From the Toronto Star
March 31, 2005

The Spirit of co-operation
Greg Hobbs headlines Africa
AIDS benefit
by Greg Quill

*If you've ever seen Toronto singer/songwriter Greg Hobbs in performance, you could forgive wondering how this particular artist - his most popular stock is an outrageously hilaroius cluster of self-deprecating songs chronicling absurdly dysfunctional relationships and the hapless adventures of an accidental drunk - ended up being the driving force between a spectacular local benefit concert.

"It's not exactly what I'm known for," concedes Hobbs, a serious craft-conscious composer with four CDs of original work to his credit, including the recent Threats and Promises, released through MapleMusic. "Sometimes you don't have a choice... you just get swept up."

That's exactly what happened two years ago, when Hobbs atended a lecture in Hamilton, his hometown, by Stephen Lewis, who was recently appointed the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. The Stephen Lewis Foundation is his personal effort to channel what the longtime social activist calls "an astonishing outpouring of support from Canadians who want to join the effort to address the horror of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa."

Hobbs was hooked after Lewis's address, though it took him another year to figure out a way to act on what he'd heard.

"I thought I had a reasonable understanding of the scope of the AIDS crisis in Africa, but (Lewis) brought in home in a very personal way." Hobbs says.

The best thing he could do, he decided, was to talk to his musician friends about putting together a show that might raise some cash for Lewis's cause. The more friends Hobbs contacted, the bigger the show grew.

"We ended up with more than enough performers for two concerts at the Tranzac Club (tomorrow night and Saturday).

"And all the money we hope to raise will go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

"Everyone is donating their services, including the venue operators and the people who put up posters and organized the sound equipment."

Featured on Fridays bill are musical comedy troupe The Arrogant Worms, African blues specialists Slim et Donné with Ndidi Onukwulu, popular local contemporary folk artist Jory Nash, 2003 Maple Blues award winner and singer/songwriter Suzie Vinnick, power-popsters The Supers, and Hobbs

Saturday's schedule includes folk-rockers The Skydiggers and th Cash Brothers in a rare hybrid performance, country swing and blues singer Laura Hubert, Toront songwriter Justin Rutledge, and guitarist-singer Nicole Dueck.

Stephen Lewis is coming on Saturday, but he won't be giving a full lecture," Hobbs adds.

He'll be saying a few words about the cause, but the focus will stay on the music."