Dierks Bentley is partnering with the Tennessee Innocence Project to put on the inaugural “Justice Jam” in late October.
The event, hosted by the Tennessee Innocence Project and the Washington Innocence Project, will help raise money to help those who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes. If you are to visit the official website of the Tennessee Innocence Project, the organization describes their mission as the following:
“The Tennessee Innocence Project frees innocent people through legal advocacy, strengthens the justice system through policy reform, supports re-entry, and educates the public to prevent wrongful convictions.”
Justice Jam will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, and Jason Gichner – the Tennessee Innocence Project executive director – says that the hope is for the event to become a staple for the organization that’s fighting the good fight on behalf of the wrongfully convicted. Gichner believes Nashville is the perfect community to tap into for help:
“This concerts is about channeling the power of Nashville’s music community into real, tangible freedom for people who have run out of options. We are honored to bring this stage together with our partners at the Washington Innocence Project and to show what’s possible when artists lend their voice to justice.”
And speaking of the Washington Innocence Project, another important name that’s contributed to making this benefit concert happen is Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready. He hails from the Seattle, Washington area, and he’ll be making the trip to Music City to help put on the Justice Jam with Dierks Bentley.
He’s actually one of the minds behind the inaugural Justice Jam, and he can’t wait to see the power of music help those in need of representation and justice:
“I can’t wait. Music has given me so much, and anytime I can use it to help somebody else or shine a light on something that matters, that’s a pretty great day.”
The event is set to take place on October 27 at 7 p.m. at Cannery Hall – the largest independent music hall in Nashville (located in the SoBro area of Downtown).
Tickets are set to go on sale on September 10, and can be purchased from justicejam.com… once the website goes live (they are evidently still working on that). In addition to Dierks Bentley and Mike McCready, some of the other performers expected to be a part of the event are a gospel group called The McCrary Sisters, a country singer hailing from Canada named Terri Clark, and emerging country artist Angie K, along with Bobby Messano and Jaid Joice.
It’s some of Nashville’s (and Seattle’s) finest coming together to help raise money for the wrongfully convicted. Since 2019, the Tennessee Innocence Project has helped secure 10 exonerations. While that might not seem like a large number, that actually represents a fourth of all exonerations in the state’s history.
In other words, Tennessee hasn’t historically had many guilty findings overturned. The Tennessee Innocence Project has set out to change that by providing resources to those that are seeking exoneration, and the Justice Jam will help to raise money to continue helping the falsely accused walk free.
