Culture in brief: Light of Day at Outpost
The Light of Day Winterfest concerts return to New York and New Jersey for their 19th year of raising money to “defeat Parkinson’s and Parkinsons, ALS and PSP, in our lifetime.”
The event kicks off at Montclair’s Outpost in the Burbs on Friday, Jan. 11, with
Willie Nile, James Maddock, Danielia Cotton, Williams Honor, Joe D’Urso, Jon Caspi, Christine Martucci, Laura Crisci, and Rick Winowski. Daniella Cotton is on the bill for the first time; she is originally from New Jersey.
The 10-day festival will bring over 150 music acts to 30 venues in two New Jersey cities, New York City, Philadelphia, and Rockland County, NY, Jan. 11-21, following a holiday season European tour.
The Light of Day Foundation grew out of a “pass the hat” for the Parkinson’s Foundation for Bob Benjamin at his 40th birthday party in 1998. At that time, Joe D’Urso told Montclair Local last year, Benjamin was the only person with Parkinson’s that he knew.
That’s no longer true for the Jersey shore/Americana roots rocker, who said he has since seen it affect other musicians as well as members of his own family.
The title Light of Day takes its name from a 1987 Bruce Springsteen song, “(Just around the corner to the) Light of Day.”
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READ: LUCY KAPLANSKY HAS STREET CRED AT THE OUTPOST
READ: LIGHT OF DAY COMES TO THE OUTPOST (2018)
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Willie Nile, who will again perform at Outpost, was at that original birthday party for Benjamin.
The point of Winterfest, Nile said last year, is that “whatever inspires people initially to take up an instrument and write songs, to be able to play with other musicians, for a good cause, is a meaningful, beautiful thing. I’ve been doing it for years and will continue doing it.”
It’s not just the artists that he plays with but also the audience that Nile considers friends: “It’s a beautiful thing to see. Everyone donates their services for a good cause. It’s music at its best, people rising up to a challenge. Initially, it was helping out a friend, now it’s the whole Parkinson’s community.”
In 2018, Light of Day WinterFest raised enough money to catapult its 18-year cumulative total past the $5 million mark. Light of Day WinterFest 2019 is expected to push the 19-year total past $5.5 million.
Light of Day at Outpost will be held at First Congregational Church, 40 South Fullerton Ave. Concert begins at 8 p.m. A limited number of reserved seat/VIP seats are available. For information, visit outpostintheburbs.org.