Piggery benefit a big success despite the weather

Last Saturday, a benefit show was held at the Piggery to help the local theatre to kick off its summer season after two years of pandemic and no income.

The weather was a bit gloomy, with this little rain which might have been excellent for our gardens but was not very inviting for outings.

Inside the Piggery, however, it was sunny and warm.

Many showed up to see the show to support the Piggery and our local musicians, and the Theatre had on its finery to welcome us. The Piggery team surely went out of their way to greet us all, with the Mckinven family offering their collaboration in every step of the way.

According to Ruth Mckinven, the event was sucessful in raising over $1,000 so far with some donations still coming in.

Sylvie Rogers, the organizer of Saturday’s benefit, said she was very happy with the outcome. According to Rogers, those who didn’t come missed a great show, as everyone involved did a wonderful job.

“This was my very first time organizing a benefit and I found out that it involved a lot more than playing in a bar,” Rogers stated.

The musicians who donated their time and talent included Sylvie, herself, along with Richard Gelo Lepine, Jacques Migneault, Tony Lee, Steve Aulis, Denis Labonte, Suzy Hazelton, Sarah Bedard, Manon Grenier, Hakim and the Don Bosco Trio, which is made up of Dave Mcburney, Allan Macdonald and Lucie Marchesseault.

As for the program itself, it was a twopart show. First, every artist performed their material and then, after a short break, a jam session ensued. Yvan Morault then joined the group for a lot of fun and music following Hakim’s lead.

“My main concern was the sound, because I wanted it to be perfect,” Rogers stressed. “I wanted the concert goers to have an enjoyable experience. Marco Cloutier was our soundman and he did a fantastic job. It was my first time on the Piggery stage and I must say that I love the place.”

Besides almost seven hours of continuous music, there were plenty of other ways for visitors to spend their time on the premises, including the barn sale and freshly made hot dogs for hungry bellies.

Thank you to Denise-anne Mcgee, who volunteered her time to make the hotdogs and sell her chocolates.

“It was a premiere but there might be another time. We never know but we’ll keep you posted” said Rogers at the end of the jam.

The public was fantastic and very supportive of the artists who were performing. Plenty of applause and a lot of cheering.

Really if you weren’t there, you missed a lot!

Note: Hakim will be back at The Piggery on July 16, 2022 with his show The Classics: Elvis, The Beatles and the Crooners. Reserve your tickets right now at 819-842-2431.