Rheostatics, Rik Emmett, Michie Mee, Tom Wilson, Feist, Hawksley Workman, Zaki Ibrahim, Tara Slone, Daniel Greaves, Charlotte Cornfield, The Mercenaries, and more are all on board for this Fall’s NewsAid — a fundraiser in support of iconic non-profit community newspaper, West End Phoenix. Get your tickets here: NewsAid: A Benefit to Support West End Phoenix.
Taking place Saturday, October 2nd at Junction Craft Brewery, doors open wide at 2:00pm to also welcome the likes of Stephen Stanley, Ansley Simpson, Dave Robinson, Gentleman Reg, Randy Ray, Wax Mannequin, Ensign Broderick, Andrew and Sam Cash, Lucas Silveira, Sleahy, Mike Ford, Dave Wall, Selena Evangeline, and Darryl Webster to the fold in what promises to be a full-throated afternoon in support of the long-lauded publication. The all-ages show requires proof of double vaccination to attend. It is currently sold out but organizers are hoping to release a new lot of tickets in the coming weeks.
Helmed by Rheostatics’ Dave Bidini, the West End Phoenix first went to print in 2017, and has since platformed a wide cross-section of contributors, from emerging voices to established mainstays like Chief Ladybird, Margaret Atwood, Michael Winter, Claudia Dey, Roddy Doyle, Eternity Martis, and more.
“After 40 years as a rhythm guitar player and writer, this is me now: a local newspaper publisher,” Bidini nods. “Go figure.
“Honestly, when we started the West End Phoenix five years ago, we had no idea if we’d last beyond our first publishing cycle,” he continues. “But seeing the original involvement of the community, and the verve of the writers and photographers, we knew that if we could stay alive in the beginning, we might have a chance.”
Bolstered by widespread support both through subscriptions and fundraising events, from both its local neighbourhood, the city-at-large, and beyond, the NewsAid benefit couldn’t be more timely; West End Phoenix has seen an uptick in interest in the increasing rapid-fire of current and pressing events.
“The whole world has circled back to local concerns and awareness, and we were a little ahead of that trend,” Bidini shares, reflecting on the past 18-month news cycle in particular. “Also, I think people have been a little wearied — and suspicious of — getting news on their phones and other devices. Having people they trusted making a paper in their community went a long way towards re-establishing that bond between ‘reader and paper.’
“Plus, print is beautiful, and we get to explore new ways of making a community paper that even people beyond the community want to read, and our 500+ readers outside of the city definitely testify to that.”
