Texas Country Cares! Benefit Concert for Stephenville Tornado Victims!
Story, photo, and videos by Houston Hall — Click on the links below to view the photos and video
In times of need, the local community unites and finds a way to turn the worst parts of a devastating storm into a benefit to help and support survivors. Stephenville, Texas, is not only a focal point to a story like this, but its musicians, business owners, and local community came together and formed a benefit concert this last Sunday. (March 20, 2016)
Sonya Hance, the general manager of PT’s, which is a local bar to the Stephenville area, witnessed on March 8 Mother Nature’s destructive power. A category EF1 Tornado, as confirmed and described by the National Weather Service, tore through the core of this central Texas town early that Tuesday morning. When asked about what the tornado was like, Sonya responded with, “It was scary… It was! It was horrible.nAfter the storm had passed, I got into my car and drove around and checked on my employees. Made sure their houses were OK. And then I came here and realized we were pretty much the only bar in town open.”
For the early part of the relief, PT’s acted as a shelter away from Mother Nature’s wrath. With those early moments, Sonya knew she had to do something to help out the community. And that’s where she came up for the idea of the benefit concert.
When asked what his part was in producing the benefit concert that was held this last Sunday, Jody Lee Caudel said, “Well, it was actually Sonya’s Idea. And then she calls me and says, ‘Hey, we need bands. Do you know some bands?’” A local business owner and top MC for his live streaming radio station Texas Homegrown Radio, Jody was more than willing and ready to offer a helping hand to Sonya for the benefit.
For the last 20 years, Jody Lee has operated, managed and run radio stations. In the Texas music scene, Jody is well known for his generosity and kind words for the musicians, the scene, and its music. Born and raised in Stephenville, Jody Lee saw it as his civic duty to help out in any way he could.
The fun part for him was finding the talent to play the PT’s stage for the benefit. As Jody puts it, “It was not hard. I mean, you know how the artists are in Texas Music. They were jumping at the chance to get there. And, we actually had more people that wanted to play than what we could fit in.” Between the hours of 12 noon and midnight, Jody had a solid lineup of musicians ready to play. Bobby Gardner, Brad Good, Billy Hartman, Dakota Drummond, Davis Danzinger, Jarrod Johnson, Joe Austin and Mick Tinsley, Derek Anthony, the Calamity Janes, Garrett Bryan and Colton Fox of Callahan Divide, and Buck Fufallo with Brandon Adams.
Within the time frame of one week, Sonya Hance and Jody Lee Caudel started putting foot to pavement and got the benefit underway. “I was really surprised with how quick we put it all together. This all happened in like a week. So, she got me looking for bands and next thing you know she’s making flyers and videos and everything else. So we brought it together pretty quick.”
With the music-side of things covered and Sonya’s diligence to get community support, the ball was starting to roll. But, that was just the beginning to an endless donation of talent and support from the Texas Music and the local communities. Well-known musicians and Singer songwriters William Clark Green, the Cody Bryan Band, and Sim Balkey “didn’t even hesitate… They wanted to be here. I mean that was like one of the reasons they got into music”, Said Sonya. Jody Lee even said that he “texted William Clark Green and he said ‘I would play it if I could, but I’m in a wedding and I won’t be able to make it.’” But William Clark Green did the next best thing. He donated a bunch of items for the silent auction that was held. And the Cody Bryan Band and Sim Balkey did as well.
All in total, the silent auction, donation buckets/Men of Pt’s Dance, door admission, and the .50 cent donation of every bottle of Bud light and Budweiser sold garnered a grand total of $2,536.08, which is to be donated to the community of Stephenville so devastated by March 8th’s EF1 Tornado.
With the generosity of the Texas Music scene, Jody Lee Caudel, Sonya Hance, Jon and Kim Young providing sound for the event, and the community that donated their time, money and effort, Jody and Sonya had this to say about their experience with this successful endeavor — “It’s one of those things that, uh, I think everybody in this town kind of feels like, when something happens you just step up and do it. You don’t think about it. I know that if a tornado was to hit this building, somebody would step up and do the same thing for me, you know. It’s kind of a give-and-take with this community. It’s just a small town and everybody is ready to help out no matter what.” Sonya Hance also had this to say in regards to the response to the benefit, “I’ve only lived here for a year. I came from Memphis, Tenn., and it’s kind of like when I walked into town everybody just had open arms. I mean, it’s like they just took me in as if I was one of their own. I knew that if something like this was going to happen, that the community would be there for me and for the benefit.”
PT’s is still taking in donations till this Friday for the benefit. You can contact her via the PT’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ptsstephenville/?fref=ts
The video below are from the benefit concert and feature the Calamity Janes.
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For Calamity Janes video, click here
Category: *- Features
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In the music production business, including event production, booking, photography, reporting, and other such essentials, since 1980.Subscribe
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