Grayson Capps and The Stumpknockers are kicking off their cross-country tour in Opelika with a concert for a cause.
The Big Swamp Blues concert will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Event Center Downtown in Opelika and will benefit the BigHouse Foundation, a Christian-based, nonprofit organization that serves foster families in Lee County.
The foundation's mission is to meet the needs and improve the quality of life of these children by showing them unconditional love in practical ways.
BigHouse program director Susannah Jones spoke to the center about co-hosting an event later in the year, but the benefit concert came together by chance.
"We were talking about maybe using their space for an event for our families later this year--like a Christmas event or something," Jones said, "but they found out Grayson Capps was coming, and they offered it to us as a benefit."
Grayson Capps is a singer-songwriter whose music reflects his Southeastern background and has a New Orleans flavor.
"The style is like if Mississippi Fred McDowell sat down with Tom T. Hall and they listened to AC/DC and Bon Scott records," Capps said.
Lisa Beck, co-owner of Event Center Downtown, said she is excited to have Capps and his band The Stumpknockers.
She booked Capps at the same time she was talking to BigHouse about its event, and she had the idea to put the two together.
"Within hours of Grayson contacting me to tell me he could come, I had an appointment with Micah Melnick, executive director of BigHouse," Beck said.
"I said, 'Hey, I just received contact from Grayson Capps, whom I've been wanting to get here for forever. Why don't we do something with them?'"
Everything fell into place when Capps and his band agreed to do the concert for free. The show will be the first stop on their tour that will take them from Mobile to New York City.
"We're doing it for free, and she's just going to give us hotel rooms and stuff," Capps said. "It kind of gets us where we're headed, and it seems like a good thing.
"I like it when people can have fun and support something cool, especially like foster care."
Tickets can be purchased for $10 at Event Center Downtown or the BigHouse Foundation at 211 Samford Ave. in Opelika.
The price includes light hors d'oeuvres, and all proceeds will go to the BigHouse Foundation.
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