By Nikki McCoy
Singer-songwriter Aaron Lewis let out a string of obscenities at a concert last June when he stopped the show to call out a group of young men who were mishandling a female crowd-surfer.
“Alright, listen up you [jerks]! That girl is like 15-years-old. You should all be beaten down by everyone around you for being [jerks],” hollered an angry Lewis. Now, replace ‘jerks’ with the worst cuss words you know and you have Lewis’ passionate response to the young men’s behavior. In fact, he was so upset, he dropped the f-bomb 10 times in one minute.
It was this passion, captured on video and made viral on YouTube, which prompted Lucky Eagle Casino and Hotel CEO, John Setterstrom, to commend Lewis for his act.
“This is something that’s close to John, something he really believes in,” said Kevin Burrus, Advertising Director for Lucky Eagle.
So at Lewis’ opening night concert Saturday, members of the Chehalis Tribe presented Lewis with a $2,500 check to benefit SafePlace, an advocacy agency and confidential shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Thurston County.
A Softer Side
Lewis’ reaction to the gift was a far cry from his fierceness shown in protection of the girl. He was relaxed and friendly as he walked on stage.
Chehalis Tribe members presented the check to a humbled Lewis and after responding simply, “I just did what any father of three little girls would have done,” Lewis hugged CEO of Chehalis Tribe Enterprises, Rodney Youckton, with the crowd exploding into applause.
“It was very, very, honorable for calling out those guys for their poor behavior and choice. We are very honored and thankful for what he did,” said Youckton.
“I think it’s awesome what he did,” agreed Danny “Bones” Gleason, tribal elder and 5th council member, who thanked Lewis for his act and encouraged him to “keep on saving.”
Partners in Awareness
SafePlace Executive Director, Mary Pontarolo, who was present to receive the donation, was glad to bring awareness to a demographic that normally doesn’t get reached.
“This is a great country crowd tonight, isn’t it?” said Pontarolo. “I’m honored to be on the same stage as this man. I’ve listened to the YouTube video I don’t know how many times. It’s not very often that a man would stand up and try and protect us and I appreciate the fact that Aaron did.”
“I think it is great,” Pontarolo said offstage. “I love to be able to talk to a group of people that love country music, particularly about our issues and to dispel myths. I just think it’s an important message and this is a good group to be able to share the information with.”
I spoke with a variety of audience members, and while everyone was familiar with Aaron Lewis’ music, only a few knew about the back story to the donation they just witnessed.
As I explained about SafePlace and the concert, people were impressed.
“That’s my kinda guy,” replied one man dressed in camo. “I’m not surprised. He’s really cool,” said another.
And another gave kudos to Lucky Eagle for getting involved.
“It’s something our CEO felt strongly about,” said Burrus. “We felt Aaron’s actions reflected the Chehalis Tribe and Lucky Eagle, and is something we try to embody, and we try to support organizations like SafePlace. It’s a giving back thing.”
After the gifting ceremony, Lewis began his concert by asking the audience to join him in the Pledge of Allegiance, and then eased into his set list with his signature voice and crowd favorite, “Country Boy.”
With a song that drips with sentiment about the “simple life” and references family and patriotism, it’s easy to see why Lewis is an awesome influence for everyone from teenagers to truckers to tribal members.
