2 minute read
Room In The Inn Benefit
(l-r) Kevin McKendree, Guthrie Trapp, Dave Pomeroy, Josh Day, and John Oates
It looked a little different, but the end result was the same — an evening of unique, excellent music by some of Nashville’s finest musicians — all performing to raise money for Room In The Inn, an organization that provides shelter, food, and a host of other resources to Nashville’s homeless community.
The concert, which is held at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Nashville, was taped without an audience on December 10, 2020. Performers included Local 257 members Kathy Mattea, Jeff Coffin, Guthrie Trapp, Pat Coil, Charlie McCoy, Dave Pomeroy, John Oates, Don Schlitz, Jon Vezner, and many others. The event raised $26,200 this year, and has brought in more than $489,000 for Room In The Inn over its 21-year run.
Prep for staging the event was complicated by the pandemic, and included extensive COVID-19 testing of crew, and a precise day-of schedule that allowed for no more than one act to be in the building at a time. The event — which aired the following week on YouTube — was filmed by a sevenperson crew with full production, in addition to the three-person sound crew.
The organizer and host of the event, Dave Pomeroy, talked about the reason he became involved with Room In The Inn, and the unusual nature of this year’s staging. "In 1992, when I was getting ready to release the Blue Christmas EP, I wanted it to be a charity fundraiser. When I heard about Room In The Inn and met the founder, Father Charles Strobel, I knew I had found the right cause. I have been honored to raise money for them ever since.
"In 2000, we moved the show to Christ Church Cathedral and renamed it “Nashville Unlimited Christmas,” a reinvention of the “Nashville Unlimited” radio show I did for WPLN in 1999. This has been an amazing chance to demonstrate the diversity of our musical community, and we have raised nearly $500,000 over the years. Thanks to everyone who has taken part on this show over the years especially my longtime co-host Don Henry and percussionist Sam Bacco, who I've been making Christmas music with since 1989. Our collective efforts have made a real difference in the lives of those who are in need through no fault of their own. I want to give a special thanks to our sound and film crews, led by Dave Sinko and Brad Hall, respectively. They did an amazing job," Pomeroy said. www.roomintheinn.org.
Top left (l-r) Christ Walters, Viktor Krauss, Jordon Perlson, Jeff Coffin Top right: Kathy Mattea. Middle: Pat Coil Bottom left: Sam Bacco Bottom right: Dave Pomeroy, Don and Stacey Schlitz
Photos by Mickey Dobo
