Chit-Chat with musician Gregory Demirdijian: It's strictly benefit concerts for The Friendship Club

Where there’s a benefit concert, there’s The Friendship Club. The Elmhurst-based rock ‘n’ roll band, The Friendship Club, strives to do something useful with their music by only performing to benefit local organizations. The Friendship Club -- which includes band members Christopher McMahon (bongos), Jason Ruban (guitar), Mathieu Lejeune (vocals), Marty Farrell (bass), Gregory Demirdjian (vocals and guitar) and his brother John Paul Demirdjian (drums) -- performs an all-ages benefit concert for the DuPage Senior Citizens Council on Friday, Nov. 6 in Elmhurst. Gregory Demirdjian of Elmhurst believes music is a good way to communicate an awareness to people.

The Friendship Club. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Who is The Friendship Club?
We’re a group of guys who’ve been playing the past 10 years together in different formations. Most of the guys in the group are dads with families that wanted to come out to watch us play, but most of our shows were at bars. So in order to get friends and families involved, we’ve been doing more family-friendly shows at Galway Bar and Grill Club in Elmhurst that is acceptable for all ages at certain times. 

Why do you call yourselves The Friendship Club?
We call ourselves The Friendship Club because we’re trying to do something positive with music. We want to bring an awareness to charities that may get brushed aside. We do strictly benefits. It’s time to be useful ... and do something helpful for other folks. Anybody that shows up to any of our shows is a member of The Friendship Club.

Why did you choose to give back to the DuPage Senior Citizens Council with this concert?
I appreciate our elders,and I believe it’s a group that sometimes gets pushed aside. There’s a saying ‘old and in the way,’ but our elders are the ones we should be going to for our problems ... information and for wisdom. We don’t go to our elders as sources.

Have you put on a benefit concert before? If so, how did that go?
Our first and previous event benefitted the Northern Illinois Food Bank and yielded 204 pounds of food and raised over $200 in cash donations. It was a new idea, and it was very successful. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do a show a season to benefit an organization.

What can people expect from your upcoming benefit concert in Elmhurst?
A representative from the DuPage Senior Citizens Council will give an introduction before the show on the organization, and our manager, DJ and general aide de camp, Brian Stieglitz ... will be spinning dance music before and after our musical set. What we’re trying to do is collect money for the (council’s) Meals on Wheels program. It’s a free concert, but we’re going to have a raffle with some great prizes, including food gift certificates, for people who come out. And we won’t just be collecting money. We’re also trying to inspire volunteerism, so a sign-up sheet will be available for people wanting to volunteer their time to the organization.
 

HEAR THEM PLAY
WHAT The Friendship Club, a benefit concert for the DuPage Senior Citizens Council
WHERE Galway Bar and Grill Club, 12045 Roosevelt Road, Elmhurst; thefriendshipclub77@gmail.com
WHEN 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6
HOW MUCH Free