The Daily Collegian Memorial concert to aid Cahir’s family late Sgt. By Stephanie Goga COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Before Bill Cahir was killed in action in Afghanistan, he served his country his whole life as a Marine and journalist. This weekend, State College band Chuck Mason and Blue Reality will honor that service with "The Sgt. Bill Cahir Benefit Concert." To be held Saturday at the State College Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post, 139 N. Barnard St. the concert will benefit the Bill Cahir Memorial Rind, which sup ports the education and welfare of Cahir's children and his wife, Rene. Cahir. a 1990 Penn State alum nus, served two tours in Iraq and another in Afghanistan before his Aug. 13 death. He was also a 2008 congressional candidate. Cahir’s parents attended the series’ first benefit show last month at Cafe 210 West, 210 W College Ave., said John Cahir, Bill’s father. John Cahir said the series is a kind ges ture for his son, who he remem- Improv show to charm audience By Renee Guida COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER For Jesse Cramer, improvisa tion is like an inside joke. "In the moment, it’s hysterical. You're watching it unfold, you’re watching it be created,” Cramer (senior-English) said. “It adds the element to it that the audience is a part of it because they are wit nessing this creation.” The Valentine’s Day Improv Stoplight Spectacular sched uled to take place Sunday night in the Arts Building is an improv isation show with three separate performances featuring comedy groups Weber and Einstein, Your Ex-Bovfriends and Rill Ammo Improv. Weber and Einstein is first up, and comedian Brad Einstein (senior-theatre) said he always tries to perform “smart” for the entertainment of others. If you go What: The Sgt. Bill Cahir Benefit Concert When: 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday Where: State College Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, 139 N. Barnard St. Details: $5 cover charge for the 21-and-over show bers as "a wonderful man in every way." “We’re so proud and grateful for the concern of the State College community and the Penn State community." John Cahir said. “They’ve been marvelously supportive of us. Even though we’re devastated and always will be, we greatly appreciate the out pouring of support." Chuck Mason developed the concert series with Mike Hendrickson, an assistant for pro gram development at Penn State’s Applied Research Lab. Mason said his own familv has a “It’s an honest and sponta neous form of entertaining that is. when done well, riveting and hilarious which is a pretty knock-out combination." he said. Cramer, who began the group Your Ex-Boyfriends and will per form after Weber and Einstein, said the name is an inside joke between the members. They all have dated girls in their same group of friends, and Cramer said they joke that one of their ex-girl friends will be in the audience at some point. “The only way to keep the show going is to tag out one of the char acters and leave the one that's still left on stage," he said. "It's really fun because you get to see the character over the course of time. You get to see them devel op.” The last 40 minutes of the show will be reserved for Rill Ammo NTERTAI long history of military service, which inspired him to put togeth er the concert series. "I've always been interested in people from Penn State who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those who haven't come home,” Hendrickson said. "And Bill Cahir was a great Marine and a role model for a lot of people. It was a no-brainer to do something for the familv." Mason's band plans to host two more concerts to support Cahir's family. The band will play at Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks in Millheim, Pa., on Feb. 28 and The Arena. 1521 Martin St., on March 12. The first show at Cafe 210 West brought in about $l,OOO for the memorial fund. While Mason's band will host the event, the VFW is helping to orchestrate it by donating the hall, post man ager Don Stine said. "We feel proud and privileged to help the man's family out." Stine said. To e-mail reporter: scgso2s@psu.edu Improv, which will perform improvised comedy based on the audience's romantic stories. Timothy Hartman (sophomore theatre) said the show is a "stop light" party: wearing red means you're taken, yellow means it's complicated and green means single. Green people can get with other green people, yellow people can get kind of wary. If we see two red shirts, hopefully we see them together." he said. Hartman said improv comedy is the "epitome of artist creation" by going to the Sunday show-, anyone's definition of improv will "turn on its head." "Anything you're expecting will probably not happen, and every thing you're not expecting will happen before your eyes." he said. To e-mail reporter: rmgsl46@psu.edu Do the crossword yet? M I. N T Courtesy of The Kalob Griffin Band Kalob Griffin Band will perform as a part of SPA’s Noontime Concert Series today in the HUB-Robeson Center. First local band to play at HUB concert series By Lindsay Cryer COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER The Kalob Griffin Band is switching things up for HUB Noontime listeners: It’s actually local. As part of Student Programming Association's (SPA) weekly Noontime Concert Series, the Kalob Griffin Band will perform today in the HUB- Robeson Center's first floor lounge. For the first time this semester, a local band is taking the stage as part of the series. Chairman of the Noontime Concert Series Zachary Krieger said the band is one of the better acts in the State College area. "They are local and some of them are Penn State students." Krieger (sophomore-engineer ing) said. "They have fans and friends, so there'll be a lot more connection between them and the audience." Krieger said a friend of his who works at The Lion 90.7 FM rec ommended the Kalob Griffin Band after it played on the radio show. "They're something that we haven't really had this semester." Krieger said. "They're a little more bluegrass-rooted and more folk-rock songwriting." Vocalist and guitar player Kalob Griffin (senior-recreation, park, and tourism management) said the fact that his band is local will set them apart Our creation, your pleasure COLD STONE© CREAMERY 321 E Beaver Ave, State College 814-272-6585 Product shown s Caks Balls; Sprinkt® ceoo? Cold Stone Creamery, Inc Ml rights reserved, wrarw.coktetonecreamary.com Friday, Feb. 12,2010 I 7 from other Noontime acts Typically playing house shows and bar venues, the band differ entiates itself from other outfits by playing its own songs, Griffin added. “That’s a big separating factor people think that you have to play more covers than originals and we kind of screwed the system," he said. “We've been really fortunate.” Griffin said the band, which is used to playing for a 21-and-over audience, is excited to attract younger students who pass through the HUB. "You can really sit down and lis ten to this kind of stuff and not feel like you’re being attacked,” Griffin said. “It’s going to be all original. There’s songs that we really believe in and work hard to tailor, so we hope people enjoy it.” The band is planning an East Coast tour which will take it everywhere from Philadelphia to Raleigh, N.C. for spring break. Copies of its new EP "Hideaways” will be available during the performance for $5. “Hideaways” includes five tracks recorded in a studio and three tracks recorded during live airings of The Lion 90.7 FM. "We’re hoping to get some fresh faces and see what we’re doing,” Griffin said. “We want people to get their hands on the music and appreciate it." To e-mail reporter: Ibcl46@psu.edu
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