Outpost in the Burbs hosted the 16th Annual Light of Day Concert this past weekend.
Saturday night, the halls of The Unitarian Church of Montclair were filled with smiles, laughter and most importantly live music! The Light of Day event kicked off with a reception and VIP meet and greet before the concert began. Everything from the venue to the music was wonderful. The UUC Montclair and the volunteers from Outpost were very welcoming and passionate about the foundation.
The concert began with local artists as opening acts and transitioned into performances by Willie Nile, John Easdale and Peter Wood of Dramarama, Jill Hennessy, Richard Barone and Joe D’Urso. All of the artists remained on stage the entire time, standing when it was their turn to perform. This setting made for a laid back and relaxing atmosphere. The audience even began to clap and sing along as Willie Nile performed “House of a Thousand Guitars.” The set list complemented the overall theme of the night to a T. Each song was uplifting and positive, leaving the audience feeling thankful and happy to embrace life.
For two years now, Outpost in the Burbs has partnered with Light of Day to bring the concert to the Montclair area for one of the 10 nights. Outpost in the Burbs is a non-profit organization that aims to bring the community together through music, volunteer work, and cultural programs. The organization was started in 1987 by a group of dedicated young adults who many years later, continue to thrive for personal and community growth. Outpost in the Burbs is unique to Montclair because of its approach to fundraising and supporting various causes. Over the past 20 years, they have produced approximately 350 concerts featuring internationally known folk artists as well as local and aspiring musicians. It is through donation and ticket sales that Outpost continues to make differences in countless lives.
“Light of Day as an organization utilizes the awesome power of music to fund research and to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease and related Parkinsonism’s like ALS and PSP in our lifetime. That’s the Light of Day vision, that’s why we’re here, that’s why we’ve been here for 16 years and I say this every year, I hope I don’t have to come back and do this next year. But, if Parkinson’s and ALS are cured in the next year, we’ll come back and we’ll fight something else,” said Executive Director and Co-Founder, Tony Pallagrosi.
Light of Day has grown tremendously since it rooted in Asbury Park’s The Stone Pony. The original one-day event began as a 40th birthday celebration for founder, Bob Benjamin, who is currently battling Parkinson’s disease himself. This concert featured only unsigned and local artists performing for a new cause. Today, Light of Day is a ten-day concert series with shows taking place at various venues in Asbury Park, New York City, Montclair, and Philadelphia. The event receives a great deal of attention from the media, allowing each show feature different well-know artists; Bruce Springsteen has even made numerous appearances!
The 16th Annual, Light of Day Concert series began on Jan. 8 and is running through the 18. It is not too late to support the fight against Parkinson’s, visit lightofday.org/events for tickets. For information on Outpost in the Burbs visit outpostintheburbs.org as there are countless ways to get involved in the community.
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