A Worcester couple is bringing Pink Floyd's 1973 landmark album back to life with acoustic instruments next Saturday, hoping to raise money for a local health nonprofit along the way. The fifth annual ‘Turn It Down’ All-Stars benefit concert is set for Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the BrickBox Theater, where a stripped-down rendition of “Dark Side of the Moon” will headline the night.
The concert series, organized by Jim and Ellen Walsh, has raised $17,000 total so far, according to Sentinel and Enterprise. This year's show benefits Pernet Family Health Service, marking the second consecutive year the Worcester nonprofit has served as the event's beneficiary. Tickets run $48 each.
Jim Walsh is a drummer for the band. Ellen Walsh, a key organizer of the annual event, says the concert series centers on classic records that once made parents tell their kids to turn the volume down. Released in 1973, “Dark Side of the Moon” is the album featured this year. The band will perform it semi-acoustically.
A Returning Cast and a New Opening Act
This year's lineup includes returning performers Reed Brewer, John Cloutier, and Sean Ryder, joined by newcomers Tom Herbert and Serena Kilsmith. Carlos Odria and Rioflow are scheduled to open the show.
Ellen Walsh said the concert series exists partly to give something back to the community, and the Walshes have steadily grown the event's reach. Last year's concert, which featured U2's “The Joshua Tree” with Big-League Collective as the main act according to The Worcester Guardian, sold out at the BrickBox Theater and raised $7,000 — more than the first three concerts combined. The series began in 2022 with a concert benefiting Hotel Grace, per the same outlet, before moving toward its current semi-acoustic format focused on one legendary rock album per show.
The BrickBox Theater Returns
The 2024 concert was held at the BrickBox Theater inside the Jean McDonough Arts Center. This year's concert returns to the BrickBox Theater.
Beyond the concert's music, the night is meant to support Pernet Family Health Service's work across the city. The organization supports local families and describes itself as a family-centered provider of home health care and early intervention resources, according to Pernet Family Health Service. Its Emergency Assistance Program gives residents of Worcester and surrounding communities access twice monthly to food, diapers, formula, and hygiene products. Its broader programs include a food pantry and other family services.
Pernet's own website states its programs improve the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health of 11,500 people a year.
A Debut EP From the Featured Artist
This year's featured artist is Mowesby, the stage name of Leominster resident Matthew Sowersby, whose band Mowesby & the Northern Flicker released Mowesby's debut EP earlier this year. His inclusion continues the concert series' pattern of pairing local emerging acts with the Walshes' core band for each annual show.
