CONCERT FOR PEACE

Concert For Peace

(Formerly John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concerts)

Upcoming And Past Concert Reports

2023 Concert For Peace - Thursday, October 12, 2023

…formerly known as the John Lennon Birthday Concert

A Benefit for the Veterans For Peace Chapter 93 Peace Scholarship Fund - Thursday, October 12th, 2023 - 7:30pm (doors open at 7pm) - The Ark, 316 South Main Street, Ann Arbor, MI

This 16th annual concert will be emceed by Chris Buhalis and features musical artists….

Chris Buhalis - www.chrisbuhalis.com

Laith Al-Saadi - https://laithalsaadi.com

Judy Banker - www.judybanker.com

Dave Boutette & Kristi Davis - https://www.daveboutette.net/dave-boutette-kristi-lynn-davis

Mark “Mr. B” Braun - http://www.mrbpiano.com

Annie & Rod Capps - http://maynardmusic.com

Rochelle Clark - www.rochellepclark.com

Dave Keeney & Sophia Hanfi - https://www.hoodang.com

Shari Kane & Dave Steele - https://www.sharianddave.com

Billy King - https://billykingdom.com

Dick Siegel - https://www.facebook.com/dicksiegel21/

Emily & San Slomovits - https://www.geminichildrensmusic.com/about/san_laz.php - https://www.emilyslomovits.com

The Pontiac Trailblazers - https://www.facebook.com/p/Pontiac-Trail-Blazers-100086739702060/

Rollie Tussing - https://www.rollietussing.com

We also again thank our musical artists who made this event what it was and urge you to support them throughout the year by attending their performances and purchasing their recordings. A poster/flyer of the Concert is available for downloading at https://tinyurl.com/2023CFPflyer

The Peace Scholarship Fund was started in 2007 with a generous donation from John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, and as of October 1st, 2023 has awarded over $31,000 in scholarships. The Peace Scholarships are made to college students enrolled in peace studies and conflict resolution programs (such as Wayne State University and Michigan State University). For more information on the Veterans For Peace Chapter 93 Peace Scholarships, visit https://www.vfp93.org/peace-scholarship. For current, and past, concert information visit https://www.vfp93.org/concert-for-peace. $20 admission. For advance tickets visit https://theark.org/event/veterans-for-peace-concert-231012/ or purchase tickets by phone from the Michigan Union Ticket Office at 734-763–8587.

VFP John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert Now On CD

In April 2020, our Veterans For Peace Chapter released a compact disc (CD) recording of the musical artists performing at our October John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concerts over the years for our Chapter’s Peace Scholarship program. And like the Concert, a purchase of the CD also goes to benefit the Peace Scholarship program. The John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert CD can be purchased for $15, plus $3 for shipping, by PayPal. For more information, and to order, click here to go to our John Lennon CD page.

Past Concerts...

Below are reports on past John Lennon concerts at The Ark...

2022 Concert For Peace

The Chapter’s 15th annual Ark fundraising event, the Concert For Peace (formerly known as the John Lennon Birthday Concert), was held on November 3rd in Ann Arbor and raised $3440 for the Peace Scholarship Fund. The annual concert was emceed by Chris Buhalis and featured musical artists Dave Keeney & Sophia Hanifi, Annie and Rod Capps, Dave Boutette, Dick Siegel, Judy Banker, Rochelle Clark, Laith Al-Saadi, Rollie Tussing, Michael Smith, Billy King, Jud Branam & Kevin Brown along with Shari Kane & Dave Steele performing peace and justice related songs, including those of John Lennon, to benefit the Chapter's Peace Scholarship Fund.

The Peace Scholarship Fund was started in 2007 with a generous donation from John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, and as of November 1, 2022, has awarded $30,000 in scholarships. The Peace Scholarships are made to college students enrolled in peace studies and conflict resolution programs (such as Wayne State University and Michigan State University). For more information on the Veterans For Peace Chapter 93 Peace Scholarships, visit https://www.vfp93.org/peace-scholarship. For current, and past, concert information visit https://www.vfp93.org/concert-for-peace.

Chris Buhalis - www.chrisbuhalis.com

Laith Al-Saadi - https://laithalsaadi.com

Judy Banker - www.judybanker.com

Dave Boutette & Kristi Davis - https://www.daveboutette.net/dave-boutette-kristi-lynn-davis

Kevin Brown & Jud Branam - www.corndaddy.com

Annie & Rod Capps - h ttp://maynardmusic.com

Rochelle Clark - www.rochellepclark.com

Dave Keeney & Sophia Hanfi - FUBAR - www.facebook.com/a2fubar

Shari Kane & Dave Steele - https://www.sharianddave.com

Billy King - https://billykingdom.com

Dick Siegel - www.dicksiegel.com

Michael Smith - https://about.me/masmith

Rollie Tussing - https://www.rollietussing.com

2021 Concert For Peace

To give the annual John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concerts a fresh look, and feature more music that has fueled peace and justice work, it was decided to rename the John Lennon concert to the Concert For Peace. The concert on October 7th, 2021 was live from The Ark with pandemic precautions in effect (proof of vaccination & mask) and netted $2224.66 for the Chapter's Peace Scholarship Fund.

