By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Coming from a family of music fans and people who believe in making the world a better place, Maya Dayal’s early jump into charity work shouldn’t be surprising.
The 18-year-old Perrysburg woman founded Bands4Change this year, and the non-profit’s first endeavor is to bring pop star Kesha to Bowling Green State University’s Stroh Center for a benefit concert Jan. 27. Tickets are now on sale from Ticketmaster or the BGSU box office. Contact 1-800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $45 to $65.
Maya Dayal (Photo provided)
Her mother, Anisha Dayal, took Maya and her sister to Lollapalooza several years ago, and it occurred to Maya that “music can bring big groups of people together, so why not utilize this to benefit others.”
Her family has been involved in environmental activism and her mother has fought for human rights. “All that passion has helped create this company,” Dayal said.
The Kesha concert will raise money for Humane Society International, the National Eating Disorder Association and the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. These were causes selected by Kesha.
Dayal said she wants the performers to decide what causes their performances will assist. “We wanted them to have a more personal connection with the concert and company,” she said. “We wanted them to be more passionate about the event.”
But before any of this could happen, Bands4Change had to find an artist to perform.
Being a start-up, and one founded by a teenager, meant the company had little credibility with performers. She and her mother, who needed to be involved because Maya was too young to legally sign off on some details, started trying to contact artists. “It was essentially trial and error,” Dayal said.
Then they reached out to Kesha’s management, and “Kesha took a chance on us and said ‘yes.’”
Kesha emerged on the pop scene with her debut recording “Animal.” Back then she went by the name Ke$ha. She’s since returned to the original spelling of her name.
She continues to record as well as write for other top acts. This summer she had a global tour with her band The Creepies.
Bands4Change is running a contest to find an opening act for the Stroh show. Bands interested should visit https://www.facebook.com/Bands4Change/ and post an EPK link to the band’s best track of no more than three minutes in the comments section before midnight, Dec. 31.
Kesha will have the final decision. Dayal said one band’s track has already been passed onto the star.
She said they are open to all genres. “It could be a rapper or country band. We’ll give them that opportunity to be heard.”
This offers a local band a chance to share the stage with an international touring act, and the arrangement is “cost effective” for Bands4Change.
The company also decided to book the Stroh because of its ready access to students. “The students are young and hip and they’ll want to have fun.”
Beyond this there are many details that go into staging the show – the specific food for the artist’s dressing room, lighting, arranging sound checks, and hotel arrangements. All of which must be done by Dayal and producer Katrina MacGregor according to the contract with the artist.
“That all adds up to a lot of stuff,” she said.
Dayal, a senior at Maumee Country Day School, is heading off to college next year. But she plans to continue to operate Bands4Change.
Ticket sales for Kesha at the Stroh have started. They were announced during finals week when students were otherwise occupied, so she expects once they return to campus sales will pick up.
Also, Kesha has yet to announce the date on her website and Facebook. Once she does that tens of millions of fans will be aware of the concert, and the debut of Bands4Change.
