Oakdale native Brett Dennen is coming to the State Theatre in Modesto on Saturday, Aug. 29 to headline a concert that will benefit a program and location that both hold a special place in his heart, Camp Jack Hazard.
All proceeds from the concert, A Day in the Life at Camp, will support the Campership Program at Camp Jack Hazard, which provides financial assistance to families to help ensure that all children, regardless of their financial status, have the opportunity to attend a session at Camp Jack Hazard. Dennen, a former camper and camp counselor, spent many years at the camp, sharing adventures, learning how to play his guitar and perform folk songs for his fellow campers and relishing the benefits of life surrounded by clean air, lush forests and clear skies.
Camp Jack Hazard, which is nestled in the mountains just below Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station, has been bringing young folks together for more than 100 years to celebrate nature and build friendships that have lasted a lifetime. The concert is designed to mirror a day at camp, including sharing stories and singing around the campfire.
Dennen credits his development as an artist to his time spent outdoors: building independence, sparking creativity and inspiring some of his songs.
“Musically, my songs have a lot of variety, but at the core they all come from sitting around with an acoustic guitar and expressing myself and whatever I want to sing about and that comes from my experiences of learning to sing and perform while at camp,” shared Dennen.
Both ‘Wild Child’ and ‘Good Vibration’ are two songs that reflect his love of the great outdoors as well as being a camp counselor at Camp Jack Hazard.
Recently, Dennen has been performing Art is Life Concerts, which feature art and music and the connection between them, in which he and his audiences share their interpretations of various art and music offerings. He hopes that audiences will enjoy the interaction that A Day in the Life at Camp provides, noting that audiences will get to experience what a typical day is like at Camp Jack Hazard, including sharing tall tales, meeting new friends and singing together under the wide-open sky.
Though Dennen now travels the world performing, he still relishes his time at home in Oakdale and the Central Valley.
“If someone asks me where I’m from, I tell them it is the real California, the heart of it all, the cradle of it all, it’s where all the food comes from,” Dennen shared.
For tickets to experience A Day in the Life at Camp, visit thestate.org or for VIP tickets, contact the Camp Jack Hazard office at 209-965-7254.
Doors will open at 6 p.m., with the Aug. 29 show starting at 7 p.m.
The State Theatre is at 1307 J St., Modesto.
