First annual Vocals for Veterans Music Festival coming to Chronicle
By James Kmosko
The first annual Vocals for Veterans Music Festival will take place on October 11th and 12th at The Turn Sports Lounge, located on NC-16 Business, just north of the Lincoln County line.
The two-day family-friendly music festival, the first of its kind in Chronicle, will feature ten musical acts on two stages, vendors, raffle giveaways, auctions, food trucks, a barbeque competition, and a kids activity section.
Tickets are $25 for one day and $35 for both days. All profits from the festival will be donated to L.O.V. Thrift Store, a Chronicle-based non-profit dedicated to helping veterans in need.
The festival was organized by Linda Brooks, the founder of Local Vocals, an organization that provides musical opportunities and organizes events for local bands and performers. Organizing a music festival has been one of Linda’s goals for years.
“When I was younger, I was in a band with my husband, and I always wanted to do a music festival for us,” Linda said. “And [my son] and his friends have bands around here. Last year I [decided] I’d really like to throw a music festival, and have some people come out and play for the weekend and support local music, because I love local music.”
The focus of the festival changed when a friend of Linda’s, a veteran of the armed forces, began experiencing financial difficulty.
“He didn’t have a way to get to his job, and essentially he lost his job because of it,” Linda said. “I had to help him get food, because when he lost his job he was paid by the day.”
The veteran was provided day work by Brittany Audette, manager of The Turn, and her husband, as Linda contacted veterans organizations to ask for assistance. Most of the organizations claimed help would take weeks or even months to arrive.
“And I said, well, I don’t have that amount of time. I mean, I’m trying to help him before he loses everything,” Linda said. “Then Brittany said, ‘I’ll help with the day-to-day of the hotel, but you need to call Gini.’”
Gini Popko is the store manager and, along with her Marine Corps veteran husband Kevin Popko, co-founder of L.O.V. Thrift Store. The non-profit, which recently celebrated providing assistance to their hundredth veteran, was eager to help Linda’s friend.
“I called Gini and the next thing, Gini’s like, ‘We can help as soon as you get me his paperwork,’” Linda said. “The next day she had his hotel room paid for, she had sent in more money for food, she was getting a mechanic to come out to look at [his] van, helping him look for housing and work.”
After witnessing the speed of L.O.V.’s assistance, Gini and Brittany decided to host the festival for the thrift store’s benefit.
“I can’t remember if it was me or Brittany, but one of us [said] we should call it Vocals for Veterans, and all the money can go to Gini,” Linda said. “And I could take this and go into other communities with other little places like hers that help immediately and do festivals and raise money for their organization. Everybody was on board.”
Linda initially had difficulty finding a venue for the festival. She says local fairgrounds and other similar venues were too expensive and too difficult to work with.
“I was talking to Tim Schoenig, [owner of The Turn], and I told him about what I want to do, and he goes, ‘Well, just have it here. We’ll just do a big festival here.’”
With the venue and beneficiary secured, Linda and Brittany were able to begin planning the event and securing musical acts and vendors. When the musicians heard that the proceeds from the festival would go to benefit veterans, they refused to be compensated.
“B.O.M.B. Co., Lucid Outbreak, Sweet Lucille, the other guys - they’re like rock legends, but then you go talk to them and they’re the coolest, sweetest kids ever. Their hearts are to help people. I was really thrilled to have all them come aboard and they’re excited to do it.”
Other bands playing at the festival include Kickin Gas, The Groove Skeletons, Dani Kerr, students from LKN Music School in Denver, and more. A full festival lineup can be found on the festival’s Facebook page.
The Smoke & Glory Barbecue Competition will take place during both days of the festival. Organized by Keisha Gantt, the competition will feature local teams of amateur barbecue cook teams competing for awards. After judging is completed, festival attendees will have the opportunity to eat the competitors’ barbeque for an additional $15.
Local businesses including LKN Music School donated instruments, paintings, and other items for the auctions and raffles. Equipment, tents, and other necessities were also donated, lent out, or offered at a reduced price by various local businesses and individuals.
Many businesses and individuals not named in this article donated their time, money, and expertise to help organize the festival. A banner at the festival will display a full list of sponsors.
“I’m proud of everybody that came together so quickly. We’re pulling this off in less than three months,” Linda said. “Citizens always take care of citizens.”
A Poker Run starting and ending at The Turn will kick off the festival on October 4th, with stops at the Hilltop Bar in Newton and Johnny’s Bar and Grill in Lincolnton. Each participant will receive a gift bag, and all proceeds will go to L.O.V..
In all, Linda hopes to raise ten thousand dollars for L.O.V. Thrift Store.
“I’m hoping I’ll write [Gini] a $10,000 check,” Linda said. “I’m certain that’s attainable. Maybe it will be $50,000.”
Gini says L.O.V. will have representatives at the festival and expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be involved in this event, and honored that she picked us,” Gini said.
The festival will return next year to Chronicle to benefit the thrift store. Linda hopes that it will become a replacement for Denver Days, a now-defunct festival that ran annually for nearly 20 years in Denver but ended during the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I want to make a family event [where] people feel good about coming out, because they know that their money’s going to a good cause. It’s not just a music festival or a concert. [It’s not] the bands or whoever making all the money, it’s actually going to help people.”
For more information on the festival, or to purchase tickets, visit www.vocalsforveterans.com or look for Local Vocals on Facebook.