News

Musician plans benefit gig for Catholic Youth Expeditions

By Jeff Kurowski
Compass Assistant Editor

	Benefit concert What: Mike Mangione in concert When: 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 12; Mass at 4 p.m.; dinner at 6 p.m. Where: Father Carr's Place 2B, 1965 Oshkosh Ave., Oshkosh Tickets: $50 for dinner and concert; $10 for concert only. Proceeds support Catholic Youth Expeditions. For tickets or more information, visit www.cyexpeditions.org.

GREEN BAY -- No sales pitch was required to get singer/songwriter Mike Mangione to agree to play a benefit concert for Catholic Youth Expeditions.

"I was completely on board," said Mangione during a phone interview, while on tour in New York. "When I found about it, I said, 'Awesome, I'll do it.' I am always interested when invited to play for a benefit event, but this one is very special."

Catholic Youth Expeditions was founded by Fr. Quinn Mann in the summer of 2002. Expedition retreats provide a faith-filled camping experience for teens and young adults. Retreats were previously held on Chambers Island, but this summer, Fr. Mann and the staff are hitting the road to various destinations. Lamers donated a bus for the program.

Mangione, who resides in Milwaukee, joined a group on the island last summer. He is friends with Luke Strand, a seminarian from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, who serves on the Catholic Youth Expeditions staff.

"Catholic Youth Expeditions is fantastic," said Mangione, a Chicago area native. "I fell in love with it. It is a great combination of faith and world experience. So many times I feel the struggle to live a normal life when I'm on the road. It's a great example of how you can bring faith into unfamiliar surroundings. It really incorporates faith in a very healthy and balancing way."

The concert is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at Father Carr's Place 2B in Oshkosh. The will begin with Mass at 4 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m.

Mangione describes his band's music as "soulfully based in acoustic with classical strings." He released his second album, "Tenebrae," in 2007. His 2005 release, "There and Back," reached number 16 on the College Music Journal charts.

"We try to reach individuals at a very basic level with our music," he said. "My brother, Tom, and I do this together. When it comes to writing songs, we made a decision to identify the quality of the music in every instrument. That foundation helps us. We don't change according to the venue. If we are playing at Summerfest or in a small club, our music is the same, which is very liberating. We hope it resonates with people no matter the venue."

Mangione earned a degree in urban and environmental affairs at Marquette University, but music was always in his plans.

"I made my decision to go to college at an urban school," he said. "I knew that as a college student I wanted to play music, and I knew there would be opportunities at clubs and coffee shops in Milwaukee."

Mangione began playing the drums at age 7. He started playing the guitar at age 13 by sneaking Tom's guitar when he wasn't home. Musical influences include Bob Dylan, U2, Van Morrison, Jeff Buckley, Daniel Lanois and Pope John Paul II.

"I'm from the JPII generation and he has inspired me," he said. "He encouraged artists to accept more responsibility as Christians and to capture the true beauty, the true good in their art. I have also studied 'Theology of the Body,'" Pope John Paul II's integrated vision of the human person - body, soul and spirit.

The benefit concert will be one of approximately 150 shows for Mangione this year. In July, he will be playing at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia.

"I hope the Wisconsin scene is well represented," he said. "I'm sure it will be. One of the reasons I love music is because it connects people. I was in Dallas and someone from Catholic Youth Expeditions was there. I'm looking forward to the (benefit) concert. I was inspired by what I witnessed at Catholic Youth Expeditions and want to continue to be a part of it in the future."