the shelter and put an ad in the paper. My mother named him Beau , a shepherd/Husky mix. No one ever claimed him and thank God because he ended up being the rock of our family for the following 11 years. Beau was our baseball team’s mascot — he would wear his Dodgers shirt at all the games and howl at the intercom because that’s what Huskies do. He was petrified of the newspaper, the basement, and leather gloves. Looking back on our childhood, I think about how much more special our memories are from growing up with Beau. I was blessed to know him.
Kris Hansen and Morgan |
Kris Hansen , Viking Jesus (reverbnation.com/vikingjesus): Here is my best pal, Morgan . Sadly she grew a tumor in her mouth and is no longer with the family. I was with her until the end and she was a beautiful part of my life.
