MOUNT VERNON – Rock band “The Resilient,” primarily composed of severely wounded U.S. combat veterans, will play in concert on Sunday, July 20, at 2 p.m. at The Woodward Opera House, 107 S. Main St.
Tickets are $20 and available at www.mvac.org. Veterans should call 740-462-4ART to secure one free ticket and one free half-price ticket.
This event is sponsored by Knox County Veterans Services, VFW Post 4027, and AMVETS Post 95. It is produced by MTVarts and Nellie Six Productions, with support from the Woodward Opera House and the Mount Vernon Arts Consortium.
The Resilient’s focus is writing and performing music that reflects the inspirations and hardships they’ve experienced in both their civilian lives and military careers.
In 2012, after suffering devastating injuries in Afghanistan, lead vocalist Tim Donley and guitarist Nate Kalwicki were rehabilitating at Walter Reed Military Hospital. During that time, they joined MusiCorps, a music program for wounded warriors, where they befriended professional musician and teaching artist Greg Loman.
With fresh wounds and a vast new space to fill in their lives, the veterans plunged into the spiritually, physically, and emotionally healing pursuit of music, practicing relentlessly and forming a lasting brotherhood in the process.
As part of the MusiCorps Band, they had an opportunity to perform with rock legend Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) at The Beacon Theater, Constitution Hall, and Madison Square Garden.
It was during these shows that they first jammed with recently discharged drummer Juan “Dom” Dominguez – a decorated Marine and triple amputee whom Roger had brought on board. In sharing the experience, they realized that forming their own group was inevitable.
Nathan’s brother Erik, a talented bassist, was brought on board to round out the band.
Artistic freedom and military discipline
Since then, The Resilient has independently released original tracks and performed in concerts all over the U.S., gaining traction as a unique, unforgettable act by stunning audiences at conventions, galas, dive bars, universities, and music festivals.
They were featured by D’Angelico Guitars at the 2020 NAMM convention. They headlined the 2021 Sag Harbor Music Fest, where they had the honor of being proudly introduced by their mentor, Roger himself.
During the COVID lockdowns, they adapted to the new normal by finding fresh opportunities working on veteran-supporting campaigns. Members of the band have performed with musical greats Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow, Aaron Neville, G.E. Smith, Ricky Skaggs, the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), and appeared on television shows “N.C.I.S.”, “The Colbert Report”, and “Lucky Dog”.
Currently, they are in pre-production for their first full-length album and are the subjects of a feature-length documentary being produced by award-winning filmmakers at North Productions.
The Resilient’s rare combination of artistic freedom and military discipline amplifies their message of hope and perseverance. True to their name, they exist in utter defiance of limitations associated with their unique physical circumstances and have overcome the unthinkable. Now they’re living like there’s no tomorrow.
For more information, visit www.mvac.org or contact Janis Stone at producer@mtvarts.com.
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