close

Jammin’ Toward a Cure: Upper St. Clair classmates reunite for musical benefit

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
1 / 10

Matt Kennedy takes a solo on his six-string bass guitar during Jammin’ Towards a Cure.

2 / 10

Blast from the past: Ian Arthurs, left, and Matt Kennedy perform in August 2009 at Wright's Seafood Inn, Heidelberg. The site of the restaurant now is a parking lot.

3 / 10

Dr. Mark Baratz sings the blues.

4 / 10

Dan Hrvatin plays drums for the Ian Arthurs Band during Jammin’ Toward a Cure.

5 / 10

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Matt, left, and Jeff Kennedy pick the winning number for a raffle conducted as part of Jammin’ Toward a Cure’s fundraising efforts.

6 / 10

Nicole Wregget and her son Colton greet supporters of Jammin’ Towards a Cure at at 31 Sports Bar & Grille, the restaurant she owns with her husband, Ken.

7 / 10

Evan Dean performs as guest musician.

8 / 10

From left are Evan Dean, Ian Arthurs and Matt Kennedy.

9 / 10

Matt Kennedy, left, and Ian Arthurs have a moment of levity between songs.

10 / 10

The Ian Arthurs Band: from left, Dan Hrvatin, drums; Matt Kennedy, bass guitar; Ian, electric guitar; and Dr. Mark Baratz, harmonica.

When they were classmates at Upper St. Clair High School, Matt Kennedy asked Ian Arthurs if he’d like to join him in playing some music together.

A couple of decades later, they joined together again for a cause in memory of Matt’s mother, Linda.

The first Jammin’ Toward a Cure with the Ian Arthurs Band took place Oct. 10, three years to the day after Linda’s passing, at 31 Sports Bar & Grille in Collier Township. The benefit raised $1,065 on behalf of the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Jeff Kennedy shares information about Jammin’ Towards a Cure.

“A couple of months ago, Matt mentioned that he wanted to put together this event,” Jeff Kennedy, his brother, recalled. “And I said, ‘I’ll make you a deal. You guys focus on making really good music, and I’ll put everything else together.'”

Matt had played bass for the band that Arthurs fronted, rounded out by drummer Dan Hrvatin and Dr. Mark Baratz on harmonica and vocals. Everyone readily agreed to reunite.

Despite the group’s extended hiatus, the performers blended their core blues repertoire with songs by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer and the Allman Brothers Band. Acoustic guitarist Evan Dean also helped the cause by joining in on several tunes.

Between musical sets, Jeff Kennedy told event supporters about his mother, who lost a battle with cancer.

“She was the quintessential hockey mom. She took both Matt and me to every hockey practice, every game,” Jeff said. “She had the loudest voice possible, so everybody knew exactly who she was.”

Linda taught fourth grade at St. Thomas More School in Bethel Park.

From left are Jeff, Linda and Matt Kennedy.

“That’s really why we decided to make this all about the Mario Lemieux Foundation tonight,” Jeff said. “It just seemed to be the perfect pairing.”

Along with its dedication to cancer research and patient care, the nonprofit founded by Lemieux puts an emphasis on young people. A notable example is the Lemieux Family Center at the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, which supports families during the process of transitioning from hospital care to life back at home.

One of Lemieux’s teammates on the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ken Wregget, owns 31 Sports Bar & Grille with his wife, Nicole. Jeff Kennedy acknowledged their graciousness in hosting the event.

“They said, basically, whatever you want to do, we’ll do,” he said of the Wreggets.

The restaurant, named for Ken’s uniform number, serves as the site for numerous benefits for a variety of causes.

“That’s my favorite part of the job,” Nicole said as she helped make sure everyone was taken care of during Jammin’ Toward a Cure.

The Kennedy brothers plan to continue the event each October.

“We’re only going to get better,” Jeff said.

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Ian Arthurs excels on his Paul Reed Smith guitar.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today