GFW 2011: Thank You

For the third year in a row, local artists raised money and rocked out at Maxwell’s for Global Fund for Women. We raised $640!


April 7, 2011: This was my second time hosting the Global Fund for Women Benefit held at Maxwell’s (1039 Washington St, Hoboken). It was another amazing experience for me. As fantastic as other years have been, there was something very special about tonight.

Not only did we raise $640 for the cause, we saw a night of simply fantastic performances and energy. The kind of night that I love for any show. Doing it for Global Fund for Women was seriously sweet icing for me.

There was something in the air from months ago when I started working with my friend and the event’s organizer Nelson Pla. A certain energy that buzzed thru the whole process. And then there was the choice in performers for the night.

In year’s past, we’d struggle to load up the stage with as many special guests as possible. We thought, get a few big names on the stage and the people will clamber to get in. While there was some validity to that philosophy — and it had proven successful in the first year — it never quite lived up to that glory again.

So this time around, we concentrated on just putting together a solid bill of great music. I think this took a great deal of pressure off our shoulders.


Nick Wager: Click for more photos

Another source of personal pride was getting my nephew Nick Wager to open the show. Of course him being on the bill meant my mother — and a bunch of my family — would also be there. So I had to behave myself.

At the ripe-old age of 18, he has a very impressive catalog of remarkably insightful songs. When it came to his last song tonight however, I told him he had to do his slow, droning and moving version of Billie Jean.


Aunt Ange: Click for more photos

Then came Aunt Ange from Brooklyn. Wow. Just … wow. Like an insane carousel spinning to psychedelic, syncopated, dramatic music. The multi-talented band traded instruments and tore the house down. Almost quite literally as the tiny stage became littered with equipment, wires and sweat in the end.


clueLess Allstars: Click for more photos

As I mentioned earlier, putting together the part of the show that has come to be known as the clueLess Allstars used to be centered around getting special guests on the stage. This year, the idea was to form an honest to goodness band of local heroes. And they did just that, jamming thru a set of reinterpreted classics and clueLess originals.

The core of the band is the duo of brothers Nelson Pla (drums/vocals) and Joe Pla (guitar) of clueLess. Joining them were James ‘Lava’ Böhmer from Mercury Morning (bass). Chris ‘Gibby’ Gibson of High Speed Chase (guitar).

Additional vocals were brilliantly and forcefully provided by Alex Tava, who I had met just a few weeks before the show. Jumping on stage for more vocal support were GFW mainstays Gerry Perlinski and Lloyd Gold (who also ricked the mandolin).


Iceagon Flu: Click for more photos

I couldn’t think of a better way to end out the night than with the Irish flavored bounce of Icewagon Flu. The play every show to the upper mezzanine, no matter how big or small a venue may be. Not to be left out of the reinterpreted songs routine of the night, they hit the crowd with a bit of Safety Dance and Let’s Dance.

Now I should point out that the photos on my site were taken by me with my little pocket camera. As in years past, the real quality photos were taken by the immensely talented Laura Desantis-Olsson. She even made me look good.


Check out more from Laura Desantis-Olsson

And finally, I wanna thank everyone who came out and supported Global Fund for Women. Now it’s on to GFW2012. Oh, but don’t worry, we will have other events thru the year. Check out Clueless Events for details.

See Also:
GFW2011: Gallery


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