HAMILTON: Rockin’ for a good cause

Ernie White is back with his annual Christmas concert

by Anthony Stoeckert, Packet Media Group
HAMILTON — Christmas music usually means carols, popular standards, Motown versions of holiday tunes, and the “Nutcracker.”
   But for a group of Trenton-area musicians, Christmas is a time to rock — for a good cause.
   Local guitar legend Ernie White will once again host his annual Ernie White Band and Friends Christmas Concert Benefit, with this year’s show set for Dec. 22 at the Grand Ballroom at Princeton Manor (formerly Cedar Gardens) in Hamilton.
   This year’s concert, the 14th, will raise money for Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Last year, Mr. White and his fellow musicians raised $14,000 for the Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. In all, the concerts have raised more than $100,000 for such charities as Head Start, Mercer Street Friends, The Boys and Girls Club of Trenton, the YMCA of Trenton, and others.
   ”They’ve been growing in size and numbers and changing venues throughout the years,” Mr. White says. “It started as local musicians playing and passing the hat to raise money for local charities, now we have about a 40-song set list that we do throughout the night.”
   The setup will feature Mr. White’s group as the host band. He will then introduce other local notables, who will each play a song with Mr. White’s band.
   Past concerts have taken place at the old Katmandu in Trenton and the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial. The setup at Princeton Manor provides seating up front for people who want a theater-type setting, and table seating toward the back.
   ”It’s the best of both worlds,” Mr, White says.
   And concert-goers can expect to hear a variety of musical styles.
   ”We run the gamut from rock to blues to reggae to funk to jazz,” Mr. White says. “Just about every style of music is covered, we do some Christmas standards and rocked-up standards, and rocked-up versions of Christmas songs.”
   This year also will see the band put some holiday twists on a few rock classics, such as replacing the G-L-O-R-I-A chant in the Van Morrison song “Gloria” with “S-A-N-T-A.”
   Mr. White’s core band features himself on guitar, Tom Reock on keyboard, John Bushnell and Joey Kramer on guitar, and Mark Sacco and Mike White (Mr. White’s son) on drums.
   Musicians joining them include Bill Hill, Lisa Bouchelle, Paul Plumeri and Duke Williams.
   ”People will see just about anybody who’s done anything in this area,” Mr. White says.
   In the weeks leading up to the performance, Mr. White says the musicians were focused on rehearsals, including a long (five to six hours) rehearsal at Mr. Reock’s home on a recent Sunday.
   ”There’s food and drink, it becomes a party,” Mr. White says, before adding, “I try to keep the booze away from people who get there early.”
   The show has grown to the degree that Mr. White says a lot of time is spent on logistics, such as arranging which drummer plays a particular song, and who the lead performer on each tune is. Making sure transitions are smooth is vital. It’s a long show, about three hours, but without that organization, it would get even longer.
   ”It’s like a marathon,” Mr. White says. “We plug in, and here we go. It’s almost like a test as to whether or not we can do it.”
   But it pays off. And last year, he and some of the musicians got to meet New Jersey First Lady Mary Pat Christie during an event at Drumthwacket for their efforts.
   ”It was nice to get a little recognition,” Mr. White says.
   The decision to choose T.A.S.K., which was the charity of choice for a prior show, was easy.
   ”We love what they do, feeding people, you have to feed people first, then maybe they can get on their feet,” Mr. White says.
   Last year’s concert raised a hefty $14,000 for Sandy relief. With so many people affected by the storm, it would seem that got people motivated to see the show and help raise money. But Mr. White thinks this year’s concert can raise even more for T.A.S.K.
   ”We hope to, I don’t see why not,” he says. “The place is big so we can raise a lot of money there.” He says the venue can hold about 700 people, and drew about 500 last year, so there’s room for more.
   ”It keeps growing, word gets out,” he says. “People are actually looking for it now, they ask when it’s happening. It’s almost like it took on a life of its own.”
   The 14th Ernie White Band & Friends Christmas Benefit Concert will take place at the Grand Ballroom at Princeton Manor (formerly Cedar Gardens), 661 Route 33 Hamilton, Dec. 22, 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25. All ages, kids must be accompanied by an adult. For information, go to www.erniewhite.com