MARQUETTE — This Friday and Saturday, the “Brits and Brews-Music of the 1960s British Invasion and Beyond” live music fundraiser will take place at the Ore Dock Brewing Co. in Marquette from 5 to 10 p.m. each night.

This is the sixth music fundraiser that I’ve organized since 2012: John Lennon Night in 2012 and 2013; Beatles Invasion in 2014; Beatles and Brews in 2015; and Brits and Brews in 2018.

There was a Brits and Brews event scheduled for April 18, 2020 that I cancelled when it became obvious that COVID had become a pandemic. This event was scheduled in May, when vaccinations seemed to be going strong and it appeared promising that the pandemic would be brought under control by the end of summer. We hope that everyone that chooses to attend will be fully vaccinated, and that unvaccinated people will skip these shows for their own well-being.

Proceeds from the Friday night event will go to the Music for All Kids charitable music-education organization, and Saturday proceeds will be donated to JJ Packs, a grass-roots group that is providing packages of nutritious food for Marquette students in all seven schools in the MAPS district who need of extra food on weekends. I am really pleased to be able to support these fine organizations, as their work has a real impact on many kids and families in our local communities.

There will be eight separate acts performing a great variety of songs by British Invasion bands, from the 60s and 70s mainly, on both nights. Most of the musicians are from Marquette County, and most have also played at one of the previous fundraisers, but in different bands.

I’m moved by all of the musicians who are willing to volunteer their time and talent to this event, and that many of them sought it out once the show was scheduled. Aside from one performer coming from Texas to play and another from the western Upper Peninsula, the rest are local and most are familiar faces in the Marquette music scene, including Chris Valenti (Shindig and the Dubious Brothers), Jeff Krebs (Union Suits), Mark Hamari (Union Suits and the Palestras) and Daniel Truckey (recently honored as the Performing Artist of the Year during the 24th Annual City of Marquette Art Awards). Dan heads up Shepherd’s Bush Geezers.

There will be three special performances of music by three of the most influential British rock bands as follows: On Friday night the Palestras will perform only Beatles music, with a selection of songs that spans the band’s active recording period from 1963 to 1970, and the Shepherd’s Bush Geezers will perform a set of Led Zeppelin songs. And on Saturday night, the Geezers will perform a set of songs by the Who.

The complete lineup is as follows:

Friday night

The Union Suits

The Daydreamers 

Shindig 

The Palestras

Shepherd’s Bush Geezers     

Saturday

The Y Knots

Shepherd’s Bush Geezers

The Dubious Brothers

The Palestras

Ore Dock Brewing Company supports this event by providing the space and sound engineering at no cost. They also makes some of the finest craft beer on the planet, which goes down especially well with live rock music. You can still bring food into the venue, and there is sure to be one of the local food trucks providing tasty eats for sale near the Spring Street entrance.

The Northern Michigan University Record Club will also be holding a sale at the other end of the building, with an enormous selection of vinyl records on hand for purchase.

We are recommending that attendees donate $10 each, or $5 for students, but there is no required donation and we want people to donate whatever is affordable. We would ask that people donate cash only, we are not accepting any kind of cards. Everyone should come vaccinated and come if even for an hour or two. This is going to be a great night of concerts and hopefully it will be a big boost for Music for All Kids and for JJ Packs.