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Keep the Beat brings the noise

Annual charity fundraiser concert will feature 12 hours of music at Lakeside.
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The student-organized charity concert Keep the Beat returns on August 8 with 12 hours of live music at Lakeside Park. This year's event is organized by Galen Boulanger (with trumpet) Tibo Kölmel (to his left).

Nelson’s annual Keep the Beat charity concert is returning on August 8 with a 12-hour concert at Lakeside Park.

“I was a volunteer last year working with this team, and this year I felt ready to take the next step,” said organizer Tibo Kölmel, an award-winning cellist and high school student.

”I think it’s great that we’re getting the community working together on something that’s fun. Music is an awesome way to bring people together.”

Kölmel teamed up with Galen Boulanger, who organized last year’s concert, and together they’ve amassed an impressive lineup of artists and entertainers.

“There’s All Canadian Back Bacon, plus Swing Theory will be playing again,” said Boulanger. “We’ve got Playmor Junction, which is some of the best musicians in town and then our old teacher Keith Todd will be coming down from Whitehorse to play with Mark Spielman.”

Other performers include Back Water Blues, Charlie Jacobson, Paul Prappas, Tyler Dejong and Arynn Sheriff.

“In a lot of ways it will be like last year, obviously lots of great music. Our kid’s tent was a huge hit last year, so we’ll be doing that again with face-panting and games. There are lots of silent auction items that have been donated by the community,” said Kölmel.

The proceeds from the event will go to War Child, an organization that gives support to war-torn countries.

“We have so many resources over here relative to what they have over there, and I think it’s important for us to help them,” said Kölmel.

The charity’s work is currently focused in Africa and the Middle East. Last year’s event raised over $15,000 for the charity.

The entirely student-organized event will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in front of the Rose Garden Cafe on August 8.

For more information visit Keep the Beat 2015 on Facebook, contact Boulanger at galen.boulanger@gmail.com or Tibo Kölmel at tibo@kolmel.com.