By lbpost.com news contributor Jenny DuBois
The Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest will be putting on their 4th Annual Christmas Party and Toy Drive this Friday, Dec. 18, and will feature over 20 Los Angeles musicians – including several from Long Beach – benefiting the Hollywood HEART organization.
Twenty-four local artists including Long Beach based singer/songwriters Cory Joseph (pictured, right) and Chris Paul Overall, songstress Brenna Whitaker, the brother-duo Pawnshop Kings and piano man AJ DeGrasse will all join together, performing fifteen-minute sets to spread Christmas cheer and share their music for a great cause. Joseph has put together the event for the last four years and is optimistic for this coming Friday.
“It’s an annual show with the goal of getting a big group of authentic, homegrown local singer/songwriters together to perform,” Joseph said. “And the great thing is, is that is raises money for charity.”
The local charity chosen to benefit from this night of good will is Hollywood HEART (HH). HH was founded in 1995 by David Gale, VP of MTV New Media and Specialty Films Division, to positively impact the lives of thousands of children and adolescents through its unique character building programs. HH’s programs include: Camp Pacific Heartland – a camping program for children infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS, Camp Hollywood HEART – an innovative arts-based camp session for 14 to 18-year old youth who have graduated from Camp Pacific Heartland and The Movie Team – an interactive program that gives at-risk children the experience of making their very own movie.
Although the Gypsy Lounge might require a bit of a drive, it is definitely worth it to see the amazing talent that rocks this place nightly. It has been a haven to local L.A. and Long Beach artists for several years and has launched the careers of Rocco Deluca and the Burden, Jay Buchanan, and several others. It is a quaint venue that offers quality, cheap drinks, a great crowd and a variety of musical genre
Guests attending this benefit concert are encouraged to bring unwrapped gifts for the toy drive. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the night of the concert for $10.00 between the shows hours of 8:00pm-2:00am.
“One of the best things you will see is the connections made between these artists who are from similar areas and doing similar things,” Joseph said. “We can all help each other, it isn’t about competition. It’s art.”
For the full lineup of bands as well as other event information please visit thegypsylounge.com or call 949.768.1224.