Stars shine for volunteer fire department

Stargazers can put down their telescopes and pull out their dancing shoes when the stars touch down in Solon Springs this weekend.

The famous faces include a former “Bachelor,” “ER” doctor and “Desperate Housewives” plumber. They aren’t just in town to view the fall colors. The three — Bob Guiney, Scott Grimes and James Denton — perform a live concert Saturday to raise money for the Solon Springs Volunteer Fire Department.

“These guys, this is what they do,” said Solon Springs native Mitch Blaylock. “Give, give, give.”

The free concert is an extension of Blaylock’s annual Live Life, Love Life party, which celebrates life, family and community in his hometown of Solon Springs.

“I hold it every year to give something back,” he said. “I grew up there and was given so much.”

This year, he’s inviting some friends.

“I’m all about small towns,” said Scott Grimes, who grew up in Lowell, Mass. “Great people come from small towns.” If Solon Springs folks are anything like Blaylock, he said “I can’t wait to meet them.”

Guiney grew up in Detroit, Mich. As the son of a police officer, he understands the importance of public servants. Firefighters, he said, are the ones who run into burning buildings while others are running out. But he and his fellow stars aren’t just coming because it’s a good cause; they’re doing it because Blaylock asked.

“If it’s important to him, it’s important to us,” Guiney said.

Blaylock said he hopes to pack the Solon Springs School gymnasium for the event, which will include opening act Ultra Day, a Solon Springs band, and a special appearance by the Solon Springs choir students. Donations will be taken for the fire department at the show, which Grimes said will be fairly free-form.

“We start the show and end the show,” he said. “Between that it’s unplanned.”

Audience participation is encouraged, he said. Songs run the gamut of rock, pop and original music — from Bryan Adams’ “Run to You” to Pink’s “Raise Your Glass.”

The public may know Grimes as the voice of Steve Smith on “American Dad” or Will Scarlet in “Robin Hood.” Guiney is recognizable for his stint on the “Bachelor” and currently hosts HGTV’s “Showhouse Showdown.” But, Blaylock said, these stars can really put on a show.

“That’s what’s probably going to surprise a lot of people,” he said. “How talented they are as musicians.”

Blaylock got to know the three stars through Band from TV, a lineup of well-known actors who rock and roll together for charitable causes. Blaylock serves as an assistant and go-to guy for the band, Guiney said. Whenever they ask for help, he volunteers immediately.

The Guiney and Grimes concert coming to Solon Springs is a spin-off of Band from TV. They’ve been crisscrossing the country this summer together, playing concerts, and are considering making an album. Last weekend they performed in San Francisco. Next week they’ll play in New York. Saturday, they will tackle the slightly smaller venue of Solon Springs with Denton. And they had a message for everyone in the community.

“Tell them to get ready,” Grimes said. “Be prepared to dance and have a good time.”

The “Live Life, Love Life” concert begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Solon Springs School gymnasium.

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