TWIS Asks: Jon Pierce, Rock For a Cause

A collaboration between the Sarasota Young Professionals Group and S-One Holdings Corporation is one that made perfect sense, says YPG Program Coordinator, Jon Pierce. The former organization is a recognizable resource for young professionals in town, boasting a membership of more than 500 people, and the latter is one of the largest employers of professionals between the ages of 21 and 40 in Sarasota.

So when S-One approached YPG with the idea to host a battle of the bands, Pierce says the decision was an easy one. We recently caught up with Pierce to discuss the event, its origins and what people can expect from the inaugural Rock For a Cause, which takes place from 3 to 10 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 11 on Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota.

Tell me about how this event came about.

We met up with S-One Holdings last summer with the idea to do some sort of hybrid sponsorship. Last year, we did our block party, and that was a huge success. This year, we wanted to do a battle of the bands type of event — something that could be fun, but also something that could give back to kids. Sarasota needs all different types of events, especially downtown. People need a reason to come downtown, and this was obviously a great way to draw a lot of attention.

What was the mission of Rock For a Cause?

We wanted to accomplish putting together a fun event that was family oriented, but change it up a little bit. This is family friendly, but it revolves around live music. We put out a call for bands in Sarasota and Manatee counties. We wanted any band — covers, originals, young, old — anybody. The idea is that everybody has a chance, and the voters decide. Each band is playing for a school, and the winning band gets $1,500 and $3,500 to donate to the music program at a school of their choosing. We had 32 bands compete for six final spots. The top band got 1,200 votes. The six finalists will compete live at the event, and voting will be on a texting platform, so people who aren't able to come can still vote.

Tell me about the format of the event.

It runs from 3 to 10 p.m., and the first band, In Treble, goes on at 4 p.m. Then, every 45 mins, a new band will play two songs. The other finalists are RaeF, First World Problems, Hymn For Her, Seven Years Past and the Savannah Brady Band. There will also be a DJ between each set, giveaways, food vendors and beer tents for adults, as well as a fun zone for kids.

Why was this a good opportunity for you?

One of YPG's biggest initiatives is to engage with the youth. Education is very important to us, and we work closely with organizations like Community Youth Development, so this was just a great way to continue that initiative.

What's your biggest hope for this event?

I really want to help bring awareness to some of the young talent we have in Sarasota, and also showcase what the Chamber and YPG are all about — downtown Sarasota, too. We want to bring people downtown and show them what's going on. It's all about giving back.