McCurdy is eager for Thursday’s show

Area favorite set to play Vets Terrace

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff writer

Burlington resident and WBSD General Manager Tom Gilding admits he has a friendship with Pat McCurdy, one that goes back 20 years to when he first saw McCurdy perform with a group called “The Confidentials.

Now that friendship has helped bring something positive to Burlington, as McCurdy returns to the city for a summer concert to benefit the radio stations.

“Pat just really likes it here,” said Gilding. “In fact, he’s going to bring his sons to Echo Park.

“It’s the small hometown he never had, I think,” Gilding added.

The concert will be tonight at 7 p.m. at Veterans Terrace in Echo Park. Tickets cost $8, and the opener for McCurdy will be Stuart Davis, whose song “Beautiful Place” is currently on the charts at WBSD.

If that song is meant to be an indicator of the evening, then McCurdy certainly agrees.

“I’ve always had great shows there,” said McCurdy about being in Burlington. “And the venue I play, the setting is beautiful.

“I have a good feeling.”

For Gilding, it’s also about bringing in a man that loves performing. McCurdy was a regular at ChocolateFest until this year, and a popular act at that.

Gilding expects another wonderful concert to emerge tonight.

McCurdy’s music is modern and reflects social issues, including one song called “She Never Put Down Her Phone.”

But Gilding said the strength of McCurdy’s performance is that every show is different.

“He interacts with the audience,” Gilding said.

It also doesn’t hurt that McCurdy can identify with the recipient of the funds – kids and the radio station.

Gilding said that McCurdy “gets” kids and education, and is more than willing to do the fundraising concert.

“He’s a big kid at heart,” Gilding explained.

McCurdy added that he’s seen kids grow up through the WBSD system, and Gilding’s work is a large reason why. After performing at ChocolateFest one year, McCurdy then went and did an hour-long interview with the radio station.

“It was really a lot of fun,” he said.

For this concert, McCurdy will do five or six songs from new CD, “Love is a Beautiful Thing.”

“And I have a couple of other new ones, and a bunch of old favorites,” he explained. “It’s always kind of the same, but a little different.”

And from the sounds of it, he couldn’t wait to be here.

“I think it’s going to be nice weather,” McCurdy said. “And it’s been real fun the last two years.”