Curley music teacher and headliner Jay Gates in the middle of his amazing Rod Stewart Tribute performance
If there was one word to describe this past Friday’s School Parent Council 2nd Annual ROCKMONITOR Midway Benefit Show, it would have to be “AWESOME!”
The event was organized by Curley parents Molly Mariano (left), Katie Fitch (center), Jess Ormsby (right) and Joe Wardwell - thank you all!
The event was organized by Curley parents Molly Mariano, Katie Fitch, Joe Wardwell and Jess Ormsby – thank you all. Curley parents, teachers, staff, extended families and friends sold out, yes, sold out, Jamaica Plain’s Midway Cafe. Thank you also to the Midway Cafe for hosting us.
We sold out the Midway!
Almost everyone in the entire venue danced late into the night, thoroughly enjoying 5 successive sets by Curley community members who were joined by their friends and collaborators!
Some of the Midway crowd
Social media buzzed about the event. Parent Carrie Fletcher tweeted later, “That was possibly the best Curley event ever. Mr. Gates is literally a rock star. Well done @JessOrmsby & Molly!”
K2 teacher Layla Hijab Cable later added on Facebook, “Had a great time. A community that cares and has a good time together deserves the best.”
Mayoral candidate John Connolly, who dropped in to support us, later tweeted, “.@curleyk8 benefit poss. coolest BPS fundraiser ever,all parent teacher acts incl headliner Rod Stewart tribute band pic.twitter.com/DUj8iPdAMb.”
Curley parents Daryn (far left) and Spiro Stylianopolous (far right) and Curley uncles George and Geo of Bunce-Opolous, with Curley parent Lindsey Weeramuni.
The evening began with the opening act of Bunce-Opolous, made up of parents Daryn (vocals/keyboard) and Spiro Stylianopolous (guitar/vocals) together with Curley uncles George (drums) and Geo (bass). They were joined for a few songs by fellow parent Lindsey Weeramuni on vocals. They performed songs by Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, Alison Krauss, Tracy Bonham and Sesame Street.
Dance and drama teacher Kim Taylor Knight accompanied by her daughter Lydia Downard on violin (on stage, right).
Following Bunce-Opolous, there were a series of lovely dance pieces by dance and drama teacher Kim Taylor Knight. She was accompanied by her daughter Lydia Downard, a student at the Berklee School of Music who played an electric violin.
Dead-beat Daddies, with Curley dads Dominic Burdick (left) and Tom Stenquist (left) and Manning dad Josh Habib (center).
Next up was Dead-Beat Daddies. The three piece band of Curley dads Tom Stenquist (of Lars Vegas) on vocals/drums and Dominic Burdick on saxophone, were joined by Manning School dad Josh Habib on percussion, drums and vocals. The Dead-Beat Daddies were equally fun to watch and listen to, performing a series of beatnikesque musical numbers. Their opening number about how “hard” it is to be a dad was especially appreciated by the crowd.
Seamstress: Liz Laneri (guitar/vocals), Sally Bunch (bass), Jen Willsea (accordion/vocals) and Curley parent Molly Mariano (drums/vocals).
The fourth set was performed by the four women of Seamstress. Liz Laneri (guitar/vocals), Sally Bunch (bass), Jen Willsea (accordion/vocals) and Curley parent Molly Mariano (drums/vocals) rocked the foundations with original numbers, that included “She’s a Drifter,” “Celltown” and “Internet Troll.”
The Rod Stewart Tribute aka Jay Gates effect. Most of the packed bar danced like they were 20 again.
Then came the headliner – The Rod Stewart Tribute, aka Curley music teacher and performer/singer extraordinaire Jay Gates performing his amazing covers of Rod Stewart songs. He was fun. Yeah, fun. Really, really, really fun. After an amazing performance that got almost the entire bar to dance like they were twenty again, the crowd was so loud he had to perform one encore. The crowd then yelled so raucously again that he performed a second. Enough said.
Limited edition T-Shirt by parent and artist Matt Coplen
The Benefit show organized in support of our music, arts and science programs, raised a total of $1,000. The show was the SPC’s last fundraising event of the year – though don’t forget to help if you can through our SPC fundraising letter, which is the last effort of the year! The evening included raffles and the sale of fantastic limited-edition T-Shirts designed Curley dad and artist Matt Coplen.
Thanks are also due in particular to Molly and Jess for their amazing efforts throughout this past year as fundraising co-chairs. Together with many, many others, their extraordinary dedication and hard work these past few years have kept our music, science, arts programming going. Their efforts in organizing and coordinating all the fundraising efforts of dozens and dozens of parents have enabled our school to offer our children many curricular and enrichment opportunities. Again, thank you both!
Parent Katie Fitch and K2 teacher Layla Hijab Cable (right)
What a great event, what a great community! Still smiling.
