Sound Inc. homecoming concert will benefit Safe Haven Shelter
Sound Inc.'s Duluth homecoming at The West Theatre was set to send ticket sales to Safe Haven, whose shelter and hotline serve seven Northland counties.
Sound Inc. turned its Duluth homecoming concert at The West Theatre into a fundraiser for Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center, putting ticket sales toward a service network that survivors of domestic violence rely on across St. Louis County and beyond. The show was held Thursday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. at 319 N Central Avenue, and WDIO reported it was Safe Haven’s first benefit concert.
For Safe Haven, the money carries a practical purpose. The organization says it started on March 1, 1978, and now serves a seven-county region that includes St. Louis, Koochiching, Aitkin, Lake, Carlton, Itasca and Cook counties. Safe Haven says it provides services and education for more than 2,000 adults and children each year, with a 55-bed facility, a 24/7 hotline, safety planning, emergency shelter for victims of abuse and their children and pets, court advocacy, help with protective orders, referrals, housing, employment, education and child care assistance, and support groups.
The need remains pressing statewide. Minnesota’s 19th Annual Domestic Violence Counts report said that on Sept. 4, 2024, 47 participating programs in Minnesota served 1,561 victims during the 24-hour survey period and still could not meet 196 requests for help. In that context, even one local fundraiser can help strengthen shelter operations, expand awareness of available services, and connect new supporters to a system that is often stretched thin.
The concert also tied directly into Sound Inc.’s own Northland history. Drummer Jack Seiler, who still lives in Duluth, came up with the idea for the benefit so the band’s stop in the region would support local survivors. ReaderTix says the group began playing together in junior high in 1963 and has been together in the Twin Ports since 1966, making this year its 60th. ReaderTix also says Sound Inc.’s song “Dreams” spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Duluth-Superior charts.
The West Theatre added another layer of local significance. The Art Deco venue first opened on Christmas Day in 1937 and originally seated 595 people, giving the fundraiser a historic setting in the heart of downtown Duluth. University of Minnesota Archives traces Safe Haven’s roots to the Women’s Coalition, which became Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center in 2001 and was then described as a 39-bed shelter, showing how the organization has evolved alongside the region’s need.
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