Ernie White headlines a concert to raise money for TASK
We’ve already decked the halls, now it’s time to rock the halls.
Area rock ’n’ roll fans know that the holiday season means it’s time for The Ernie White Band and Friends Christmas Concert, which will take place at The Grand Ballroom at Princeton Manor in Hamilton, Dec. 21.
Over the years, Mr. White’s concerts have raised $100,000 for area charities. This year’s concert will once again benefit the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
“It’s going to be a lot of the all-stars from the past,” Mr. White says of this year’s show. “We’re also going to have a few new acts this year that will be doing some songs we haven’t played in past years. It’s going to be a great show, we already have a 40-song set list, of various genres — rock, blues, funk, jazz — kind of a culmination of all musical styles, that’s what Trenton is kind of like, a lot of different genres of music.”
He adds that fans can expect standards such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” with a sound he describes as “heavy.” Some songs will feature a horn section, and another spotlights a choir.
And Mr. White says that while you’d think that after 15 of these concerts, he and his fellow musicians would have played every Christmas song there is, there are a few chestnuts that will be making their debut this year.
“We do have a staple of songs that people want to hear because people love those tunes, but we ended up finding a few gems that haven’t been done before,” Mr. White says. “Believe it or not, nobody’s ever done ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,’ we have a (progressive-rock) version of that. Nobody’s done ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’ so it’s a first for that one.”
Another hallmark of the concerts is turning rock classics into Christmas songs. For example, Van Morrison’s “Gloria” becomes “Santa” complete with the band spelling S-A-N-T-A. Each concert also features a heavy rock song, and this year will feature “Reindeer in the Dark” to the tune of Dio’s “Rainbow in the Dark.” Also new this year is a guitar-driven rock instrumental take on “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” leading into “My Favorite Things.”There also will be some blues, courtesy of Paul Plumeri, and some funk, according to Mr. White. Some of the other area musicians who are on the bill are Tom Reock, Lisa Bouchelle, Billy Hill, the John Bushnell Band, Duke Williams, Joe Zook, Joe Kramer, Honey Spot Boulevard the Gyrl Band, and Discrete.
And there’s always the chance of a surprise. Last year saw an appearance by Richie Sambora, guitarist for Bon Jovi. That show raised $15,000 for TASK.
Another hallmark of these shows is that they take place right before Christmas.
“What I think it comes down to, and this is why we perform right before Christmas,” Mr. White says, “is that by then everyone’s done their shopping and they’re ready for party.”
The Ernie White Band and Friends Christmas Benefit Concert will take place at the Grand Ballroom at Princeton Manor, 661 Route 33 Hamilton, Dec. 21, 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.erniewhite.com.

