Saturday Night’s Alright For Fightin’… Fighting SMA!

I can’t believe it’s finally happening.

This Saturday is the day I’ve been planning since about February of this year. 97X Tribute Fest for CURE SMA came together pretty quickly. It’s one of the great things about being in the Quad Cities. Bands, listeners, and businesses just kinda started volunteering their time and energy, raffle prizes and expertise to help pull this off.

Saturday at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds Iowa Building. Doors open at 6, tribute bands start at 7, and change every hour until midnight. We aren’t selling tickets. It’s a free event—and fundraiser, so you can donate at the door, or you can buy a few raffle tickets and/or 50/50's. But mostly, if you come away from our party having been rocked, and made slightly more aware that SMA is around, and is a cause worth fighting, then we all win.

I can’t let the event pass without trying to include everyone who stepped up. Obviously, the bands and their members who are taking a day off from making money to come play this crazy set up where we cram 5 bands into 5 hours. Spam Halen, Mizzipi Mud, KISS’d Off (Our one-off tribute band created exclusively for this event, featuring Bill Michaels on drums!) Electric Shock, and Lex Zeppelin, primarily a Chicago Band, whose members Lexi Parr and Mike Hackett jumped at the chance to help out. And a heroes salute to Mike Ritchie, who immediately called me to offer his sound and light company’s services, without knowing what or where he was committing to. It’s a huge commitment—so thanks.

Shortly after we announced a “Save the date” businesses started asking if they could help. First was Jeff Nelson at Luxury Limos, offering to take 4 people to a Hawkeyes Game on November 23rd. Boom. Jeff has been a good friend for many years. Then the folks at My Place Davenport offered to put up the band from Chicago. If you want the rock & roll treatment any day of the week… check them out. We needed suits for KISS’d Off — Moments Tux Shop in Bettendorf found us look we needed. So, the next time you need to look like KISS, call Moments Tux Shop!

Jeff’s Market in Blue Grass is providing food for the bands at their cost, and selling sandwiches cheap to keep you all sober. Cupcakes and rock-n-roll themed desserts will also be sold, with all proceeds going to CURE SMA.

One Step Printing (They do our Car Calendar) donated shirts for the event staff, which can be purchased and worn if you’d also like to be put to work!

And the raffles prizes donated. Wow is all I can say. Duck Creek Tire, Rudy’s, Wiebler’s Harley Davidson, Go Fish, Dent Relief, Antique Archaeology, IA-IL Termite and Pest Control, 9Round Fitness, Mama Bear’s Concealed Carry, and they keep coming in!

Obviously we couldn’t do this without the help of Shawn and his staff at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. They are setting up the Iowa Hall, staffing the whole night, and cleaning up afterwards, and doing it all without a fee for us, so we can direct every nickel we raise to CURE SMA.

And it probably goes too often without saying, but the staff here at 97X and The Dwyer & Michaels Show are always doing the stuff behind the scenes. Klinger will be the backstage manager, and get to wear a whistle and walkie talkie Saturday — which is a pretty big deal. Our families, too, will be out there Saturday helping run things.

It’s pretty cool to organize one of these deals, but it’s a lot easier to just show up and have a few drinks and rock out to a few bands.

Like I said, It’s donation only, and you don’t have to donate anything to be eligible for some great door prizes. We just want a big crowd there to support CURE SMA. And if it fits your budget, come by and buy a raffle ticket or 10, play some games and help out with what you can. It’s a great day to be part of the Quad Cities.