Musical artists performing at the 2021 concert are…

Chris Buhalis - www.chrisbuhalis.com

Laith Al-Saadi - https://laithalsaadi.com

Mr. B - www.mrbpiano.com

Judy Banker - www.judybanker.com

Al Bettis - www.facebook.com/AlBettis

Dave Boutette & Kristi Davis - https://www.daveboutette.net/dave-boutette-kristi-lynn-davis

Kevin Brown & Jud Branam - www.corndaddy.com

Annie & Rod Capps - http://maynardmusic.com

Rochelle Clark - www.rochellepclark.com

Jason Dennie - www.jasondennie.com

Jill Jack - www.jilljack.com

Dave Keeney & Sophia Hanfi - FUBAR - www.facebook.com/a2fubar

Dick Siegel - www.dicksiegel.com

Matt Watroba - www.mattwatroba.net

2020 John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert

Due to the world-wide pandemic, a belated annual John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert was held online on Veterans Day (November 11th) to benefit the VFP Chapter 93 Peace Scholarship Fund and The Ark. While the concert was free to watch online, donations were gladly accepted and to that extent, nearly $1700 was raised for the Peace Scholarship Fund alone!

Musical artists performing at the concert were…

Laith Al Saddi - https://laithalsaadi.com

Judy Banker - www.judybanker.com

Dave Boutette & Kristi Davis - www.daveboutette.net/dave-boutette-kristi-lynn-davis

Annie & Rod Capps- http://maynardmusic.com

Rochelle Clark with Jason Dennie - www.rochellepclark.com www.jasondennie.com

Rachael Davis - www.rachaeldavis.com

Dave Keeney & Sophia Hanifi - www.hoodang.com

Billy King - www.reverbnation.com/billykingdom

Dick Siegel - www.dicksiegel.com

San & Emily Slomovits - www.geminichildrensmusic.com/about/san_emily.php & www.emilyslomovits.com

Jen Sygit - www.jensygit.com

Chris Buhalis (concert emcee) - www.chrisbuhalis.com

A big thank you goes out to all the artists that performed with a special thank you to Annie Capps and Chris Buhalis for lining up the talent and taking care of all the details to make the concert happen. We urge you to support the musical artists throughout the year by attending their performances and purchasing their recordings. Also, please support The Ark (who provides a great venue for the John Lennon concerts) all year, both financially and attending their concerts!

If you missed the 2020 concert, you can still view it at The Ark’s web page by visiting https://fb.watch/1_pryLz-_K/ (the concert is 1 hour and 15 minutes with dialogue in the beginning at the 1 minute 20 second point.

2019 John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert

Held the day after John Lennon's official birth date (October 9, 1940), this 12th annual concert at The Ark in Ann Arbor was a real success. This year’s concert brought in $4,220 net profit (ticket and merchandise sales), the biggest amount ever raised. Also, attendance was great filling up most of The Ark. Of course none of this would have been possible without the organizational skill of Chris Buhalis along with all the musical artists who donated their time and talent as well as The Ark staff and volunteers, those who publicized the event (The Ark, Ann Arbor Observer, WCBN, Current and others), our VFP volunteers and most importantly, our audience who attended.

Again we thank the musical artists below who made the October 10, 2019 concert happen and urge you to support them throughout the year by attending their performances and purchasing their recordings.

Chris Buhalis - www.chrisbuhalis.com

Laith Al-Saadi - https://laithalsaadi.com

Judy Banker - www.judybanker.com

Dave Boutette & Kristi Davis - https://www.daveboutette.net/dave-boutette-kristi-lynn-davis

Kevin Brown - www.corndaddy.com

Annie & Rod Capps - http://maynardmusic.com

Rochelle Clark - www.facebook.com/thepottersfield

FUBAR - https://www.facebook.com/a2fubar

Shari Kane & Dave Steele - www.sharianddave.com

Billy King - www.reverbnation.com/billykingdom

John Latini - http://www.johnlatini.com

Midwest Territory Band - www.bigskyrecording.com/home/midwest-territory-band

Michael O’Connor - www.mocmusic.com

Jo Serrapere - https://joserrapere.com

Dick Siegel - http://www.dicksiegel.com

Michael Smith - www.cadillaccowboys.com

Rollie Tussing - https://rollietussing.com

2018 John Lennon Birthday Concert To Benefit Peace Scholarships

The 11th annual Veterans For Peace Chapter 93 John Lennon Birthday benefit concert was held on Thursday, October 11th at The Ark in Ann Arbor to an audience of 220. Also, $3427 will be going into the Chapter’s Peace Scholarship Fund from ticket/merchandise sales and donations.

A huge thank you goes out to Chris Buhalis who not only acted as emcee, but also reached out to local musicians to perform for this benefit concert. These musical artists time and talent were greatly appreciated. And of course the VFP members who volunteered to help with the concert, as well as Ark staff and volunteers (who donated beverage/food tips to VFP), deserves another enormous “thank you.”

