Moors & McCumber will play a benefit for Dream Bikes on Jan. 24.
Bill Zorr is not a musician. But he’s always had a special connection to music — he grew up listening to Broadway albums with his mom and has fond memories of cranking up the stereo and headbanging with his roommates to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Most of all, he loves the live music experience. “It’s such an adrenaline rush,” he says. “I always wanted to be a part of that world, but I never dreamed I would.”
Then after going through a divorce two years ago, Zorr felt like starting a new chapter. He had his day job in the energy industry, but he wanted to get involved in a side project that helped the community. Inspired by the Wisconsin State Journal series exploring homelessness in Madison and by the need he saw in his downtown neighborhood, he started volunteering with Bethel Lutheran Church Homeless Ministry; soon he was asked to join the board of directors and help with fundraising. “I started thinking about what I’m passionate about,” Zorr says. “Why not tie together my love of live music with something philanthropic?”
Zorr launched into planning mode, connecting with attorneys who specialize in setting up nonprofits and assembling a diverse board of directors. The resulting organization, Music Makes A Difference, would have a two-pronged mission: supporting musicians by putting on paid gigs and donating leftover proceeds to local charities. Since August 2017, MMAD has put on 10 shows at six different venues showcasing national acts alongside local musicians. Zorr declined to say how much has been donated so far, but he says each charity is guaranteed a minimum of $500. The nonprofit also covers expenses for the touring bands.
The first show featured Superior-based Americana duo Moors & McCumber in the Ovation 305 Sky Club (the top-floor event space in the downtown high rise) benefiting Bethel Lutheran Homeless Ministry; the most recent was a sold-out Nov. 7 performance from Canadian bluegrass group The Dead South benefiting the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program. The next event is Jan. 24, when Moors & McCumber return to Ovation to raise money for Dream Bikes.
What Zorr lacked in experience he made up in enthusiasm. He undertook a serious networking mission, reaching out to Kiki Schueler of Kiki’s House of Righteous Music; Cathy Dethmers, the former owner of the High Noon Saloon; Steve Sperling of the Barrymore Theatre; and Beth Kille, a local musician who plays in multiple groups, runs Girls Rock Camp and works with the Madison Area Music Awards.
“These were people who didn’t know me at all,” Zorr says. “They gave me the time of day to meet face to face and talk about the industry.”
Kille, whose band Gin, Chocolate and Bottle Rockets has played a MMAD concert benefiting Girls Rock Camp, calls Zorr a “miracle man.”
“He’s someone who recognizes the worth of art and is willing to advocate for artists being compensated — while also doing things for charity,” she says. “He has it all right. It’s the perfect paradigm to support both.”
Zorr and Kille got together to talk about MMAD the day after the death of Kille’s friend Luke Jorgensen, a beloved musician who fronted the Americana band Lower 5th. “[Jorgensen’s] death left such a big hole in the music community,” Kille says. “Then Bill appeared. It was serendipitous to meet him when I did.”
As the organization grows, Zorr hopes to graduate to even bigger venues. He says Sperling followed up with him after the successful Majestic gig. “He said, ‘Bill, it’s time to talk about putting together a show at the Barrymore.’”
