Ticket Prices: $15 ADV | $20 DOS
The Volunteers Jazz Band will play a special show on the main stage, featuring Holiday, Big Band, and Swing classics, as well as amazing renditions of popular rock and blues songs. This show is a fundraiser for the Chocolate Church Arts Center.
Ten years ago, a group of professional musicians got together to play at no charge for Veterans’ organizations and events. From the wards at Togus, to Veterans homes around the state, the grand opening of the Travis Mills Veterans Retreat, a benefit for Honor Flight Maine, a dance for the Vietnam-era Seabees, and multiple receptions for the Blue Angels, the band demonstrates that live performance music can make a difference. This is more than a band. It's a team of musicians that bring their beliefs and talents to say thank you to those to whom we owe so much.
Occasionally, the band plays a concert with admission charged. On Friday, December 2nd, The Volunteers will play a Holiday concert with all proceeds to benefit the Chocolate Church as it pursues several projects to ensure that it can continue to fill its vital role in the community. Expect to hear holiday music from several genres, including jazz, swing, rock, pop, and classical.
“When someone first hears about a band playing music for veterans, it’s easy to expect that the music performed would be all patriotic. But not this band. Kinney caters to the audience, people can expect to hear big band music from the ‘40s and early rock and roll, plus some pop, jazz, hard rock and funk. Some of the band’s favorite songs include “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger and “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King. Kinney said the band has used bagpipes on a few occasions and may do so again soon, and she is also tinkering with putting in some Metallica. “Our opening piece is always ‘American Patrol’ by Glenn Miller, and we almost always close with ‘God Bless the U.S.A.,’” she said. “But it depends on who our audience is. Despite being a band of volunteers from varying musical backgrounds, audiences can expect to hear professional sound from longtime musicians.”
