Saratoga Guitar and 100.3 The Point Present: “Jingle Shelves”

A Musical Effort to Stock the Shelves of Franklin Community Center’s Food Pantry
Local Teen Musicians Use Their Talents As a “Force for Good”

Teens these days often get a bad rap. But one local group of talented young musicians is looking to dispel those stereotypes by bringing the community together in perfect harmony to fight hunger here at home. It will likely help keep them off Santa’s naughty list, but more importantly, these teens decided it was about time they showed their peers that giving back isn’t just about money—it’s about “using music as a force for good.”

On Friday, December 14th, Saratoga Guitar and local radio station 100.3 The Point will sponsor “Jingle Shelves”, A Musical Effort to Stock the Shelves of Franklin Community Center’s Food Pantry. The concert will take place at Saratoga Music Hall (474 Broadway, above City Hall) from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and will feature three local bands comprised of high school students who are no strangers to performing for large audiences. All three featured acts are close to being able to produce their own albums, and each has a fan base that packs a house.

On top of being insanely talented, they’re also incredibly generous. The musicians are donating their time for this event because they wanted to do something for the community that would get their peers involved in giving back. Instead of charging admission to the show, concert-goers can bring a non-perishable food item or a new, unwrapped gifts and stocking stuffers for teens for Franklin Community Center’s busy pantry to get them in the door. Plus, one lucky audience member will win a guitar courtesy of Saratoga Guitar.

“Each artist in this show has been blessed with some pretty early success, and we get to do something we all love to do”, says Jake Brooks, lead singer and bassist for VONTUS. “We’ve had amazing support from our parents and our community and we thought this would be a fun way to give back.” “People should not have to go hungry, so we really hope people will come to the show with food to donate.”

Opening Act: The Dependents, won 3rd place at SPAC’s Battle of the Bands. Band Members: Jocelyn Arndt, 17, lead singer, keyboardist and is a Senior; Evan Searles, 15, drums, Freshman; Chris Arndt, lead guitar, vocals, Junior. All are students at Fort Plain High School. Valerie Hoffman is 16, plays bass and is a Junior at Canajoharie High School.

Second Act: 17-year-old Singer/Songwriter, Bridgette Guerrette, of Latham who is a Senior at Shaker High School.

Third Act: Vontus, won 2nd place at SPAC’s Battle of the Bands. Band Members: Jake Brooks, 17, bassist, lead singer, and Junior at Saratoga Springs High School; Johnny Gravitt, 15, lead guitarist and Josh Morris, 15, drums and vocals, both of whom are freshmen at Queensbury Union Free High School. Joining VONTUS, as they do for bigger shows, is a very talented horn section called The UniqHORNS: featuring Mike Parish, 17, saxophone; Adam Marino, 15, trumpet; and Charlie McCabe, 17, on trombone – all of whom attend Saratoga Springs High School.

Bo Goliber, Coordinator of Development for Franklin Community Center said, “We love this idea! We’ve been exploring new ways to get youth involved in with our agency, and we’re excited that these guys are spearheading the efforts. And who doesn’t love music for a great cause?”

*Franklin Community Center is a non-profit human service agency that has been providing basic necessities and services to Saratoga residents for nearly three decades.

####