It’s one thing for a cause to organize a fundraiser and line up a band.
It’s another thing for the band to organize a fundraiser for a cause.
But J. Trafford, the vocalist and bassist for the dark pop band Sommelier, enjoys turning the tables, as he and his bandmates — Brian Ferrell, Zach Coss and Johnny Ruggiero — have done in the past for nonprofits Sisters PGH and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
Friday they’ve invited three other acts to join them to perform a benefit concert and book drive for Literacy Pittsburgh that’s called “Sound Out!” It kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday at Trace Brewing in Bloomfield.
The other performers are Essential Machine (indie rock), Nadeê (R&B) and Oli Alexander (folk).
“If you have the resources to have a band and keep a band going, then you have the resources to do something like this,” says Trafford. The Greensburg resident explains that he came up on the independent music scene during the “really hopeful time” of the early 2000s and gradually overcame his shyness. This band formed just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and so he missed performing, period, but also missed doing benefit shows.
Helping Literacy Pittsburgh is “sort of a happenstance thing,” but he’s very happy to help the group raise some money and awareness for its mission of helping lots of people improve their reading, writing, math, English language, digital literacy, and workplace skills.
He’s been thrilled with the help the benefit has gotten from that nonprofit’s Young Professionals Board. Those folks were able to double the number of items for a local arts raffle.
The $5 donation to get in gives each attendee one raffle ticket, and more can be purchased for $5 each, with all those proceeds going to Literacy Pittsburgh.
The prizes include:
- A selection of hot sauces made by artisan company Mom Vomit.
- A handmade glass piece by Ronnie’s Rad Glass.
- A handmade vase by Brian Ferrell Designs.
- Two painting/pressed flower pieces “Cobblestone Trails” and “Hydrangeas in Bloom” by Stacey Pydynkowski.
- One hour of tarot reading by Killer Pancake Illustration.
- Handmade earrings by Sam Jam Creative.
- Woven yarn tapestry by Moon and Yarn.
Meanwhile, Trace is not charging anything for the venue and is donating to Literacy Pittsburgh $1 from each drink order during the event, which runs until 9 p.m. “It was just awesome,” Trafford says.
And the nonprofit will be accepting donations of new and gently used books for kids pre-K to teen.
“It’s coming together,” Trafford says, “and it’s going to be successful.”
As he recently explained on the “For the Love of Music Talk Show,” “It’s something that I very much enjoy doing, and I hope it’s something that people enjoy participating in.”
Trace Brewing is located at 4312 Main St., Pittsburgh, PA 15224. You can RSVP on the event’s Facebook page.
If you’re into books, this coming weekend is also the the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books, a second annual communitywide book and literary celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in East Liberty. It’s free, but you should register for various talks at that event’s Eventbrite site.
Bob, a feature writer and editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and serving as interim editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Contact him at bbatz@unionprogress.com.
