Gary Mann knows that it is possible to rock out for a good cause. He hopes to make it happen in Cayuga County.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
The Red Cross's Bloodapalooza concert series brings together blood awareness and local music.
The Red Cross's Bloodapalooza concert series brings together blood awareness and local music.
Mann has been organizing a concert series that will take place this month in three separate locations around the county. But he is neither a promoter nor a tour manager. He is the emergency services director for the local Red Cross chapter, and he hopes the concerts - collectively called “Bloodapalooza” - will help inform the county's younger residents of the organization.
Bloodapalooza will feature 11 rock bands in three concerts located in Auburn, Moravia and Cato.
The shows will take place over three weeks, and along with music, they will include information and presentations about the Red Cross' many services and volunteer opportunities.
The concerts are neither fundraisers nor blood drives as much as they are promotional events. Mann, 26, said he thinks that he can help inform residents in the far corners of the county about the Red Cross while instilling some interest in a younger demographic.
“When people think of the Red Cross, they usually think of two things - blood drives and disaster relief,” Mann said. “But we do so many more things, like first aid classes and baby-sitting training.”
Mann added that these shows will not just be spreading a positive message. They will also give young people a chance to see a concert in their home towns. Bloodapalooza will mostly showcase local bands with styles ranging from straightforward rock to heavy metal.
Mann is no stranger to the world of rock concerts. Until this year, he has toured around the country with the hardcore band If Hope Dies.
It is rare for these types of shows to be held in Auburn, let alone towns like Cato and Moravia, he said. In fact, it will be the first time some of the local groups will able to play in their hometowns.
“If these (concerts) do well, we can do them in other spots around the county,” Mann said. “Nothing like this ever goes on in these towns.”
Susan Marteney, executive director at the Cayuga County Red Cross, said the concert series is a unique idea for the organization. Because of Mann's knowledge of these types of events, she said she is confident the shows will be successful.
“In some respects, the concert series is a thank you to the communities, but it invites people to find out more about the Red Cross,” Marteney said. “People have different perceptions of what the organization is. Sometimes it is fun to throw a monkey wrench into everything.”
Mann said it is important to generate interest among the younger residents around the county, and music can be a good way to bring a bunch of youths together in one place.
“Young people don't need a reason to be involved in something other than the cause,” Mann said. “Hopefully, they spread their interest to adults.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net
If you go
What: Bloodapalooza
Who: Honor Bright, October Nites, Through These City Streets, The Score
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Auburn Public Theater
Cost: $5
Who: Angels Beneath Me, Rabid, He the Hero, Childs Play
When: 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18
Where: Moravia Volunteer Fire Department, Moravia
Who: Between Walls, East of the Wall, From the Ashes
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26
Where: Cato-Meridian High School, Cato
Bloodapalooza will feature 11 rock bands in three concerts located in Auburn, Moravia and Cato.
The shows will take place over three weeks, and along with music, they will include information and presentations about the Red Cross' many services and volunteer opportunities.
The concerts are neither fundraisers nor blood drives as much as they are promotional events. Mann, 26, said he thinks that he can help inform residents in the far corners of the county about the Red Cross while instilling some interest in a younger demographic.
“When people think of the Red Cross, they usually think of two things - blood drives and disaster relief,” Mann said. “But we do so many more things, like first aid classes and baby-sitting training.”
Mann added that these shows will not just be spreading a positive message. They will also give young people a chance to see a concert in their home towns. Bloodapalooza will mostly showcase local bands with styles ranging from straightforward rock to heavy metal.
Mann is no stranger to the world of rock concerts. Until this year, he has toured around the country with the hardcore band If Hope Dies.
It is rare for these types of shows to be held in Auburn, let alone towns like Cato and Moravia, he said. In fact, it will be the first time some of the local groups will able to play in their hometowns.
“If these (concerts) do well, we can do them in other spots around the county,” Mann said. “Nothing like this ever goes on in these towns.”
Susan Marteney, executive director at the Cayuga County Red Cross, said the concert series is a unique idea for the organization. Because of Mann's knowledge of these types of events, she said she is confident the shows will be successful.
“In some respects, the concert series is a thank you to the communities, but it invites people to find out more about the Red Cross,” Marteney said. “People have different perceptions of what the organization is. Sometimes it is fun to throw a monkey wrench into everything.”
Mann said it is important to generate interest among the younger residents around the county, and music can be a good way to bring a bunch of youths together in one place.
“Young people don't need a reason to be involved in something other than the cause,” Mann said. “Hopefully, they spread their interest to adults.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net
If you go
What: Bloodapalooza
Who: Honor Bright, October Nites, Through These City Streets, The Score
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Auburn Public Theater
Cost: $5
Who: Angels Beneath Me, Rabid, He the Hero, Childs Play
When: 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18
Where: Moravia Volunteer Fire Department, Moravia
Who: Between Walls, East of the Wall, From the Ashes
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26
Where: Cato-Meridian High School, Cato
