The Zac Brown Band hosted and performed at the Georgia Theatre benefit concert on Friday, October 30, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta – and raised over $75,000 for the cause.
Joining the band on stage to perform songs from their album ‘The Foundation,’ their favorite covers, and new unreleased material were: Kid Rock, Little Big Town, Joey and Rory, Shawn Mullins, Oliver Wood, Angie Aparo and Aslyn.
A DVD of the evening’s performances, directed by Darren Doane (who also shot the band’s “Toes” video), goes on sale nationwide in Spring 2010 and all concertgoers will get a free copy of the DVD as a gift for purchasing tickets.
“My band and many others have come up playing there,” explains Zac Brown. "That building means far more to us, and the community, then its brick and mortar foundation. We want to make sure that it gets proper funding so we can rebuild it better than it was. It will remain a center for art and music long into the future with everyone’s help.
To raise additional money for The Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund, the evening auctioned donations including:
- Signed guitars, one each from Kenny Chesney, Dave Matthews, Marshall Tucker, John Mayer and Styx.
- Signed fiddle from Charlie Daniels.
- A pair of signed boots and photograph from Darius Rucker.
- Two tickets and a signed Halloween poster from Wide Spread Panic to their New Year’s Eve bash at Atlanta’s Philips Arena.
- Four tickets with meet & greet passes from Colt Ford for his show at South Carolina’s Florence Civic Center on November 21st.
- A cabin for two on the 2010 “Sailing Southern Ground” cruise.
- A two-hour training session in LA with UFC World Champion Rampage Jackson, and
- Prints from the Gibson Guitars 50th anniversary Hatch Show.
Proceeds from the show go to rebuild the dearly beloved and recently decommissioned Georgia Theatre. Prior to a devastating fire earlier this year, the movie-palace-turned-music-club hosted performances by all the local legends including R.E.M., B-52s, Drive-By Truckers and Widespread Panic.
“The Zac Brown Band are showing their incredible generosity and their love for the Athens music scene by hosting this benefit,” says Wilmot Greene, Georgia Theatre owner. “The presence of the Theatre in Athens has allowed bands to find an important early audience that helps to bring bigger success later. That’s a big part of the tradition of the Theatre and is an important aspect of why it needs to be rebuilt. This concert will be a huge help.”
Presented by Outback Concerts, proceeds of the show went directly to The Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund, handled by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
