After a decade of hosting biennial, big-name rock and jazz concerts to benefit student financial aid, Colorado Academy is thrilled to announce this spring’s “Lovefest” event featuring Isaac Slade of The Fray and G. Love & Special Sauce on April 25, 2020, in the school’s Field House.
“We are excited to bring these two fantastic acts to Colorado Academy! Isaac’s solo set will be a stunning start to the concert, and G. Love & Special Sauce always bring the party when they perform. This year’s concert will be a special night for a tremendous cause,” says Chris Tetzeli, CA parent and founder of 7S Management, a boutique artist-management company, who has helped the school pioneer the benefit concert series.
Isaac Slade
The concert will begin in a beautiful seated setting with Isaac Slade, The Fray’s front man, lead vocalist, and songwriter. Slade, who will open the evening with an intimate set on piano and guitar, recently said, “Playing live is the part I enjoy the most.” Slade co-founded the highly successful Denver-based quartet, The Fray, with schoolmate Joe King (guitar, vocals) in 2002. They added Dave Welsh and Ben Winsock to the group and garnered fame with their debut album How to Save a Life and the collection’s first single Over My Head (Cable Car) which became certified double platinum.
Love & Special Sauce
As with past concerts, a brief intermission between the two acts will allow time for the Field House to be converted to a dance venue, as chairs are cleared and the stage is set for Philly-based G. Love & Special Sauce. They are known for their part hip-hop and “unhinged blues” sound, with a hint of classic R&B, and the band features Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love, Jeffrey Clemens on drums, and Jim Prescott on bass. Late in 2019, the band announced The Juice Tour, starting in January 2020, and their new G. Love album titled The Juice, their twelfth album in 25 years. Among their well-known hits are Peace, Love and Happiness, Bloodshot and Blue, Baby’s Got Sauce, Hot Cookin’, Love, and many others.
Support for deserving students
All net proceeds from the concert event support Colorado Academy’s commitment to providing $3.9 million in financial aid to 19% of the school’s student population in the coming year. The school’s financial aid budget is also funded by The CA Fund, endowment returns, and a percentage of tuition. Financial aid, which is provided by the school with no repayment requirements, is need-based.
“Supporting families and helping the school to maintain and increase socioeconomic diversity is a vital piece of our mission and is critical to the kind of community we endeavor to build at CA,” says Head of School Dr. Mike Davis. “Socioeconomic diversity means that all admitted students have the opportunity to attend CA, regardless of their family’s economic situation.”
Concert committee involves all divisions
The spring 2020 event is being headed by CA parents and Concert Chairs Ann (CA ‘88) and Kevin Reidy and a team of 36 CA parents, representing each of the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, including: Liz and Guy Arnold, Caity and Alex Barton (CA ‘97), Meghan and Chris Brown,
Annie and Rob Campbell, Kristy and Charles Frankum, Hilary and Adam Haynes, Rennie Howard and Kevin McCabe, Reena and Such Majmudar, Margaret and John Matthews, Eileen and Tate McCoy, Liz (CA ‘93) and Chris Oertel, Healy and Ted Parks, Alli (CA ‘95) and Nelson Perkins, Emily Philpott and Chris Tetzeli, Courtney and Jonathan Ringham, Melinda and Andrew Robinson, Maggie and David Shapiro, and Wendy and Tom Thorpe.
“We are grateful for this tremendous committee which is working to create a one-of-a-kind event for the community while helping deserving students at CA,” says Ann Reidy.
How to support the concert
Concert Benefactor packages include a variety of benefits and are now available. Individual concert tickets (which include food and beverage) will go on sale March 2 via the CA website at an early-bird price of $150. Individual ticket prices increase to $225 on March 30. If you would like information on the upper-level event sponsorships, please contact the CA Advancement Office.
In addition to the musical performances, a pre-event party, and a Benefactor event that includes a meet-and-greet with band members, concert-goers will have a chance to bid on a short list of music-themed and rare live auction items prior to Isaac Slade’s performance.
Kevin Reidy says, “We hope the entire community can be a part of this effort, whether through ticket purchases, by underwriting Benefactor or sponsorship packages, or by simply making a gift to financial aid at the school.”
Series surpasses a decade of support
The CA concert series, launched in 2010 with the inaugural event featuring Lyle Lovett, has helped to raise more than a half-million dollars in financial aid for the school. Other performers have included Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin in 2012, Bruce Hornsby in 2014, Big Head Todd & the Monsters and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats in 2016, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue in 2018. In alternating years, CA hosts its biennial auction event.
“It is only through the generosity of our community that we are able to create these kinds of events and to generate such remarkable support,” says Mike Davis. “We are deeply appreciative and also very excited about this April’s ‘Lovefest’ concert at CA.”
For more information, please contact CA special events manager, Jessica Tonjes, at jessica.tonjes@coloradoacademy.org / 303-914-2509.