Music and giving back have always meant a lot to Tina Haase Findlay and her husband, Brandon Findlay. The Bella Soul members started working together in 2004 at Crossroads, a benefit concert featuring five local bands at Nollen Plaza.
The two married in 2005, and the next year started Deacon’s Day, a daylong celebration of music at the old Blues on Grand downtown. The event focused on blues music, but when the duo moved the event to People’s Court last year, the lineup expanded to incorporate all genres. More than 30 acts performed, and more than $3,500 was raised for Habitat for Humanity.
“We’ve been blessed with a great community,” Tina said. “Last year we had 32 artists perform and I had a personal connection with all of them. I literally shared the stage with them all over the course of the previous year. We called in a lot of favors and were fortunate enough to have people respond.”
At this year’s Deacon’s Day event on Saturday, each act will get its own solo performance, then between 10:30 p.m and 1 a.m., all the performers will join together for one super jam. Local music fans will get to see the Findlays mix it up with acts as varied as Iowa Blues Hall of Famer Steve George, Chris Ford of Christopher the Conquered and Mayor Frank Cownie’s Social Groove Community Drummers.
All money will go to Habitat for Humanity, and the Findlays say the Habitat Young Professionals, a YP group for Habitat, were instrumental in making the event happen. That let the couple focus more on the event’s musical side.
Des Moines steps up for great causes regularly, the couple said, but established nonprofits are sometimes overlooked because of their longevity.
“We want this to be an event to celebrate Habitat,” Brandon, 31, said. “It’s pretty staggering the difference they’ve made in our community, often very quietly. Even though Deacon’s Day will always be our baby, we hope it will become a Habitat thing just as much.”
The name Deacon’s Day comes from Brandon’s nickname: Deacon. Musician James Biehn dubbed him that while the two worked together at Ground Zero Music. Deacon comes from the Greek word deakanos, which means servant. Brandon sees it as fitting for a day of giving back.
“This has always been a family value of ours,” Brandon said. “The whole idea of this, what everyone is doing, is that this is a day of service. I think that fits.”
Deacon’s Day 6
With: The Andy Anderson Band, Bella Soul, The Blues Bureau, Box Brothers, Robert Canada, Amber Duimstra, Chris Ford, Gina Gedler, Rachel Gulick, Steve George, The High Crest, Brian Hutzell, It’s Complicated, Johnson & Resch, Rob Lumbard, Dave Rezek, Maximum Ames All-Stars, Peace, Love & Stuff, Risky Revival, Rising Phoenix Theatre Co., Social Groove Community Drummers, “Words” Taylor featuring Larry Moore, Scot Sutherland and more.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday.
Where: People’s Court, 216 Court Ave.
Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door ($5 for the post-concert jam only).
Info: www.peoplesdm.com
