by Taylor Adams and Ashley Dean, News Staff

As the lights go down in the nightclub and the first chords of an opening act fill the air, it’s normal for emotions and energy to be high.

But at the upcoming Maia McDermott Memorial show at the Middle East Downstairs, there will be an extra element emotion in that air. Local acts will take to the stage Sunday for a night of performances dedicated to Maia McDermott, a Massachusetts college student who was killed in a car accident in February.

One of the bands, Red Bellows, boasts a developed, spacey progressive-rock sound and is made up of Don Taylor and Northeastern students Marc Pellegrino, Tom Klodenski, and Sean McDermott, Maia’s brother. The group, which was previously known through the Boston music scene as Plastic Reverie, will be joined by lo-fi Boston indie outfit Faces on Film, who will headline the show. Psych-rock outfit Tony the Bookie and Northeastern singer-songwriter Micah will also perform.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to The Home for Little Wanderers, a charity selected by McDermott’s parents. The organization’s mission is, according to its website, to “ensure the healthy emotional, mental, and social development of children at risk, their families, and communities.”

The charity is local, with an office at 271 Huntington Ave. and provides foster care and adoption services, special education, residential care, clinical and family support, case management, independent living services, and early childhood assistance.

Tickets are a minimum donation of $8 in advance and $10 the day of the show. The Middle East is 18+, and doors open at 7:30.
Look for coverage of the show in next week’s issue of The Huntington News.