Joplin-based Country Band ‘LiveWire’ to Perform in Concert to Benefit Joplin Tornado Relief Effort at Midnight Rodeo in Springfield, MO, on Friday, June 10
Group Teams with Night Club and Convoy of Hope to Help Those Affected by Disaster
NASHVILLE, TN (June 6, 2011) – Joplin-based Country band, LiveWire, will perform in concert to benefit the Joplin tornado relief effort on Friday, June 10, at Midnight Rodeo, 1773 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO, 65804.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m., with show time at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door. For more information, phone (417) 882-0309 or go to www.clubmidnightrodeo.com.
Proceeds from the show will be utilized by charitable organization Convoy of Hope to assist in the ongoing disaster relief effort in Joplin, Mo., which was devastated by a massive tornado on May 22. According to a recent AP Newswire report, Joplin officials report the death toll from the storm now stands at 141, with over 6,100 homes and countless businesses registered as damaged.
“We are happy to do anything that we can to help with the situation,” says LiveWire lead guitarist, Bobby Degonia. “It has been really difficult to see the devastation in and around Joplin, but it is also inspiring to witness the determination of the people there. They are survivors.”
LiveWire has been a live staple on the four-state music scene in Mo,, Okla., Ark, and Ks., for over a decade. The group recently released their debut single, “Tater Fed” to US radio, and a second single, “Heart Burn” bowed this week on the European Hotdisc Top 40 chart at #14. LiveWire will release their self-titled debut EP later this month.
About Convoy of Hope:
In 2010, Convoy of Hope assisted nearly 8 million people in the United States and around the world by providing food, clothing, medical aid, and other needed resources through our community outreaches and disaster response arms. The mission of Convoy of Hope is simple – we exist to feed millions of people in need in the United States and around the world through children’s nutrition initiatives, citywide outreaches and disaster response. Hal Donaldson, president of Convoy of Hope, knows how powerful compassion can be. On August 25, 1969, his parents, Harold and Betty Donaldson, were hit head-on by a drunk driver. Harold was killed; Betty was incapacitated for some time. Hal and his younger siblings quickly learned what it was like to live without many of life’s basic necessities. However people from local churches and the community assisted the family by providing food and shelter. Those generous acts gave the Donaldson kids a sense of hope, and also a determination to one day help others in need. In 1994 Convoy of Hope was formed and has morphed into a global movement where churches, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations join forces to carry out Convoy of Hope’s mission, which is to feed the world through feeding initiatives, community outreaches, disaster response and partner resourcing. In 16 years Convoy of Hope has helped more than 43 million people in more than 100 countries. In that time we have also given away more than $227 million worth of food and supplies to people in need. For more information about Convoy of Hope, go to www.convoyofhope.org
About LiveWire:
LiveWire has been bringing crowds to their feet for over a decade. In its earliest incarnation in the mid-90s, LiveWire was performing weekends at VFWs and local clubs around Southwestern Missouri and Northeastern Oklahoma. The group underwent various personnel changes before founder and lead guitarist Bobby DeGonia joined with lead vocalist Andy Eutsler, drummer Adam Hagerman, fiddle player Cory Shultz, and rhythm guitarist Danny Bell to complete the lineup. Originally a Western swing band, with the addition of each new band member’s diverse musical experiences, LiveWire expanded their focus to include a vast repertoire of whatever was popular on the radio dial at the time. That commercial appeal made the band a hot commodity.
Soon, the lure of the open road called and LiveWire began traveling from coast-to-coast, performing in club venues in almost every state across America. Building on their reputation as a top-shelf live act, they began opening for a “Who’s Who’ of Country music and had the opportunity to appear in front of a national television audience as finalists in the Colgate Country Showdown, where they performed on the hallowed stage of the Ryman Auditorium, in Nashville. They also tapped into the natural songwriting talents of Eutsler and Bell, and began to express the true artistry that it takes to build a successful career in music.
Edgy, honest and passionate, LiveWire’s unique sound is perfectly captured on their self-titled national debut EP, co-produced in Nashville by engineer/producer, Bart Pursley (Gretchen Wilson/Big & Rich), DeGonia and Justin Woods. Their original songs are infused with the kind of lyrical honesty and expert musicianship that can only be forged through years of shared personal experiences and hardships. Blending elements of working man’s Country and rootsy Southern Rock, themes of the common man resound in their Ozark Mountain firebrand music. It’s about real life: good times, hard times, poverty, love, loss, family, spirituality, death and redemption.
