Tony Turner wants your blood. As much as you can spare, at least.
Under the names Double-T Productions and Rockstarz Productions, Turner and his assistant, Michelle Denton, have teamed up to put on three big music benefits for United Blood Services. The incentive? If you donate blood at UBS, 1125 Terminal Way, you can get a voucher for free admission to one of the shows.
“I’ve always been the type of guy to give back to the community,” Turner said. “We’re saving lives. Every pint of blood saves lives.”
Last year, Turner produced the First Annual Food & Blood Drive Extravaganza at the Zephyr Lounge, which he estimated brought in about 150-175 pints of blood.
For this year’s blood drive, Turner is hoping to double that number. He said that July is typically the month with the worst blood shortage. Plus, this year’s effort is a bit more personal, because a close friend of his is currently in the ICU at Washoe Medical Center and needs a lot of donated blood.
“It gives me more of a reason to push forward,” Turner said. “He’s one of my best friends in the world.”
The first show, dubbed the Second Annual Food & Blood Drive Luau Extravaganza, will be held July 7 at the Zephyr, 1074 S. Virginia St. This event will feature Ill Logic, Two-20-Two, Strick-9, Brian Landrus, Sucka Punch, Phat Couch and Peace Mafia. Tickets are $8 at the door, but if you bring a can of food, you’ll get a dollar off admission.
The second show is a Battle of the Bands at 5 p.m. July 14, featuring Livitz Livitz, Delusions of Grandeur, Ill Logic, Eat a Peach, Local 420, Ones & Zeros, Redcel and Inflexus with a special guest, Drist. This event will be held at the Little Waldorf Saloon, 1661 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.
The final show is yet another Battle of the Bands at 5 p.m. July 28, featuring Strick-9, Absolom, Two-20-Two, Ill Logic, Local 420, Superego & Id, Peace Mafia, Kriselis, Existence and God’s Entertainment. This show will be held at Sparky’s Sports Bar & Grill, 1450 E. Prater Way in Sparks. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.
Advance tickets are available at both Recycled Records locations, Bizarre Guitar and Modern Guitar. But while you can buy tickets, Turner encourages you to donate blood and get a free voucher instead.
“I’d rather see them donate blood than pay at the door,” he said. “I’d rather get the blood than the money any day.”
Turner wanted to thank the shows’ sponsors—United Blood Services, Executive Limousine, Palace Jewelry & Loan and Morrey Distributing—for helping make these events a reality. But he especially wanted to thank the bands participating in the shows.
“A lot of bands want to do it because they know it’s a good cause,” he said.
In addition to the blood drive events in July, Turner is planning a benefit show for the Fallon leukemia victims. The show is tentatively slated for late August.