Rock for A Reason
Photo courtesy of Neveline Garwood
Last Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Geneseo Riviera, two Geneseo-based bands took the stage at “Rock for A Reason.” Rock for A Reason was a charity event to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Audience members could come listen to bands Garden Club and The Vivid Scene for 5 dollars, while also benefiting a greater cause.
In addition to admission to the show, attendees received a raffle ticket to put into any of the numerous gift baskets donated by local businesses, families, and organizations. These included Mama Mia’s, The Geneseo Store, Devil’s Veil Tattoo, Georgia’s Clothes Horse, Uptown Tan, Men of Action and Change, The Idle Hour, Alpha Sigma Tau, Sigma Nu Chi, Omega Beta Psi, Aunt Cookie’s Sub Shop, the Carmen family, Cedar House Wellness, Buzzo Music, Touch of Grayce, Pizza Paul’s, Royal Lady Knights, and Crickets.
When walking into the venue, complimentary ear plugs were provided to audience members, which I found to be necessary due to the volume of the music. Every decibel was worth it, however; you could feel the bass reverberating through your heart. The atmosphere was vibrant and lively with pink and purple lights shining on the venue’s Victorian style wallpaper and golden trim, and lasers spiraling on the ceiling. The entire night felt like a blend of sounds and visuals from different decades in music history.
Garden Club performed first, featuring songs by popular artists like The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, and Stevie Wonder. They also performed their own original songs, such as “I Drive (Certified),” “Jojo,” “No Sé,” and “Grow.” “Grow” will be out on all streaming platforms on Nov. 29, 2025. The band itself consists of members Dom Rodriguez-Donohue and Sam Newlin on guitar, Will Carmen on bass guitar and vocals, Sky Riedell on vocals, and Kevin Shea on drums.
The vibe Garden Club created in the room was unique and powerful. The entire audience was bopping their heads in unison to every song or swaying their bodies to the beat. During their song “No Sé,” they encouraged the audience to clap along to the catchy rhythm. This only ended when Will tipped the head of his bass guitar, signalling the end of the song to the rest of the band.
In between sets, helper Regina Cucchiara would come to the front of the room and call off the winners of the raffles. It was exciting to see who would win every time.
After Garden Club finished their set list, The Vivid Scene took the stage and switched up the entire vibe of the night, transitioning from smooth funk and jazz to classic and alternative rock. They performed songs by artists like Billy Joel, Nirvana, The Beatles, and Black Sabbath. Vivid Scene at Rock for a Reason included Gabe Stenziano on bass, Micah McCulley on drums and backup vocals, Justin Maxwell on lead guitar and piano, and Trevor Donlon on guitar and lead vocals.
Lead vocalist Trevor Donlan made note that there was a lot of space between the audience and the band. Hearing this, the audience came to the floor in front of the stage and began to dance. Being a part of this crowd, I gave up on taking notes and finished the night off moving to the music with the people around me. The audience members who stayed all the way to the end of the night even had the pleasure of witnessing something called “Garden Scene” where both bands joined together to play an awe-inspiring cover of “Free Bird.”
Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time, band members and audience members alike. It made the night even better knowing that the proceeds were going to such a worthy organization. Earlier, while in line for the show, I heard someone joke that The Beatles never performed for quite such a noble cause. After Saturday night at the Riviera, you certainly can not make the same statement about Garden Club or The Vivid Scene.