Look for the 12th annual John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert in October 2019 but in the meantime, we hope everyone will support the musicians who appeared at the 2018 concert by attending their live appearances and purchasing their recordings. To view the list of 2018 performers, look below.

Chris Buhalis - www.chrisbuhalis.com

Judy Banker - www.judybanker.com

Jud Branam & Kevin Brown - www.corndaddy.com

Annie & Rod Capps - http://maynardmusic.com

Rochelle Clark - www.facebook.com/thepottersfield

FUBAR - www.cdbaby.com/cd/fubar

Aspen Jacobsen - https://aspenjacobsen.com

Dave Keeney & Sophia Hanifi - www.hoodang.com

Billy King - www.reverbnation.com/billykingdom

John Latini - http://www.johnlatini.com

Midwest Territory Band - www.facebook.com/rollietussingmusic

Dave Roof - www.facebook.com/davidroofmusic
Jo Serrapere - https://joserrapere.com

Dick Siegel - http://www.dicksiegel.com

Emily Slomovits - www.sanemilyandjacob.com

2017 Veterans For Peace John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert

A big, huge “THANK YOU” to Concert emcee and organizer Chris Buhalis, the performing musicians, The Ark staff and volunteers, those who publicized the event (The Ark, Ann Arbor News, Current, WCBN, Ann Arbor Observer and others), our VFP volunteers and most importantly, our audience who attended. The Concert is our major annual fundraiser and the 2017 event had the best attendance (267) and raised the most funds ($2816.76 after expenses) over the 10 years the Concert has been held.

Judy Banker - www.judybanker.com
Chris Buhalis – www.chrisbuhalis.com

Dave Boutette - http://daveboutette.net

Jud Branam & Kevin Brown - www.corndaddy.com

Rochelle Clark - www.facebook.com/thepottersfield

San, Emily and Jacob - http://sanemilyandjacob.com & www.geminichildrensmusic.com

Annie & Rod Capps - http://maynardmusic.com

Magdalen Fossum - http://magdalenfossum.wix.com/music

FUBAR - www.cdbaby.com/cd/fubar

Billy King - www.reverbnation.com/billykingdom

John Latini - http://www.johnlatini.com

Kyle Rhodes - www.bandmine.com/wakeupsoon

Rollie Tussing - http://rollietussing.com

Dick Siegel - http://www.dicksiegel.com

Michael Smith - http://bowdish-brothers.com

The Infernal Chimps – http://theinfernalchimps.wixsite.com/the-band

2016 Veterans For Peace John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert Report

Thanks go to Concert emcee and organizer Chris Buhalis, the performing musicians, The Ark staff and volunteers, those who publicized the event (The Ark, Ann Arbor News, Current, FM 107.1, WCBN, Ann Arbor Observer and others), our VFP volunteers and most importantly, our audience who attended. The Concert is our major annual fundraiser and the 2015 event netted $2,422.05 (which included ticket sales, merchandise sales and donations) to support our Chapters Peace Scholarship Fund!

We also again thank our 2016 musical artists who made this event what it was and urge you to support them throughout the year by attending their performances and purchasing their recordings. Those artists are…

Chris Buhalis – http://www.chrisbuhalis.com

Dave Boutette - http://daveboutette.net

Corndaddy - http://www.corndaddy.com

San, Emily and Jacob - http://sanemilyandjacob.com &

http://www.geminichildrensmusic.com

Annie & Rod Capps - http://maynardmusic.com

Magdalen Fossum - http://magdalenfossum.wix.com/music

FUBAR - http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/fubar

Sophia Hanifi & Dave Keeney - http://www.hoodang.com

Shari Kane & Dave Steele - http://sharianddaveblues.com

Billy King - https://www.reverbnation.com/billykingdom

John Latini - http://www.johnlatini.com

Rollie Tussing - http://rollietussing.com

Dick Siegel - http://www.dicksiegel.com

The Infernal Chimps – http://theinfernalchimps.wixsite.com/the-band

2015 Veterans For Peace John Lennon Birthday Benefit Concert Recap

As in past years we thank and commend Concert emcee and organizer Chris Buhalis, the performing musicians, The Ark staff and volunteers, those who publicized the event (Ann Arbor News, Current, WCBN, Ann Arbor Observer and others), our VFP volunteers and most importantly, our audience who attended. The Concert netted $2,539.64 to support our Chapters Peace Scholarship Fund and Martin Luther King & Militarism essay contest!

Chris Buhalis – http://www.chrisbuhalis.com

Dave Boutette - http://daveboutette.net

Corndaddy - http://www.corndaddy.com

San, Emily and Jacob - http://sanemilyandjacob.com &

http://www.geminichildrensmusic.com

Annie & Rod Capps - http://maynardmusic.com

Jason Dennie - http://jasondennie.com

Magdalen Fossum - http://magdalenfossum.wix.com/music

FUBAR - http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/fubar

Chris Good - http://www.chrisgoodmusic.com

Sophia Hanifi & Dave Keeney - http://www.hoodang.com

Billy King - https://www.reverbnation.com/billykingdom