Shedding and local artists to play Forest Alliance benefit at Bishop

The Bishop on South Walnut Street  will produce a benefit show for the Indiana Forest Alliance at 10 p.m. Friday with performances by Louisville artist Shedding and local artists Spirit Spine and Rusty Zavitson.

There is no cover charge, but donations can be made to the Indiana Forest Alliance. After interning with the Indiana Forest Alliance, IU alumnus John Flannelly began organizing shows in Bloomington as a way to raise awareness for the organization.

Flannelly said the shows represent a fun way to see live music while learning about Indiana Forest Alliance. Flannelly said the organization is always looking for more volunteers and if people are interested they can contact director Rhonda Baird.

Baird said the organization has a three-part mission: to protect and restore Indiana’s forest, to hold corporations and government agencies accountable for their utilitarian view on forests as solely timber, and to work on sustainability.

“We are most proud that people get involved and feel empowered and inform themselves so they can voice their opinion to people, organizations or agencies,” Baird said.

Connor Bell is the mastermind behind Shedding and gets help from Joey Yates on percussion and Tim Furnish on bass.

Bell said the name Shedding came from the frustration of relying on other people and real life responsibilities pulling people away from what they want to do.

“It is this perception that you are shedding the dead weight that is holding you back,” Bell said.

Bell said his music is mostly influenced by film and literature that is currently soaking up his life.

 “In high school if you like AC/DC, you write AC/DC songs, but when you are older you are influenced so much more in life that it is hard to pinpoint it as a different concept approaches,” he said.

Addy Rogers of Rusty Zavitson said his hip-hop trio raps about social issues and random experiences in Bloomington. In “Stand and Ride,” Rogers raps about waiting for a bus, getting on the bus, and then the lady getting on the bus as it is destiny that they are riding the same bus.

“We are just being humorous, having fun and wanting people to dance as we sample some ’60s and ’70s soul,” Rogers said.