Two brothers have turned a love of music and sense of community into a thriving charitable organization. Evesham natives Ben and Jake Davis founded Davis Concert Staging (DCS) as a way of raising funds for nonprofit groups. The volunteer outfit’s latest production was the Summer Reggae Fest on July 18 at Champps on Route 70 in Evesham.
The event benefited St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and featured Level Vibes, a band from Moorestown, as well as The Movement, Ballyhoo! and Steppin’ Razor, all of whom have established fan followings.
Ben Davis, a 24-year-old systems engineer, said he enjoys building the shows, bringing a crowd together, and seeing how the money being raised is used. One letter he received, for example, included a photograph of a smiling child who was given an instrument and music lessons through a charity supported by DCS.
“It’s very rewarding to see that,” said Ben, who lives in Mount Laurel.
His brother, a business student at Drexel University, said DCS gives the young men an opportunity to help their community. Jake Davis, 21, of Philadelphia, said people and “socially conscious businesses” with the means to do so should be charitable.
“It’s more of a responsibility, not just a good thing to do,” he said.
Jake said he enjoys finding bands and putting them onstage. “For me, it’s all about the music,” he said. “We find a way to bring people together.”
The Davis brothers have brought together like-minded friends to volunteer their time to DCS. A network of other skilled people also contributes.
The volunteers perform a range of jobs, such as collecting tickets, working on the sound system, and preparing a green room for the musicians. Graphic artists donate their talents to design posters, fliers, and logos promoting the concerts.
“We like to empower people to do something,” Jake said.
DCS began informally with a show for the brothers’ then-teenage peers in the backyard of their parents’ home. In 2003, while a senior at Cherokee High School in Evesham, Ben was friends with members of the band Three-Legged Fox, which needed a place to play. With his parents’ permission, he organized a makeshift venue and planned the event as a real concert. Three more musical acts were added to the bill, including one from Texas.
“They did a show right on the driveway,” Ben said. “It was a pretty cool summer party.”
About 200 people showed up, all of whom were charged $10 to get in. Despite a noise complaint from a neighbor, Ben considered the concert a success.
“We decided we would do this for fun,” he said.
Since that first concert, DCS has organized all kinds of shows, from small backyards to festivals. The organization has netted as much as $20,000 during one event for charity. Although DCS initially chose what nonprofit groups would benefit from the shows, Ben said charities now seek DCS out for inclusion.
Bands and venues also are eager to be a part of DCS events. The brothers said they are building a reputation for treating bands well and running a professional operation.
Musicians are calling them to be fit into upcoming lineups, they said, and the recent Summer Reggae Fest was built on the success of last year’s Thanksgiving Fest at Champps.
The latter event is scheduled to repeat this year and DCS also is nurturing the idea of a college tour.
“We always have an idea for a show,” Ben said.
DCS focuses on three things to draw crowds: venue, music and charity. People will come if they like any of those things, Ben said. In meeting those criteria, the Davises are responsible for drawing up the bands’ contracts and securing sponsorships. They work with local businesses to obtain donated services, such as printing, and items, including T-shirts.
The musicians get paid by DCS, as do some venues. Other venues, including Champps, allow the organization to use their space at no charge. Ben said the crowds end up generating profits for the venues.
In addition to organizing concerts, the DCS staff donates time on a consulting basis, offering assistance to other outfits that are planning special events.
“We pride ourselves on being a local promoter,” Ben said.
The brothers said they are happy with DCS’ success. They aren’t looking to make it a profitable business, but aren’t ruling out that possibility someday, either. For now, they said, they’re enjoying their work one show at a time with the belief that anything can happen.
“We just try to put on the best possible show,” Jake said.