2008 Woodie Awards
Playing for patriots
Local band travels to Honduras to perform for American soldiers serving internationally
Jeff Miranda
Issue date: 7/2/08 Section: The Inside
While Independence Day can be marked by a blitz of outdoor barbecues, fireworks displays and retail sales, Boston-based band Three Day Threshold doesn't want to forget the meaning behind July 4.
Most of the country-bluegrass quintet's members said they have had friends or family who have served in the armed forces. This week, Three Day Threshold plans to honor their loved ones' service by performing for about 2,000 soldiers on several military outposts in Honduras for a week-long Independence Day celebration.
"They need a little bit of love too and we're going down to give it to them," said frontman Kier Byrnes, who said the troops stationed there have not seen live entertainment in more than two years.
Byrnes, who also works as director of Blackman Auditorium and the Fenway Center, has a father and a grandfather who served in the military. When the Department of Defense first apporached Byrnes with the Honduras gig, he initially thought he was getting prank-called by a friend.
Sound engineer and percussionist Kevin McDevitt, a technical operations and event manager for Blackman and the Fenway Center; tambourine and cowbell-player Annemarie Martel, an assistant manager for ResMail; drummer Chad Mellen, a 2006 alumnus; and Byrnes join a roster of artists that includes Jessica Simpson and Kid Rock who have performed for the military in the past.
According to an article in this month's Spin Magazine, the Department of Defense is struggling to fund entertainment for the troops with public support for the war in Iraq declining.
Yet Byrnes, McDevitt and Mellen drew a distinction between showing support for the military and taking a stand on the current wars fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Byrnes said he disagrees with some aspects of US policy, both foreign and domestic, in recent years - "Instead of spending money on tanks, I think we should spend money developing a renewable energy source" - but he doesn't think that performing at a military outpost makes a political statement.
Most of the country-bluegrass quintet's members said they have had friends or family who have served in the armed forces. This week, Three Day Threshold plans to honor their loved ones' service by performing for about 2,000 soldiers on several military outposts in Honduras for a week-long Independence Day celebration.
"They need a little bit of love too and we're going down to give it to them," said frontman Kier Byrnes, who said the troops stationed there have not seen live entertainment in more than two years.
Byrnes, who also works as director of Blackman Auditorium and the Fenway Center, has a father and a grandfather who served in the military. When the Department of Defense first apporached Byrnes with the Honduras gig, he initially thought he was getting prank-called by a friend.
Sound engineer and percussionist Kevin McDevitt, a technical operations and event manager for Blackman and the Fenway Center; tambourine and cowbell-player Annemarie Martel, an assistant manager for ResMail; drummer Chad Mellen, a 2006 alumnus; and Byrnes join a roster of artists that includes Jessica Simpson and Kid Rock who have performed for the military in the past.
According to an article in this month's Spin Magazine, the Department of Defense is struggling to fund entertainment for the troops with public support for the war in Iraq declining.
Yet Byrnes, McDevitt and Mellen drew a distinction between showing support for the military and taking a stand on the current wars fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Byrnes said he disagrees with some aspects of US policy, both foreign and domestic, in recent years - "Instead of spending money on tanks, I think we should spend money developing a renewable energy source" - but he doesn't think that performing at a military outpost makes a political statement.
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