Hosted by Finn Wolfhard of Netflix’s “Stranger Things”
With Performances By: Tenacious D, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Sarah Silverman, and members of: OK Go, Goldfinger, Sugarcult, Anberlin, Anthrax, Velvet Revolver, Taking Back Sunday & more!
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is proud to announce “Strange 80s,“ the inaugural annual benefit concert set to take place on Sunday, May 14th at the Fonda Theater. Hosted by Finn Wolfhard of the Netlfix hit “Stranger Things,” “Strange 80s” will feature performances by Finn and a rotating cast of rock stars & celebrities covering the timeless anthems of the 80s! Tickets for “Strange 80s” will go on sale to the public on Friday, March 10th at 10am PT, with VIP tickets being sold at a later date via CrowdRise. All proceeds will go to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to provide financial assistance to career musicians and music industry workers in need due to illness, disability or age-related problems. For more information, please visit: http://sweetrelief.org/.
Performers include: Tenacious D, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and Sarah Silverman, plus members of OK Go, Taking Back Sunday, Velvet Revolver, Steel Panther, Filter, Anberlin, Goldfinger, Sugarcult, Anthrax, Precious Kid, Filter, and Honey Honey, plus TV stars: Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters, Hayley Orrantia (from The Goldbergs), and Chelsea Telmadge (from Stranger Things), with additional performers to be announced over the next few weeks!
In addition to a full concert of musicians and actors covering anthems of the 80s, “Strange 80s” will feature a Silent Auction offering exclusive, big-ticket items and experiences. Plus, 250 lucky winners will continue the festivities with a rooftop after-party featuring Rain Man from Krewella and more to be announced.
With excitement towards the upcoming festivities, Artist & Global Ambassador Matthew Leone explains,
“As a career musician, Sweet Relief came to my rescue a few years back when I was severely injured in an attack. Knowing intimately, the paramount value of this work, we are humbled and grateful for the caliber of artists enlisted to participate in what will unquestionably be the best party and show of the year.”
Sweet Relief was founded by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams in 1993. Victoria, while on a career-making tour with Neil Young was forced to drop off mid-schedule after experiencing unexplained debilitating symptoms. A long and painful diagnostic process revealed she had multiple sclerosis. After her diagnosis, a group of friends assembled an all-star album of Victoria’s songs, Sweet Relief, which alleviated much of her medical debt. Vic, knowing that there were many musicians like her – unable to afford medical expenses and compromised in their ability to work – donated some of her proceeds from the album to found Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. The name of the fund derives from a song of Victoria’s, Opelousas (Sweet Relief) and the fact that we do provide sweet relief in the form of financial assistance to many musicians who would otherwise be in untenable predicaments.
EVENT DETAILS:
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund Presents “Strange 80s”
DATE: Sunday, May 14th 2017
VENUE: The Fonda Theater | 6126 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
TICKETS: On Sale March 10th @10am PT | All Ages
TIME: Doors – 6pm | Show – 8pm
Follow Sweet Relief Musicians Fund:
Website: http://sweetrelief.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
About Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.
In 1994 Sweet Relief was incorporated as a 501C3 nonprofit charity and for the past 18 years has been offering vital assistance to professional musical artists in need. Many prominent musicians, professionals and music fans have contributed enthusiastically to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Benefits have been performed in venues from Miami to Seattle, with performances donated by many established and emerging artists. Nightclubs, concert halls, radio stations, internet sites, restaurants, clothing and shoe companies, music retailers, athletes, actors, corporations, foundations and music fans have all participated with Sweet Relief to assist struggling musicians.
Music has made all of our lives, and the events in our lives special and memorable. While few find fame and fortune, most musicians remain in the field for their love and passion of music. The choice an individual makes to be a professional musician is one of sacrifice. The average income across the various employment options while accounting for the part time nature of most opportunities is less than $25,000 annually. Over 65% of professional musicians do not have health insurance. Since the mid 1960’s (Post Beatles) the number of individuals choosing music as a career grew exponentially. Previous to this time most professionals were either orchestra and classical players or jazz and blues artists. The explosion of pop, rock and country career musicians over a 20-year period in the U.S. represented an artistic and cultural revolution.
While the financial hardship a musicians faces when dealing with illness or disability may be a constant, we now face a burgeoning elder population of artists with little or no resources available for such emergency situations.
