By Hughes Herrington
From crowd surfing to a barefoot bassist, Gainesville’s music community came together to bring sound to deaf children through performances and cochlear implants at Heartwood Soundstage.
On Oct. 13, Swamp Records and local musicians joined forces with Hearoes for Hearing, a student-run nonprofit that supports patients in the University of Florida Cochlear Implant Program.
The benefit included face painting and games for children. It also showcased performances from Prizilla, Trevor and the Travelers, Saturn Lights and Xarissa.
“We saw the kids in the clinic,” said Raquel Lacusky, the concert’s producer and the Diversity and Inclusion Director for Swamp Records, “and we wanted to engage and share resources with communities and organizations that aren’t directly related to Swamp Records.”
Lacusky was approached by Hearoes for Hearing while promoting Playground Festival, a music festival hosted at Heartwood in August by Swamp Records and the band Flipturn, and was asked to put together a benefit concert. She then worked with the nonprofit, Heartwood Soundstage and Swamp Records to bring in a variety of artists to support the cause.
“I wanted something that was going to be high energy. I wanted the crowd to be excited,” Lacusky said.
And the crowd was excited. Heartwood’s indoor stage was filled by an audience of around 90, each attendee shoving his or her way towards the stage. From the energy inside, it seemed like Lacusky reached her goal.
Prizilla and her bedazzled pink saxophone had the audience swaying to the beat with a jazzy set that embodied the spirit of Amy Winehouse. Trevor and the Travelers donned heart-shaped sunglasses while playing acoustic indie rock to a sea of bobbing heads.
The high-energy punk rock Saturn Lights brought to Heartwood had the crowd jumping and shouting lyrics back at the band as they played. The night ended with Xarissa’s performance, her glittery pop rock inspiring crowd-surfers among onlookers.
“As college students, we don’t have a lot of money to donate and contribute to charities in a more traditional sense,” said Michael Hagan, vocalist and guitarist for Saturn Lights. “Being able to go on stage and share our music for a great cause like UF Heroes for Hearing is such an amazing feeling.”
Each performer donated his or her set to the program. Proceeds from the event will go towards treatment and cochlear implants for local children with hearing loss.
“I felt really inspired by the artists that played the show because they played for free,” Lacusky said. “It’s little things like that. Seeing people put time and effort into the cause.”
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