Sounds: Christian music bands unite for one goal

Tenth Avenue North is doing more than playing good music, it is raising hunger awareness. (PARKER YOUNG)

BY FRANCES WOMBLE

FOR THE FREE LANCE–STAR

This Saturday, four Christian bands and one soloist will put on a seven-hour show called The ONE Fest, beginning at 3 p.m. at the  Job.com Pavilion in Central Park.

The concert, in addition to promoting a variety of Christian artists, aims to bring awareness of the hungry in the community.

The ONE Fest will feature bands Tenth Avenue North and Deep Space Network. Mike Donehey, lead singer of Tenth Avenue North, and Aaron Rayford and Tim Wirtila from Deep Space Network are all former students at Fredericksburg Christian School, a co-sponsor of The ONE Fest.

Additionally, the violin-rock band Reilly, Andy Cherry and the Fredericksburg Gospel Fest Choir will all perform.

Donehey’s father, Dan,  helped to organize the festival.

“I’ve promoted and organized concerts before,” he said. “I started volunteering with Celebrate Virginia Live and thought it would be great if one of the concerts in the series would be a contemporary Christian concert.”

Donehey said other areas in the state hold Christian concerts, but that concert style was missing in Fredericksburg.

“It just really felt like the time when Fredericksburg had grown up and could sustain its own Christian music festival. We also tried to time this so it didn’t interfere with other concert dates. We’re hoping for around 3,000 attendees.”

The artists performing at The ONE Fest bring a wide range of backgrounds and talents to the audience. Tenth Avenue North, based out of Nashville, has received multiple awards including New Artist of the Year at the 2009 Dove Awards. The band’s third album, “The Struggle,” is set to be released in August, and it will  perform some of the songs Saturday.

“Reilly is the best unsigned band in the country,” Donehey said. “They toured in Europe last summer.”

At the concert,  highlights of the Philadelphia band’s performance will include dueling violins.

The concert will not be the only one to benefit if attendance is high. The One Fest is partnering with the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank to encourage donations on the day of the show. A truck from the food bank will be parked at the entrance from 1 to 7 p.m.

The ONE Fest is hoping to set a new one-day donation record of 55,000 pounds of food.

According to Dan Donehey, ticket prices for the concert are reduced from the  regular series price in order to encourage attendees to bring food donations. Also, pastors and youth pastors will be allowed in free of charge.

WANT TO GO?

What:  The ONE Fest

When: Saturday, June 2,  3–10 p.m. Deep Space Network, 3:30–4 p.m.; Gospel Fest Community Choir, 4:30–5:15 p.m.;  Andy Cherry, 5:30–6:15 p.m.; Reilly, 6:45–7:45 p.m.;  Tenth Avenue North, 8:15–10 p.m.

Where: Job.com Pavilion in Central Park

Tickets:  $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Free for pastors and youth pastors.

Info: 540/850-LIVE, theonefest.com, fredfood.org

Frances Womble is a recent  graduate of the University of Mary Washington  and a freelance writer.

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/weekender/2012/05/31/sounds-christian-music-bands-unite-for-one-goal/