A ‘Smorgasbord’ of Vancouver Talent Raises Money for the Homeless

 

Vancouver indie rock phenom Dan Margan curates charity event to benefit End Homelessness Now, featuring local musicians, performers and Mayor Gregor Robertson

 

Those looking for live entertainment with a mission on April 16 should look no further than Smorgasbord, a reasonably priced charity event for the homeless curated by Vancouver’s own indie rock phenom, singer-songwriter Dan Mangan.

 

The night will feature Mangan himself hosting and playing a few tunes as well as musicians Veda Hille, Aidan Knight and the Crackling; comedian and author Charlie Demers; poet and spokenword performer Mike McGee; Tigermilk Collective and Boca del Lupo doing theatre installations; and Mayor Gregor Robertson, who will be giving away Local Hero Awards on behalf of End Homelessness Now.

 

“He also plays tuba so we’re going to try and get him to play,” said Mangan.

 

The performers will all be working for free, and the $20 tickets will go directly to the charity to benefit youth initiatives.

 

Dan Mangan presents Smorgasbord with End Homelessness Now, makes mom proud

Mangan is curating the event for End Homelessness Now, a faith-based community group dedicated to eradicating homelessness. The group was able to reach Mangen through his mother.

 

“She’s very tapped in,” said Mangan. “Very involved.”

 

“Part of being human is to try and give back, but I’m not some sort of altruistic beacon of hope,” said Mangan over a coffee at the Commercial Drive’s Continental Cafe. “I’m just a guy.”

 

“I tried to pick a lot of local people,” said Mangan of the performers. “People who have a thoughtful perspective on Vancouver.”

 

Imagining a less homeless Vancouver through End Homelessness Now

Mayor Robertson will be in attendance to present the awards on behalf of End Homelessness Now, who do extensive work to directly build relationships with politicians, such as the mayor and provincial housing minister Rich Coleman, to urge them to build more rental units and increase funding to deal with homelessness.

 

They also organize faith-based communities to work together to educate their congregations and and raise awareness in the general public about the importance of dealing with the crisis of homelessness in Vancouver.

 

Comedian, author and activist Charlie Demers will perform at the charity event Smorgasbord, April 16, 2011. (Image: Flickr / kc dyer)

 

Vancouver’s Charlie Demers to deliver comic relief at Smorgasbord

Local author and comedian Charlie Demers, perhaps best known as the author of Vancouver Special, was interested in participating for two reasons.

 

“As a performer, I was thrilled to be invited to do a show with some of the incredible talents that Dan has assembled,” he said. “And as a Vancouverite, I’m staggered by the scale of this city’s obscene, unnecessary housing crisis.”

 

You can expect him to balance his criticisms with his sense of humour to keep the mood from getting too heavy.

 

“The good news is that we [Vancouverites] have really set ourselves up for an exciting, late-third act redemption!” he added.

 

Demers suggested that Vancouver needs to implement both a triage-style emergency shelter system and that we need to undergo a political, philosophical and moral shift away from a city that caters to the rich.

 

He will be delivering some fresh (if not brand new) material at the event, as he mostly wants to focus on providing a good performance.

 

“[The audience] can reasonably expect me to have much better comic timing than the mayor, but to exude less raw sex appeal than either he or Dan Mangan.”

 

Mangan does plan on playing some new material from his upcoming album and added that this may be his last performance in town until the fall.

 

If you are looking for something to do that will make you, your mother and Dan Mangan’s mum proud than look no further than Smorgasbord.

 

For more details visit Dan Mangan’s website.

 

The Smorgasbord event benefits End Homelessness Now, which aims to help prevent people from ending up on the streets of Vancouver. (Image: Flickr / Stephen Desroches)

 

[Updated: 14 Apr 2011]