Rock-N-Roll For Respite Care

A benefit concert supporting families navigating illness and caregiving.

Rock-N-Roll for Respite Care: A benefit series that raises funds to provide direct support to families in periods of serious caregiving. Organized by The Reverent Few with community artists and partners.

Where it Started

In 2017, as my family and I were caring for my mom through early-onset Alzheimer’s, my friends drove from Austin to play a benefit show in my hometown in Illinois.

We were deep in it . . .grieving, overwhelmed, and unsure how we’d make it through.

Their presence, and the way our small-town community showed up around us, is something we’ll never forget.

That night gave us more than help.

It gave us hope.

Ruby Dice, Andrea Magee, David Jimenez, my husband, Nick James & Ben Jones making that 1,000+mile journey for my family.

The money we raised the night of the show gave my family time, relief, and space to be present. It allowed me to travel between Austin and Chicago, to be present with my mom in her final months without the weight of finances or logistics.

What most people didn’t know was that Nick had just lost his father to ALS. One goodbye rolled into another. The grief was layered. The caregiving, relentless.

That’s when Rock-N-Roll for Respite Care became more than a gesture. It became a promise that if we ever had the chance to help someone else carry the weight, we would.

Year One - Rock-N-Roll for Respite Care

In its first official year, Rock ’n’ Roll for Respite Care raised more than $20,000 in a single night to support two local musician families caring for parents with Alzheimer’s. The benefit took place at Radio East and centered on a shared reality: every artist involved had loved or lost someone to the disease.

The evening opened with the Love Notes Chorus, a choir made up of people living with dementia and those caring for someone who is. Their performance set the tone for the night.

Artists Curtis Lee, Britny Lobas, Lizzie Karr, Patrice Pike, and The Reverent Few performed throughout the evening. The Reverent Few’s set featured guitarist Jason Mozersky, best known for his work with Ben Harper. Between songs, artists spoke briefly about their families and personal experiences with Alzheimer’s, grounding the performances in lived experience rather than abstraction.

Representatives from the Alzheimer’s Association were present, offering resources and support for attendees. Local vendors also participated, contributing to the event and its fundraising efforts. Funds raised provided direct respite support for families navigating full-time caregiving.

Rock ’n’ Roll for Respite Care was created to address a gap many families face support during the long, unglamorous middle of caregiving. The first year established a clear foundation: music as a gathering point, and community as a means of relief.

Year Two - Rock-N-Roll for Respite Care (The PAM JAM)

Year two of Rock ’n’ Roll for Respite Care took place at the Saxon Pub and marked a temporary pivot in focus. While the series was founded to support families impacted by Alzheimer’s, this year’s event redirected funds to support our drummer and close friend, Ashlyn Shanafelt, whose mother is currently undergoing treatment for stage 3 cancer.

The decision reflected the broader purpose of the initiative: providing relief and tangible support to families navigating serious illness, particularly during periods when caregiving requires time away from work and music. The Pam Jam was organized to help offset the financial strain of treatment and travel while Ashlyn stepped away from performing to be with her mother.

The night brought together a lineup rooted in long-standing relationships and shared history. Performers included Cari Hutson & Good Company, Scott Strickland, Stetson Walker, Suzanna Choffel, Ben Jones, Ashlyn Shanafelt, Collin Brooks, Harmoni Kelly (Kenny Chesney), and Roger Blevins, who is himself currently undergoing cancer treatment. The gathering reflected a community responding in real time to need, using music as a practical means of support rather than spectacle.

Year two reinforced the flexibility of Rock ’n’ Roll for Respite Care while maintaining its core mission: mobilizing resources, easing financial pressure, and showing up when families require time, stability, and relief. The event remains grounded in care over recognition, and community over individual focus.

Want to Sponsor Rock-N-Roll for Respite Care?

Please send us an email to get in touch, we would love to talk!