Wellington Vocalist Gretchen Purser to 'Rock Against Hunger'

When Mount Vernon vocalist Gretchen Purser was asked to play in a rock concert for charity, it didn’t take much convincing.

 “I’ll do it, but I want to bring friends,” Purser recalled saying.

Purser, along with her friend Mary Bowers, her neighbor Alex Roddy and Bower’s brother Tim Casey, will perform at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Friday night for , a fundraiser for Mount Vernon charities. Fort Hunt rock band will also perform.

From music notables like Alanis Morisette and Sheryl Crow to Neil Young and The Dixie Chicks, the trio will present the “unplugged acoustic versions” of about ten songs from well-known artists, Pursuer said.

Purser, who grew up in Sapulpa, Ok., graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1989 with a degree in music.  After college she went to work for Senator Don Nickles and spent the next 20 years in politics. In 2009 she decided it was time for change.   So she started to perform with the Wil Gravatt Band, which plays around Washington D.C. and northern Virginia areas.

“Now that I’ve stepped out of politics, I’ve shifted my focus back to music and I love it,” said Purser.

Purser’s collaboration with Bowers, Casey and Roddy is relatively new. Though they had been friends for a couple of years, Bowers and Purser first performed together at Purser’s Christmas party last year with the Wil Gavatt Band.

 “Gretchen said, ‘I’m not going to play anymore, but Mary Bowers is.’ Then, she jumped right on stage and started singing with me.  She’s just real in harmonies,” said Bowers.

Rock Against Hunger’s main organizer, Zelda Shute, said she wanted to put on a fundraiser when she found out local charities had not been receiving as many donations during the holiday season as they normally do. Though Shute had originally planed to organize a fun run or walk-a-thon to raise money, she said she though of a charity concert after running into Black Moon Tonic drummer Jim Woods and his wife Ellen at a party

“I said, ‘Would Black Moon Tonic ever consider playing to raise money for local charities?’” said Shute. “Jim said that they love playing for charity.  After thinking about it for a couple more days, I thought, ‘We’re going to do a rock concert to raise money and we’re going to do it in six weeks!’

Purser, who helps with some of’s community service initiatives, was enthusiastic about participating in Rock Against Hunger. 

“She took the bull by the horns,” said Shute, of Purser.  “She got other musicians that are local and started this bandwagon.”

Purser also successfully lobbied her husband, who is a beer wholesaler executive, to donate beer to the event.  Her 14-year-old daughter Nina, a student at Carl Sandburg, helped make posters and banners to hang in the church. 

Nina Shute and other members of her girl scout troupe will be providing childcare “so mommy and daddy can dance and have a good time,” said Zelda Shute.  Local businesses such as Domino’s and Chevy’s will donate food.