Share The Shelter Music Fest at Gulf Place September 29, 2012

Share the Shelter is a one-of-a-kind fundraiser at Gulf Place for two great groups in South Walton, sponsored by SoWal.com. The day-long celebration of music and optimism features local musicians, merchandise vendors, and even a doggie play area.

Limited tickets for the event are still available and can be purchased online at http://www.sharetheshelter.org/ or by calling 850-243-1201.

11:00 am – Gates open; Pre-Concert Music by Aron Shiers

12:00 pm - Welcome to Share the Shelter!
12:15 pm - Kelsey Anna
1:15 pm - Boukou Groove
2:15 pm - Bryan Kennedy
3:15 pm – Special Spoken Word performance by Say the Word Poetry group
3:30 pm - Daphne Willis
4:45 pm - Geoff McBride
6:00 pm - Heritage
7:00 pm - Chris Alvarado
8:00 pm - Meghan McCormick
9:00 pm - Forrest Williams Band

100% of the profits from the event will go towards giving women, children and animals a second chance at life. When domestic violence strikes, it affects not only the family, but the family pets, as well. It is because of this that Shelter House and Alaqua Animal Refuge are joining forces.

On Saturday, September 29 from 12:00 pm—10:00 pm, Share the Shelter Music Fest, benefiting Shelter House and Alaqua Animal Refuge, will take place at Gulf Place on the corner of 30A and Highway 393.

Having seen the tragic results of animal abuse and domestic violence– from burned cats to dogs with broken limbs to starved horses – from black eyes to broken ribs we are compelled to take action. It is time to do more than shelter animals and women from cruelty; we want to stop the abuse and the way we do that is by raising awareness about these issues in our community.
 

Chris Alvarado http://chrisalvaradolive.com
Chris Alvarado is a Florida Native who is currently located in Ft. Walton Beach Florida. Coming from a family emersed in music, he was destined to pick up an instrument. At the age of 12 he was introduced to the acoustic guitar, and instantly fell in love. He tought himself to play guitar and was influenced by artists such as Fleet wood Mac, James Taylor, Jewel, and John Mayer. His music has evolved into a sound all its own. People have likened it to John Mayer, Matchbox 20, and even Train. A talented performer, his act includes covers form performers such as John Mayer, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Tom Petty, Outcast, The Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, Bush, and many more. He is now performing live music across the Florida Panhandle Region.
 

Kelsey Anna http://www.kelseyanna.com
Born and raised in the Panhandle of Florida, Kelsey Anna began her music career at the young age of 13. Her debut ep was made alongside sister, Natasha Johnson, with fellow musician and friend, Marc Harris, out of Birmingham, AL. The sisters performed up and down scenic highway 30-A for years with a setlist made up of mostly covers and were said to have a sound resembling that of Bonnie Raitt with a twist of Billie Holiday. Though the duo known as Sister Johnson split, you can still find them performing together frequently along 30-A. At 16, Kelsey moved to Tallahassee, FL where a change of scenery, broken heart, and a touch of homesickness inspired her first song, 'Dive Deep'. With her transition from cover artist to songwriter, she was invited as the youngest performer to play in the 2010 30-A Singer Songwriter's Festival. Upon introducing her original music to the public, Kelsey has continued to grow as an artist and is determined to make a name for herself. She has a strong passion for creating, thus when you can't find her performing in various venues along the Florida coast, you can find her help up in her living room with her guitar, pen, and paper.
 

Boukou Groove http://www.boukougroove.com
Boukou Groove is a collaboration between founders, guitarist Derwin “Big D” Perkins and Singer, Keyboardist, Moog Bass player Donnie Sundal. Their sound intertwines New Orleans Funk and Soulful R&B with a Jam Band Twist. During the past year while on tour throughout the U.S. they have shared the stage with guest performers Sam Bush, Morgan Freeman, Otis Clay, Junior Marvin(Bob Marley and the Wailers), Houseman Declouett (Galactic) and New Orleans drummers Terence Higgins(Warren Haynes,Dirty Dozen Brass Band).
 

