The end of winter opened the Sub City Take Action! Tour ’05, sponsored by Hurley International. Bands such as Sugarcult, Hawthorne Heights, The Early November, Anberlin, Hopesfall, Head Automatica and more spread Take Action!’s message of suicide prevention. The Canal Club served as Richmond’s venue last Thursday night and was only the second stop on the little over month-long tour.
This venue featured Sugarcult, with The Early November, Hawthorne Heights, and Hopesfall. Head Automatica was originally on the ticket as well, but due to lead singer and former singer of GlassJaw Daryl Palumbo’s Crohn’s disease, they were forced to drop the date. Nonetheless, the show’s turnout was exceptional.
Since Take Action!’s start in 2001, its mission is to raise the awareness level of suicide and suicide prevention among teens and college students. Throughout the night each band mentioned something concerning the cause and where more information could be found.
Beside the bands’ merchandise tables was a table for pamphlets and clipboards where kids could sign a petition to raise funding for help-hotlines and mentors. A fraction of the tour’s proceeds go to these hotlines, where kids can talk to peers about their feelings and problems.
Tim Pagnotta, front singer for Sugarcult, said, “As a band, you get to the point where you get to show more than just music and photos, and get to touch on real issues.” Members of Sugarcult actually went to Capitol Hill while in Washington, D.C., and spoke to some people from Washington about funding for mental health.
Pagnotta said they were petitioning for $80 million worth of funding, and that “it’s time to know.” Previous to this tour, the band also helped with Life Beat, a program set up with other bands for the prevention against AIDS.
Pagnotta also performed a song Thursday night that he wrote in his own time of depression. He opened the song with a brief explanation of how writing music is his outlet when he feels lonely. The song was touching, and just by judging the kids’ faces in the audience, it seemed as if they had absorbed more about how important the cause really is.
Jeff Krummer, drummer of The Early November, said he thought the show went great. “I like places where it’s small,” he said. “It’s more personal to look out at kids and sing along with them.”
Joe Marro, guitar player for The Early November, pushed back the recording of their upcoming CD, which he hopes will be out this summer, to join part of the tour. Their last show with the Take Action! crew will be on Feb. 14. In addition to this cause, they played at two previous benefit concerts where proceeds went to the tsunami relief.
The night was amazing, and thanks to everyone who came out to support the bands and Take Action!’s mission, the show earned money to add to their cause. Other bands on the tour are helping as well.
For more information, log on to www.takeactiontour.com