An Okotoks-area recording artist is rallying his peers for the homeless.
To bring those issues to light, Brad Carrigan is organizing a concert taking place on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lantern Church Theatre in Inglewood, Calgary.
“What it’s about is really awareness, because we have a real homeless problem right now,” said Carrigan, who has worked with numerous Grammy and Juno award-winning artists.
“It’s getting worse since COVID; people have lost jobs, the cost of living is going up, people are losing their homes, and it’s a real social problem not just locally, but nationally and internationally.”
The rallying cry for Carrigan’s show is his song I Wish it was Christmas (All Year), which involved the talents of Juno winners Paul Hyde (Payolas), Mike Reno (Lover Boy), Paul Janz and Geff Mann (Spirit of the West), which was remixed in 2015 at the Warehouse Studio belonging to Bryan Adams in Vancouver.
“We’re seeing it everywhere and it’s very sad; you go to Vancouver, you go to Calgary, and you see the way homelessness has just skyrocketed,” he said.
Carrigan has worked on numerous creative endeavours, including writing and performing in Dancing in the Light, which premiered at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre and included the talents of Cirque du Soleil choreographer Sandra Botnan, Haida Nation mask dancers and the Vancouver Ballet.
The upcoming concert will also feature Canadian-born rapper Franco Baccari (also known as Franco BZ), didgeridoo performer Trevor Uruski, as well as a 6:30 p.m. introduction by relaxation breathing practitioner Melissa Sterling.
“This event is focused on community, bringing people together for a cause, a universal cause that I think is getting worse,” Carrigan said. “When we have a weakness in our society, it affects our whole society.
“It’s a sad, sad thing.”
Tickets can be found at EventBrite.ca and Carrigan said proceeds will go to programs to feed the homeless, as well as a children’s lunch program. Non-perishable food donations are also welcome.
