A group of musicians from Maple Ridge have banded together for a fundraiser to fill the “Community Chest.”
Launched in November by the Maple Ridge Community Foundation, the “chest” offers a lifeline to families and individuals in dire need.
Darren Morrey heard about chest while performing at a fundraiser for Cythera House last week and instantly wanted more people to learn about it.
He also heard Robot Mafia perform for the first time at the same fundraiser.
“This is a great group of young people who have a great sound,” says Morrey.
Robot Mafia plays at Blenz Coffee in Maple Ridge every Friday night and so it only made sense to recruit the alternative rock quartet to headline a second fundraiser to raise awareness about the Community Chest.
Born of a tired stereotype among friends with instruments, The Robot Mafia was founded when someone said, “Let’s start a band.”
The band is Brent Webb, Tasha Leginus, Logan Kirkness, Aj Buckley and Chris Semail, a group of musician who are just as comfortable in a loud, dirty rock and roll bar as in a quiet coffee shop.
The Robot Mafia channels a tasteful fusion of sounds influenced both by their blues and jazz backgrounds, and the ’90s rock and roll they were raised on. With mechanical precision, they commit what they like to call “organized chimes” and say they are hoping to profit off the “prohibition of proper music on the airwaves today.”
Morrey invites people to come out for a hot coffee, listen to an eclectic selection of live music on a winter’s night and give back to the community at the same time.
“It’s both a pleasure and a privilege for me to share the stage with such a great group of talented musicians,” he adds.
• The fundraiser takes place Friday, Jan. 31 at Blenz Coffee, located near Extra Foods in Maple Ridge, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.