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NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. — Local musicians are always looking for ways to promote themselves and their music, but Northborough resident Ian Brenckle has a different goal in mind — helping local charities.
Brenckle, a student at Northeastern University and a 2010 graduate of Algonquin Regional High School, has spent a good part of his summer arranging Jams for Cans, a charity concert to benefit the Northborough Food Pantry and Northborough Helping Hands. The concert will be held at Ellsworth-McAfee Park from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
“The idea was to get some bands to play,” Brenckle said, "and, as people would show up, they would donate canned goods or school supplies in place of admission." Other non-perishable goods, such as boxes of granola bars, will also be accepted.
Brenckle has planned a line-up of four local bands, each playing a different style of music.
"That was kind of the trickier part," Brenckle said. "Luckily, I have a lot of talented friends."
Brenckle plays bass in three of the bands, which are all made up of Northborough residents: Parade of Ants, B3 and Kenya Diggum.
Parade of Ants, Brenckle said, is a folk duo that plays a "mix of things," including folk-rock covers of Mumford and Sons and Bon Iver. They also cover classic rock songs by Cream and Jimi Hendrix.
B3, which features Brenckle and his two brothers, focuses on alternative rock covers of bands like the Talking Heads, Pink Floyd and Radiohead.
Kenya Diggum is a funk band that plays covers of Herbie Hancock and Galactic, as well as original songs.
In addition, the concert will feature the Wayland bass-and-drums duo Dr. Spaceman. "I hear they do a lot of looping tracks," Brenckle said. "Spacey stuff."
In short, the concert offers something for almost any listener.
Assuming things go smoothly this weekend, Brenckle hopes to make Jams for Cans an annual event.
"It was interesting," he said of the experience. "It was definitely a lot of things I hadn’t done before."
He is quick to mention, however, that he didn’t do it alone. Jams for Cans will also benefit from a generous group of local sponsors. These include Davidian Bros. Farm, Tougas Farm, Staples, Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Bertucci’s, The Whiz Store and the extended Butz family in Lancaster, Pa..
And, of course, Brenckle had help from a "very supportive family."
"It wouldn’t have happened without them," he said.
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