On Sunday, after casually strolling around the flea market, I meandered down to the Hi Tone right at 5pm. At first, I wasn’t entirely sure I had gotten the time right. Then I espied a lone guitar on stage.

The show will go on, I just had to be patient. My patience paid off as a hodge-podge of organizers and supporters trickled in. The various groups of people seemed to all know each other, making the whole event feel more like a block party than a benefit. The tables from the Hi Tone lounge had been moved into the show area to create a more welcoming atmosphere for the all ages group.

Citizens to Protect Overton Park is the same group that fought to protect the Overton old forest area by getting it declared a Scientific State Natural Area. They have now turned their attention to my favorite part of Overton Park – the greensward next to Rainbow Lake.

Get Off Our Lawn (GOOL) is a tongue-in-cheek characterization of the community effort to prevent the destruction of public grounds caused by overflow zoo parking. The money earned at the Hi Tone benefit went directly toward funding the free shuttle project – they are currently doing a trial run of this project until June 29th.

Once the show kicked off, the crowd started to fill out. I’d conservatively estimate about 50 people while I was there. The GOOL facebook reports nearly $600 donated. Not too shabby. You can still donate to help the shuttle project reach it’s goal. Last I checked, they need just shy of $1K to reach the goal.

The music and food pleased everyone as was witnessed on the classic Hi Tone teal couch.

Caleb Sweazy kicked off the show with an acoustic set dedicated to his two children and after that Le Tumulte Noir served up some jazz specially formulated for children. No, really, I mean it. I was nearly taken down by a music-crazed swarm of offspring!

All in good fun, there was dancing, dining, and donating as only a group of dedicated Midtowners can do. I had to bow out by 7pm – just watching the young ‘uns play fight/dance was exhausting.

This was just the start of a big week at the Hi Tone. Take a look. Don’t forget that the Lounge is open without a cover. It’s a great place to drink and mooch the sound of live music!