WOODSTOCK, Vt. – The Woodstock Town Hall Theater recently hosted the Rock n’ Rescue: A Howl-O-Ween charity concert, featuring the American Vinyl All Star Band, to benefit the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society.
Now located in West Windsor, the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society was founded by businessman Frank Mackenzie in 1915, in memory of his wife Lucy. Upon her death, the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society was established to care for “abused and neglected children, as well as animals including horses.” The original facility was a large Victorian building at the center of Woodstock, where cats, dogs, horses, and children found refuge and were well cared for.
A half century later, the operation moved to another location in Woodstock, and evolved into a humane society for only animals, before establishing their current home in West Windsor. Now, after more than 100 years, the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society is one of the oldest, continuously operating no-kill humane societies in the United States.
Located on the Green in Woodstock, the Town Hall Theater was packed last Friday for the Rock n’ Rescue: A Howl-O-Ween Charity Concert, featuring the American Vinyl All Star Band, a group of iconic rock stars including Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame member Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan); as well as Barry Goudreau (formerly of the band Boston); Leroy Romans (The Wailers, Third World); Robert “Mousey” Thompson (James Brown); Tim Archibald (Peter Wolf, RTZ); and Danny Beissel (Fosterchild).
“I loved this show,” said Braxton Freeman Jr., a Woodstock resident who attended the show. “There was so much history on that stage. The band sounded great, they were really tight, and just played off each other so well.”
Special guests also included Hugh McDonald (Bon Jovi), and Charlotte Gibson, a backup vocalist for Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. Generous sponsors of the benefit concert included Subaru of New England, Keller Williams Realty, Oldfield Kitties, Dan Preston, and Chelsea Bevis, and proceeds went to the humane society.