It was a rockin’ night at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek on Saturday, June 20th. The event was Dan Ashley’s first-ever ROCK THE CASA concert event, featuring veteran Bay Area rocker Eddie Money, and benefiting CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates. Mr. Ashley is also one of the Bay Area’s best-known news anchors at ABC 7 KGO-TV, and clearly enjoyed using his position to do some good, not to mention rocking out with his own band PUSH.
After impressive opening sets from Soul Faiyah and The Breedloves, it was time for Dez Money & The Faze. And lest anybody miss the fine print, Dez Money is Eddie’s son, one of three grown children performing and an accomplished artist in his own right. Especially impressive was Jesse Money, Eddie’s daughter and a blonde spitfire who owned the stage, whether she was harmonizing and trading barbs with her famous dad, or holding her own over some impressive blues.
The Money family quickly proved to be a diverse musical force, recreating Money’s hits “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Baby Hold On,” “Take Me Home Tonight,” and many more. The official name of their summer tour is The Sound of Money.
There were generous auctions sprinkled throughout, including a trip to Hawaii and signed Neal Schon (Journey) guitar, but the “surprise” auction that generated the most excitement was a guitar that Eddie Money would sign and personalize on the spot. After a spirited bidding war, the winner was none other than longtime Soundwaves sound engineer Robert Krueger, who asked Money to address it “to Soundwaves.”
What followed was a lot of high-fives, a clearly impressed Ashley, and a lobby photo session that went down while Money entertained the Soundwaves boys, including Dennis Willis and Steven Kirk) with a joke we can’t repeat here. Needless to say, that’s what all the laughter in the photo is about!
We can’t thank Dan Ashley and all involved enough for the hard work they put into this inaugural Rock the CASA event! Because of them, a lot of kids will benefit from the programs served (you can read about them below).
Dan Ashley, ABC-7 News Anchor and CASA board member, founded Rock the CASA, a California non-profit public benefit corporation, to help provide funding for that critical training.
Approved by the federal government as a fully tax-deductible 501c3 non-profit corporation, “Rock the CASA” produces an annual music concert as the principal fundraiser to benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates.
Rock the CASA also contributes funds to Friends of Camp Concord which sends hundreds of under-served children to summer camp at Lake Tahoe every year. Dan is also a long-time board member of FOCC and believes that every child should have the chance to experience a traditional summer camp regardless of economic circumstances.
