Mike DeWald
(ROHNERT PARK, CA) — Superstars from the world of Hollywood and Nashville collided Saturday to culminate the final night of Sonoma State University’s “Thicker than Smoke” storytelling and concert event. Capped off with a headlining performance from country music superstar Brad Paisley and multi-talented acclaimed actress and comedienne Bonnie Hunt, the two-day event served as a fundraiser for the Community Foundation Sonoma County’s Sonoma County Resilience Fund. Over 2,000 fans attended Saturday night’s concert raising an estimated $134,000.
The concert event came together when Paisley and Hunt were contacted by their mutual friend Nancy Lasseter, Proprietor of Lasseter Family Wines with her husband John, with the idea to put together the massive fundraiser. “They are family to us,” said Paisley in a pre-show interview with KSRO, “it was Nancy Lasseter that came up with this idea, and we cannot say no to Nancy, ever.” Hunt added that the initial inspiration for the event came from a call Lasseter received from a firefighter, “Nancy got a call from one of the firefighters afterwards and said ‘do you think there’s something you can do to help us?’ and she said yes, and that’s when Brad and I got the call.”
The night was a mixture of somber reflection which turned to celebration, honor, and even a healthy dose of laughter. The event began with tributes and recreations from Lasseter, SSU President Judy Sakaki, and San Francisco Fire Department Assistant Chief Tom Siragusa, along with video highlights from the prior night’s storytelling series featuring guests such as KSRO’s Pat Kerrigan and the Press Democrat’s Gaye LeBaron. Ultimately, the night belonged to Paisley and Hunt.
Hunt’s plans for the evening adjusted slightly after spending the afternoon with Paisley visiting the Glenn Ellen Fire Department, speaking with the firefighters and touring some of the impacted neighborhoods. “You have to have some reverence and respect for all the firefighters and the first responders that they’re honoring tonight, so I changed course a little bit,” Hunt described, “it’s evening of respect and gratitude, and entertainment.”
Paisley seconded adding “It was really important to be reminded this close to the gig of everything we’re doing this for, and there was nothing like seeing it to drive that home.”
Hunt took the stage prior to Paisley’s performance to offer a personal story about losing her father that was not only touching but also included a healthy dose of humor. Hunt is a master storyteller and expertly weaved a range of emotions into her set, from joy and laughter to somber introspection. Taking her personal experience and made it relevant to those that experienced loss during October’s fires, but not before also sliding in that she was also “looking for a firefighter” while jokingly scanning through the crowd.
Hunt then welcomed Paisley to the stage for a headlining solo acoustic set. Paisley played a setlist full of songs from throughout his career, including “Ticks”, “Letter To Me”, and “Little Moments” while offering a wide array of witty stage banter with Hunt between, and occasionally even during his songs. The two reminisced about high school, marriage, and other topics with a natural stage chemistry that felt like the two had been a seasoned touring act for years. Paisley’s voice is album-quality, singing pitch-perfect versions of some of his biggest hits, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. Special guests included Pixar’s Jim Murphy, who performed on ukulele and vocals for a rendition of their song from the short film “LAVA”. Paisley event took a moment to dedicate a song to his father, a firefighter, as well as to the firefighters and other first responders in the audience. Paisley closed with the crowd favorite “Alcohol”, before returning to the stage for a pair of additional songs to send the Sonoma County crowd home happy.
