Alice Cooper, Megadeth And Anthrax Lead Livestream Fundraiser
Tomorrow’s nine-hour “Oh Say Can You Stream” event will feature metal’s biggest names as they raise money for COVID-19 relief and music education.
Tomorrow, 11 April, self-isolating metal fans can look forward to a jam-packed evening of entertainment, thanks to Oh Say Can You Stream – a nine-hour livestream fundraiser. Beginning at 4:00 pm EST, an all-star lineup of artists, comedians and actors will join hosts Thom Hazaert and Megadeth’s David Ellefson as they raise money for COVID-19 relief and the David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation’s School’s Out! initiative. Icons like Alice Cooper and Mark Slaughter, plus members of Anthrax, Mastodon, Tesla and Five Finger Death Punch, among many others, will take part in performances and interviews throughout the marathon, which will stream across the DEYMF’s Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube.
An affiliate of the Grammy Music Education Coalition, the David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation was established in 2018 to raise funds for grants, scholarships and instruments, both for individual students, and school music programs. Earlier this month, in an effort to keep music students motivated while schools are closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation started the School’s Out! initiative, which offers free, one-on-one Skype lessons to music students. The Megadeth bassist enlisted some of his fellow metal musicians to act as virtual mentors to the students, including bandmates Dirk Verbeuren and Kiko Loureiro, plus Frank Bello (Anthrax), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns N’ Roses), Chris Kael (Five Finger Death Punch); Phil Demmel (formerly of Machine Head) and Clint Lowery (Sevendust). Many of these artists will also take part in Saturday’s fundraiser.
Throughout the livestream, Ellefson and Hazaert will be joined by a variety of guest co-hosts, including That Metal Show’s Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine, comedian Craig Gass, and former Headbangers Ball VJ Riki Rachtmann. Also scheduled to appear are members of the Clerks cast, horror legend Adam Green, Chip Z’Nuff from E’Nuff Z’Nuff, Chris Poland of the Circle Jerks, actor Danny Cooksey, legendary drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, King Kobra) and actor Lew Temple, among many others.
The foundation announced Oh Say Can You Stream on Facebook, writing, “In conjunction with our friends at the Grammy Music Education Coalition, the DEYMF presents Oh Say Can You Stream, a marathon online streaming fundraiser (if you’re old, I guess you can call it a telethon) for the David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation School’s Out! initiative, and COVID-19 relief! Interviews, performances, social distancing! We will also be interacting with everyone via chat on Facebook, YouTube and more!”
Earlier this week, Ellefson dropped a new EP, Simple Truth, as well as a single of the same name. All proceeds from the sale of the ‘Simple Truth’ single will go directly to the Italian Red Cross to support their COVID-19 relief efforts.
For more information on Oh Say Can You Stream, visit the official website.
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