Musicians come out to help Haiti at The Music Farm

Ask just about any musician at any level of their career whether they have had some rough times, either physically or financially, and settle in for some great stories.

Unless someone is plucked from obscurity early on, being a full-time musician often means sacrifice: forgoing a meal or two to buy gas to get to the next gig, sleeping on a stranger's couch (or even the floor) after said gig; and sometimes getting paid in beer and burgers.

In short, most musicians suffer for their craft, and yet, when confronted with a situation that includes a level of suffering above their own personal trials, most musicians band together and see what they can do to help.

We saw it happen Friday on television when a telethon raised nearly $60 million to help those displaced by the earthquake in Haiti.

On a local level, the folks at Awendaw Green decided that they could do something as well. With just a few days of planning and an enormous amount of cooperation from many people, Awendaw Green set up more than a dozen acts to play onstage at the Music Farm to raise funds for the American Red Cross and the Charleston-based Water Missions International.

For more than seven hours Sunday, an impressive array of musicians, both local and from elsewhere, played music with styles that included rock, country, ska, rockabilly, and folk.

Although describing each act's performance would take more space than I have, each band deserves recognition for taking time to donate their talents to the benefit.

Some of the more memorable performances during Sunday's event included Mac Leaphart performing "Confederate Roses," Ryan Bonner and the Dearly Beloved covering Fleetwood Mac's "Thunder" and Megan Jean and the KFB covering Sam Cooke's "Touch the Hem of His Garment."

Other acts participating included James Justin Burke, Doug Jones, A Fragile Tomorrow, Mary's Got a Band, The Whisperjets, Tater Famine, Josh Roberts and Leslie Branham, Danielle Howle, and The In-Laws.

Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent closed out the night.

While the crowd was not especially large, the folks who did trickle in and out during the evening were there to hear some great music, and this lineup delivered.

In addition to their assigned times on stage, musicians invited one another to sit in during their sets, resulting in an ever-increasing amount of musical possibilities.

In the end, Awendaw Green collected about a $1,000 to split between the Red Cross and Water Missions International.

I personally love it when a plan such as this comes together. To everyone who gave their time, money or talent to Sunday's benefit, all I can say is well done.

Contact Devin Grant at chucktowncritic@yahoo,com