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Loud and proud!
Chris Clegg
for South Peace News
They not only brought the house down, but they literally shook it up!
Still Unknown and In Chaos were the local bands playing at the Town Shake Up concert Sept. 19 from 2-5 p.m. in the Sports Palace parking lot. The loud, heavy metal music drew its loyal legion of fans and a few curious onlookers despite off-and-on showers.
Organizers gave away 30 A Community Together Against Drugs T-shirts and B-Mad T-shirts. It was all an effort to encourage youth to live a healthy lifestyle.
ACT member Diane Bellerose says the idea for the concert arose from the announcement of Hawkin Severson’s winning logo for the T-shirts.
“We were trying to think of a way to distribute them,” says Bellerose. “We started tossing ideas around and the idea of an outdoor rock concert came up.”
The concert, which also promotes youth to think positively about themselves, was hailed a success.
“It’s hard for youth to understand High Prairie has a drug coalition,” says ACT member Gail Michaud. “(Our goal) is to keep our youth healthy.”
One way to reach the goal is to build resiliency.
“We have to make the youth feel good about themselves,” says Michaud. “We needed to give them a chance to perform.”
Still Unknown and In Chaos have already asked for a chance to perform again and the T-shirts given away have been seen at local schools.
Bellerose and Michaud agree another concert will be held, time and date to be determined.
“Maybe this winter,” says Bellerose. “There is an organization in Peace River who do this quarterly. Our youth go to Peace River to perform.”
But giving them a chance to perform locally builds their esteem and the youth who support them.
Youth also showed they were willing to help, says Bellerose. They not only helped erect the stage, they helped Don Cunningham set up his sound system, then helped take down the stage afterwards.
“They could have said they were done playing and gone but they didn’t do that,” says a beaming Bellerose.
Cunningham also played a huge part in the concert as he provided all his equipment for free. Organizers were impressed with his commitment to the concert.
As a sidebar to the concert, about 150 pounds of food were collected for the High Prairie and District Food Bank from donations.
The High Prairie Drug Coalition and Youth Connections also partnered for the event.
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Lead singer of the band In Chaos, Travis Willier, led his band through two performances.
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Alvin Laderoute, lead singer of the band Still Unknown, belts out a tune during the Town Shake Up.
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The music was loud at the Town Shake Up concert! Three-year-old Seth Flett, left, of High Prairie, and Noah Cunningham, 4, of Gift Lake, had to cover their ears but still had fun dancing to the music.
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Mitchell McLean, left, and Paddy Thunder perform during the concert. Both are members of the band Still Unknown
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Jordan Jamieson, guitar player in the band In Chaos, was one of many musicians displaying his talent.
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Organizers of the Town Shake Up posed with their T-shirts with new logo. Left-right are ACT member Brett Greer, ACT member Angelo Murphy, Sucker Creek Band Members Against Drugs president Donna L. Willier, ACT member Gail Michaud and ACT member Diane Bellerose.
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