Many of us take our birthday as an opportunity to see how many Tuaca shots we can force down and still be able to walk. And while trying to prove alcoholic wherewithal is a legitimate birthday practice, perhaps it's not the most worthy endeavor we can undertake. The most we'll have to show for it the next day is a pounding headache and an intense aversion to anything that tastes/smells/looks like Tuaca. You know, things like water.
Maybe it's time for the rest of us to take a note from Chelsea Callahan, who hosts Cha Cha's 4th Annual Rock and Roll for Charity Gala as part of her birthday celebration. The Double Wide booking maven's gala has, in the last three years, become something of a must-see for new music fans. This year's event features Southern rockers Little Big Horn, hardcore Dentonites Brake!Vegas, the hypnotic Dove Hunter and local folkster Glen Farris. It's an incredibly diverse line-up with something for just about everyone, and that's just how Callahan planned it. "It's an excuse for me to really get some exposure for some great new local music. I feel like so many people in Dallas just won't go out and see new music live, and this way I get to really showcase four bands, all in different genres."
Most of us who have spent any time haunting the Dallas music scene know who Callahan is, and it's not hard to guess that she's passionate about local music. Anyone who is familiar with the annual gala knows that it benefits a different local charity each year, but given Callahan's close ties with local musicians, it should come as no surprise that this year she may have found a permanent beneficiary: The Carter Albrecht Music Foundation. "Carter was so near and dear to my heart, and obviously so is local music, so this is really the perfect charity." She adds that Albrecht's parents have contacted her and are pleased that their son's foundation will be a part of Callahan's festivities.
Though Callahan hopes to raise a good amount of money in Albrecht's name as well as elevate the visibility of some local musicians, she's also looking for some fun. The gala may serve altruistic purposes, but Callahan admits that it's also a way to get all of her friends together and have a hell of a time. That shouldn't be too hard given the line-up, the cause and the reason for celebrating. Pay your $5 at the door, then head to the bar to buy Callahan a birthday drink—she deserves it.