Heritage http://www.myspace.com/us3heritage
Rising from the back yards of Okaloosa County, Florida, HERITAGE broke into the pop/reggae scene in 2009 with their debut album, Natural High. This album mixes Tony Verecchia's easily digested vocals and the fluidity of Damien Kealoha’s vibrant ukulele sound to produce an effort bursting at the seams with ultra-catchy originals. With standout tracks like "Broken Pieces," already certified platinum in their family households and local friends, Heritage can count on an abundance of future success. Formed in 2007, starting with three guys in a backyard with a ukulele and a set of bongos, they played just for fun with family and friends. Before they knew it, they were performing locally. With the addition of Hunter Dawson, a guitarist with a rock/alternative style, hip-hop drummer, RJ Hernandez, reggae-influenced bassist, Matt Moore, latin/pop percussionist, Dave Posey, and the smooth soulful vocals of Eric Yra, they bring both a flavor and appeal to the masses. They eventually started recording their original masterpieces, producing an authentic sound, which is now HERITAGE. Today, HERITAGE is sharing their passion and love for music on the Gulf Coast gaining ground quickly throughout the US and beyond.
 

Bryan Kennedy http://www.bryan-kennedy.com
Bryan was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. However, he grew up in Tennessee in the Nashville area. Early on Bryan found his gift in the form of athletics. Bryan began his musical quest as a song plugger for his father, and later for Ricky Skaggs, and The Statler Brothers. Fast forward a few years and some heartaches and EMI music publishing heard Bryan’s material and offered him a writing deal. With just enough time for the ink to dry on Bryan’s contract he was credited with penning his first number one record, “The American Honky Tonk Bar Associaiton”. He continued to write for EMI for eight years. Bryan has worked with such artists as Brad Paisley and has written several songs that appear on other artists CD’s like; Rick Trevino, The Derailers, Deryl Dodd, Chuck Wagon and the Wheels, Jerry Reed, and others. He also has written other songs that appear on numerous Garth Brooks records, including three #1 radio hits; “Good Ride Cowboy”, “The Beaches of Cheyenne,” and “American Honky Tonk Bar Association.” In addition, Bryan opened up for Garth Brooks with good friend, Dan Roberts performing in front of millions of people.
 

Geoff McBride http://geoffmcbride.com
Music, to McBride, has been and always will be a constant story of life. At eighteen, he formed his first band and experienced people's emotion towards music. Continuing in his journey, he signed with Arista Records, which opened the door for him to encounter the appreciation of music in different cultures. It also allowed him to work with artists that he admired as a young adult, such as Gerald Levert, Teddy Pendegrass, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Holliday, Kenny Rogers, Alabama and Jermaine Jackson. It was then, in his career, that he understood how to tell a story in its full range of emotion through song. Deciding to take a step back in order to come into his own sound was rewarding, as now he has learned to write and produce what he really feels. Over the past years, he has been blessed to work with some of the most gifted writers and musicians in the world. Geoff was also a contestant this year on Season 2 of the smash NBC hit show, The Voice.
 

Megan McCormick http://www.meganmccormick.com
A Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Megan McCormick grew up in a musical family, picking up the guitar at the age of nine (she also plays lap steel guitar, mandolin, and bass), quickly working her way through style after style on the instrument, from blues, folk, and country to jazz and straight-out rock & roll.
 

Forrest Williams http://www.myspace.com/forrestwilliamsband
Forrest picked up the guitar when he was 14 years old and has been playing ever since. He grew up listening to Rock, Blues, Country, and Folk music from the 60's up to present day. His style covers a variety of music, incorporating the acoustic guitar and the harmonica. Forrest uses a loop machine which allows him to layer sounds as he plays. This makes for a large sound for just one guitar player. his vocal range can cover a large variety of music ranging from Country to Soul to good ol' Rock n' Roll.
 

Daphne Willis http://daphnewillis.com
Everything Daphne Willis has done up to now in both her music and her life has led to this moment—her new album, Because I Can (Vanguard, April 19), marks the 23-year-old writer/singer/guitarist’s artistic coming of age in thrilling—and at times heart-wrenching—fashion. This captivating LP represents an exponential leap, as she grows into her enormous talent and puts it to powerful and relatable use via her singular sensibility. Because I Can sounds very much like the defining work of a young artist who matters.