It's a Hair-Raiser!

Parlor Hair Studio is hosting a musical fundraiser on Sunday, Aug. 29th to help communities suffering after the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The salon, along with some of Montclair's best loved bands, will host the "Hair Raiser" to help pay for oil clean-up in the form of hair-filled booms by Matter of Trust.   The hair clippings collected from salons across the country are now sitting in warehouses neat the Gulf Coast because funds to create the booms fell short, according to Wendy Fox-Warfield, co-owner of Parlor.

Initially, Parlor spent a month collecting hair clippings before they filled a garbage bag and mailed it off to Matter of Trust, a non-profit that creates natural fiber oil spill booms.   After that, Matter Trust let it be know they had warehouses full of hair and didn't need any more.

Seeing pelicans awash in oil in the news, Fox-Warfield couldn't stop there. She's a support of the arts in Montclair and regularly hosts showings of local artists works in her salon and she approached musician Alan Smith, of The Porchistas about doing something more. He teaches at Montclair State University and spends his winters teaching in Costa Rica at a sustainable living center.

They contacted other local musicians including Bern & The Brights, Hicoup, and Lloyd United  about playing in the salon and other local businesses donated items for a raffle that include numerous gift certificates for everything from tattoos, dinners and even a children's scooter.   

For the suggested $5 donation,  music in the salon and food will be served out back, Fox-Warfield said.  The idea is simple foods, rice and beans, mac and cheese and hummus, prepared by Smith, a former Newark fire-fighter and firehouse cook and lots of music.  "We're trying to make this a trash-free event," she said. A local restaurant donated glassware to the event.

"What we really want to do is raise money and talk about why this happened," Smith said. He thinks Americans need to be aware that this country's desire and dependence on oil, make everyone culpable for accidents like the BP oil spill.  "If we can have a local community event and talk about energy consumption and clearn up the gulf it will be successful," Smith said.

The Hair-Raiser starts at 2 p.m. at the salon,  223 Glen Ridge Ave., Montclair. 
(973) 746-1182