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Music Rocking the Stocking: Good Fun for a Good Cause
By Lisa Jordan
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t only happens once a year. No, we’re not talking about Christmas. We’re talking about Rocking the Stocking, the Kevin Brown Memorial Holiday Benefit Bash. “This is the ninth year,” says Stoney Cannon, Vagabond Missionary, the father of Lokal Loudness and the man behind Rocking the Stocking. “Back in ’94, a local musician, he was a really good friend of mine, got killed at work. His name was Kevin Brown. That was in November. His birthday was in December, so we wanted to do something at that time to raise a little money for his only other relative, his dad, who passed away shortly after.” That’s when Rocking the Stocking morphed and became the event it is today, an extravaganza of bands performing to benefit the Empty Stocking Fund, which distributes much-needed supplies to Augusta’s less fortunate during the holidays. It is, Stoney says, in the spirit of his late friend. “There were two things that Kevin was about,” he says. “That was music and giving.” The concert is usually held the first weekend of December, a two-night barrage of music that included nearly 20 bands last year. Due to some venue problems, this year’s show has been moved to Dec. 14 at Crossroads. “Usually when I’m putting this event together – I don’t know what it is about this event – there’s a lot of interest by bands to play this event,” says Stoney. Because of this year’s changes, the final roster has been whittled down to five bands, but don’t let that fool you: The lineup is incredibly diverse. “We’re going from old-school metal to blues-rock and an ‘80s glam thing,” laughs Stoney. “All we’re missing is a little bit of country and hip-hop.” Keep, out of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., played a semiacoustic, semi-electric set at last year’s Rocking the Stocking. Final Darkness is also a Rocking the Stocking veteran. Romeo Delite comes from Atlanta on a band exchange Stoney’s trying to set up between our hometown and the state capital. The Vellotones and Stoney’s own Vagabond Missionaries round out the list. The Vagabond Missionaries also have a special treat in store for those who attend Rocking the Stocking. “Until supplies run out, we’ll have CDs for everybody who pays the cover,” says Stoney. The CD in question is none other than the Vagabonds’ latest effort, “Hungover for the Holidays,” an album destined to become a Christmas classic. “The idea was that I always wanted to do a Christmas song, but I wanted it to be about Augusta,” Stoney says. “And this year, we kind of had a little bit of a lull in the band, so we said, ‘Hey, cool, let’s do that Christmas CD.’ “A friend of ours, Joe, who used to be in the band, we
“Hung Over for the Holidays,” the latest Vagabond Missionaries CD, is sure to become a Christmas classic. rewrote ‘The Night Before Christmas’ as ‘The Night Before the Night Before Christmas.’ He does it in an Ozzy-meets-Paul-McCartney English voice. It’s very ‘Masterpiece Theatre.’” Other numbers on the album include ‘Night of the Vagabond Santas’ and what Stoney describes as “a really, really romped-up version of ‘Blue Christmas.’” And, of course, there’s the title track. “It’s about having a real good time with your friends,” he says. “It actually mentions certain bars in Augusta – Playground, Soul Bar, Crossroads, Highlander, Kokopelli’s, Joe’s Underground, Red Lion.” At just $5 to get in – and with the money going to a good cause – the show and CD are a bargain. Checking it out might benefit you as well, in more ways than one. “I think people that like to go to bars or stuff like that are kind of, by coming to the event, are giving to charity where they might usually not,” says Stoney. “At the same time, it draws out people who give to charity who might not come to a show on a regular basis.”
And there will be evil Santas. When asked if they were truly evil, Stoney replied, “That’s what I’ve been told. Apparently, I’ve been told to take cover. I don’t know what that means. I don’t know how many evil Santas there are going to be. That will be the part of the night that I’m not in control of.” If that doesn’t pique your curiosity, nothing will. You can even take care of some Christmas shopping while you’re enjoying the show (and running away from evil Santas). “There’s going to be quite a bit of merch between the bands,” says Stoney. How about getting Mom and Dad a “Meltdown 2002” CD? Or a T-shirt from one of your favorite local bands? If you go, be sure to stick around long enough to hear an announcement Stoney will be making regarding 2003. We have no idea what he’s got planned, but rumor has it that you won’t want to miss his statement. Stop by Crossroads Dec. 14 to celebrate the life of Kevin Brown, enjoy some tunes and give to a good cause. For more information, call Crossroads at 724-1177.