Don Zimmer to Host Benefit Concert for Mill Valley Library at Sweetwater Music Hall

Don Zimmer of Floating Records loves the Mill Valley Public Library for its vast book collection, provocative lecture series, extensive children’s programs and indie film selection. He also loves music, and is merging his passions by hosting a benefit concert at the Sweetwater Music Hall on January 29.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the bands Dredgetown and Marble Party will offer a night of music to the tune of $25 a ticket, with proceeds going to the library. 

“These unique partnerships make the library a vital part of Mill Valley,” said Vera Meislin, president of the Mill Valley Library Foundation. “We dance. We sing. We celebrate the creative spirit. And we cherish books.”

The bands, which have been featured in San Francisco, Fairfax and Sausalito, are a collection of local talent that came together during a school conference night in Tamalpais Valley, where dads waiting their turn to talk with teachers realized they all played in different bands. So why not come together? 

Dredgetown, which takes its name from the Sausalito houseboat community that sprung up in the 1970s, performs original music and covers funk, soul and jam-band roots. Marble Party has won praise for its debut album “Lyle” that is part indie rock and power pop.

Floating Records represents and distributes local and independent music while returning all proceeds to musicians.

These kinds of fundraising events attract a cross-section of what makes this town rich, Zimmer said.

“Our goal is to keep the tradition alive. This is about tapping new audiences and new supporters for our music and the library,” he said.

The Mill Valley Library Foundation has provided more than $110,000 in new funding to the library from private donations over the past two years. The Foundation and Friends support programs and services including: Free E-readers, loaded with books and magazines; Children’s Wednesdays on Stage and other programs for children; Creative writing workshops and late-night study halls; and a new computer lab.

“The efforts of Floating Records and Don Zimmer help us continue to provide free and equal access to all library programs and services for people of all ages,” said Lisa Parker, past president of the Foundation. “While there’s a tremendous shift in the way we consume literature and information, our library remains a core part of who we are in Mill Valley.”

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