ASU’s The Blaze radio station kicks off its Live & Local Charity Festival at Civic Space Park on Friday, benefiting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
The festival and food drive is a partnership between Undergraduate Student Government Downtown, ASU Programming and Activities Board, the Walter Cronkite School, and Phoenix 50, a local music and activism group.
While the radio station has run food drives and hosted an annual spring concert in the past, this is the first year for the Live & Local festival.
The Blaze’s Kick Ass Spring Concert also focuses more on alternative music, while Live & Local is more musically diverse. The local artists featured reflect the various genres of The Blaze’s specialty shows, said station manager Sydney Glenn.
“We really wanted to do a concert that showcased the variety of music that we have on our station,” Glenn said. “We wanted to give the specialty shows a chance to have their own type of concert.”
The food drive begins Friday and continues until Nov. 23. All of the proceeds from the event will benefit St. Vincent de Paul.
St. Vincent de Paul has offered services such as medical assistance, food boxes, thrift stores and bridge housing shelters to those in need in the Valley for nearly 70 years, said Mary Chou-Thompson, the marketing director for the nonprofit.
“Over the past three years, The Blaze has been a great partner,” Chou-Thompson said. “The students and local community have done a fantastic job at growing the food-drive events.”
Live & Local organizers also believe the festival will benefit not just St. Vincent de Paul, but the local music scene as well.
“Local bands are so important because they so often get overlooked,” Glenn said. “People get into the groove of just listening to the Top 40, but the music scene in Arizona is a really great music scene. It’s cool to get to know local artists.”
Artists performing at Live & Local include Lord Phx, Laura Walsh, Janelle Loes, DJ Malcolm, Soul Country and Sugahbeat.
Phoenix 50 is a community activist group of 50 local bands, along with music venues, independent radio and fans. The group, which started operating about six months ago, aims to engage Phoenix residents in live music across the Valley, said Matthew Marcus, Phoenix 50 founder and member of Soul Country.
“My new community project to be able to latch on to The Blaze radio’s show, I never expected that to happen. But I am so excited that it did,” Marcus said. “I don’t think anyone can fully appreciate yet what a huge cultural impact ASU Downtown will have on downtown Phoenix and local music.”
Live & Local kicks off this Friday at 5 p.m. in Civic Space Park, located on Central Avenue and Polk Street. Admission to the festival is three canned or nonperishable food items. Bring five cans to enter into a drawing to meet the bands or receive a giveaway prize pack.
Contact the reporter at jeanne.gallagher@asu.edu
