Humphries at Humphrey’s: Cats 'n' Jammers

On June 14, British-born Hillcrest resident and singer/songwriter Dave Humphries will perform at the opening of the Humane Society’s new North County small-animal facility. Located at 572 Airport Road in Oceanside, the new 30,000-square-foot building will house up to 200 cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs, freeing up space for dogs at their former home, less than a mile away.

While the location is an unusual one for music, the stripped-down set is a nod from the organization for Humphries’s donation of $1620, the proceeds of a fundraising concert held at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge on April 17. Hosted by Dave Mason of radio station the Walrus 105.7, the show featured Humphries alongside Joey Harris, the Baja Bugs, and Help, featuring Fab More.

The inspiration for the event was the recent passing of his two cats, Eden (20) and Eve (16).

Dubbed “Humphries at Humphrey’s,” the show’s $5 cover raised $2420, with the difference being donated to Second Chance Dog Rescue.

The money raised for the Humane Society will go to pay for a Bair Hugger Warmer Unit, a life-saving device that prevents hypothermia and helps the animals recover from surgeries.

“We have engaged with Dave to help us with a series of grand-opening events,” explained Michael Baehr, director of communications with the San Diego Humane Society. He considers Humphries’s solo acoustic tunes a good match for the opening. “Traditionally we wouldn’t have loud music around the animals, but we were looking for some ambience to complement the event,” Baehr said.

For his part, Humphries was surprised to hand over a check that large. “It’s never hard to get musicians out, but sometimes it seems like audiences have ‘benefit fatigue.’ We feel fortunate that so many people wanted to help,” he said.

Baehr considers third-party fundraisers such as Humphries at Humphrey’s an important part of Humane Society support. “San Diego is one of the pet-friendliest areas in the United States. [San Diegans] support animal-related causes.”