Local band Marshall Catch is planning a trip to Hawaii this December, but these rockers have more in mind than just fun in the sun.
The band hopes to jet to the island state to perform during the commemorative events honoring the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which took place on Dec. 7, 1941. To help pay for the trip, Marshall Catch will hold two fundraisers this month, and a concert on Veterans Day.
The Evergreen-based rockers – consisting of lead singer and guitarist Luke Lautaret, Aaron Danreuther on rhythm guitar, Jared Denney on the drums and keyboard and Aidan Foshay on the bass guitar – were invited after event organizers heard their original tune, “The Ballad of the U.S.S. Arizona.”
Written from the point of the view of the battleship, the song recounts the attacks and their aftermath. Lautaret said Marshall Catch recorded the song and put it online, where it spread through social media sites and caught the attention of veterans and their families.
“We got an enormous amount of support from all over the country,” Lautaret said.
Lautaret said he wrote the song because the Arizona captured his imagination. The famous battleship sustained bomb hits from a Japanese air raid and went down, killing 1,177 sailors in the events precipitating the United States’ involvement in World War II.
The site is now a memorial and national park in Pearl Harbor. The 70th anniversary events will take place from Dec. 3 through Dec. 7 and will include various military bands as well.
Lautaret said his historical and nautical interests intertwined when he began researching the Arizona, and he felt compelled to write a song about it.
However, having never served in the military, Lautaret did not think it would be appropriate to write from the point of view of a sailor. Instead, he wrote from the battleship’s perspective, tracing its history from the shipyard to the ocean floor.
“The ship herself has a character,” Lautaret said last week. “There’s emotion there that is tangible; it’s almost human in a way.”
Organizers for the anniversary commemoration caught wind of the song and invited the band, Lautaret said, but they could not offer financial aid for the trip. For that reason, Marshall Catch is hosting two fundraisers this month, one on Nov. 5 and one on Nov. 11.
To get the entire band and its equipment to Hawaii, Lautaret estimates they need to raise anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 for lodging and airfare.
“It’s a little bit more difficult for us because we’re a rock band and we have to bring our gear,” he said.
Already, a donor has given the band stand-by tickets, but Lautaret said they would not be able to use those on the way to Hawaii due to the tickets’ unpredictable nature.
The Nov. 5 show will be an acoustic set performed at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, running from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. There is no cover charge for the show, Lautaret noted, but donations are very welcome.
The band’s major fundraiser will take place on Veterans Day at the Elks Lodge in Kalispell, and will be the concert that “will either make or break the trip,” Lautaret said.
Along with the concert, the band will offer several items for auction, including unique music paraphernalia such as drumsticks signed by Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. The concert will also be recorded for a live album, Lautaret said.
Marshall Catch is looking forward to the opportunity in Hawaii, Lautaret said.
“We really, really, really appreciate the support. We’re really excited to be able to do this, to play for the veterans,” Lautaret said.
Donations can be sent to Marshall Catch at 170 East Blanchard Lake Rd., Whitefish, 59937, or can be made online at www.marshallcatch.com.