Side Car Dog Show Benefit

May 28 / 7pm

In 2008 Van Albert set off with his baseball-themed motorcycle sidecar, a handful of dog songs, and his black lab Bo on a journey to make a difference. 40,000 miles and 18 months later the effort ended with the passing of Van’s companion animal due to a long battle with a tick-borne disease. Now, seven years later, he’s ready to try again with Bo’s successor, a black Lab named Miss B. This show kicks off the Sidecar Dog Tour 2015 to promote the Get’ Em Fixed project. Where it will lead, no one knows ­– but with 2.4 million animals euthanized each year in this country’s animal care institutions, it’s worth another try.

Van has been a German-language comedian in Germany, an IT technologist with Microsoft in Seattle, and a multifaceted guitarist and fiddle player for a variety of bands ranging from Celtic to old-time to rockabilly. He specializes in acoustic finger-style blues guitar and counts Blind Blake and the Rev. Gary Davis to earliest influences. Van will be joined for this show by Chestertown icons Joe Holt on keyboards and Mary Simmons on vocals and guitar, as well as special guest acoustic bassist Wilbo Wright, who was last in town last year touring with the Debbie Davies Band. This show will also mark a musical reunion for Van and Wilbo, who attended the same high school, played in the same bands, and toured Europe as an acoustic blues duo in the 80s. Come join us for an evening of music and entertainment with the goal of promoting the spay/neuter effort across the USA.