POCATELLO — A music venue once known as the Flipside, The Dugout and One One Seven and now known as Misfitz is teaming up with the Children’s Organ Transplant Association for a benefit concert for a local teen who recently underwent a heart transplant.
Sara Permann is the new owner of the longtime music venue, now known as Misfitz, but she’s also the aunt of Bronson Cothern, a local teen who underwent a critical heart transplant in March. Bronson, age 15, was born with a rare genetic disorder and over the last couple of years his quality of life noticeably declined due to heart failure.
The medical expenses from the procedure are vast and Misfitz is looking to help raise money toward a $100,000 goal to assist Bronson as he continues his battle. Bronson will spend the next three to six months recovering at a hospital in Salt Lake City and is expected to return home by this summer.
Doors for the benefit concert and auction will open at 5 p.m. Saturday at Misfitz, 117 S. Main St., with live music to follow shortly after beginning at 6 p.m. The concert will feature local bands Space Kitties, Steelhead Red and the return of the Sons of Bannock after a nearly two-year hiatus.
Permann said, “This isn’t going to be the last time he’ll be in the hospital for these things. (The money raised) will cover everything from travel expenses to medication and anything he needs in regard to his treatment for this condition.”
Tickets for Saturday’s fundraiser at Misfitz will be sold at the door. A $10 ticket gets you into the concert only while a $20 ticket gets you the concert as well as a plate with two tacos, rice and beans catered by Puerto Vallarta along with a couple of tickets to enter for door prizes that will be available. The fundraiser is open to people of all ages.
Additionally, Misfitz will have a variety of silent auction items from businesses such as Mad Ink Studio, Black Swan Inn, Vickers and Jennifer Morrison Photography. Cue & Brews will also be on site to provide beer and other alcoholic beverages.
Monetary donations can also be made directly to Bronson and his family at cota.org/cotaforteambronson/our-story.
While Misfitz is still working on getting its beer and wine license along with establishing its food menu, Permann is excited about recently reopening the venue to provide an all-ages place for local musicians and music fans.
“We’re going to have different events on the weekends,” Permann said. “We’ll bring any type of music, if it’s country or rock or hardcore, anything, we want it all. We’ll support it all. We’re here to be a venue for anyone who needs a place to play. Open mics, karaoke, we’ll do some of those things and we want to be more involved in the community in the future as well, with more fundraisers, Toys for Tots and things like that.”
Permann and her boyfriend Jeramy Kimbrough have been involved in the local music scene for nearly 20 years.
“We both are really passionate about music,” Permann said. “We love the music scene. We know that there’s (not many) outlets for everybody and where everyone (can) feel welcome. That’s where our name comes from, Misfitz, and that’s why it’s spelled funky. Anybody who needs a place to go can come to us. We want everybody to feel comfortable in the space and feel like we have their back and that we are advocating for them. That’s why there’s no limit for anything we do.”