Shine A Light music series hosts 25th concert

The Tommy Brull Foundation’s Shine A Light concert series celebrated its 25th concert in Rockville Centre with a special event featuring Deer Tick and singer-songwriter Al Olender.

“My brother Tommy and I used to go see music together all the time and in 2008, we had just started the foundation to raise money for children and adults with disabilities,” Martin Brull, president and founder of the foundation, said. “It was kind of a joke of ours that maybe one day we’ll have a concert. So I’m kind of a persistent person and I started writing letters to bands and everyone basically did not answer me.”

One of the bands that he reached out to was Deer Tick, who agreed to make a deal to come and perform at their very first showcase at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh in 2011.

“They actually were so punk rock they broke a contract in the city and played our show,” Brull told the crowd on Sunday night.

On July 7, the band returned to RJ Daniel’s in Rockville Centre for its fifth performance in the showcase.

Thanks to the efforts of the foundation and its music series, the community has helped raise more than $200,000 for the construction of Mr. B’s inclusive playground, which is set to open sometime this summer.

“This event is so special to me because I had no track record. I’m not in the music industry. I work with kids with disabilities my whole life,” Brull said. “When you see bands like Deer Tick coming back year after year, it gives me some street cred with other booking agents … and that led to so many different shows and memories and amazing acts that we’ve had.”

In the 13 years since the foundation began the Shine A Light music series, they have had a number of incredible acts come to town including Kurt Vile, Taking Back Sunday, Acid Dad, Courtney Barnett, Titus Andronicus, the So-So Glos, Ratboy and many others.

To learn more about the Tommy Brull Foundation, its mission and the Shine A Light music series, visit TommyBrullFoundation.org.