Walking into the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor during the third week of December feels different than any other night of the year. The usual neon-soaked hum of the casino floor gives way to a specific kind of local gravity. There is a weight to the air, a mix of high-production gloss and grassroots desperation. This is the home of The S’Aints, the philanthropic super-group that has effectively turned holiday cheer into a logistical strike force against local poverty. On Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 pm, they return to the big stage to continue a tradition that has become as essential to Windsor-Essex as the bridge itself.
But let’s be clear: this isn’t just another holiday cover band playing "Jingle Bells" for a few canned goods. This is a high-calibre operation involving St. Clair College and Caesars Windsor, designed to sleigh hunger with the precision of a corporate merger. The lineup is a who’s who of the regional scene, featuring the grit of Jody Raffoul and the rhythmic backbone of Tea Party drummer Jeff Burrows. They are joined by Wes Buckley, Kelly “Mr. Chill” Hoppe, David Cyrenne, Kelly Authier, Marty Bak, Liz Robinson and Stephanie Baker.
The stakes are higher than the marquee suggests. In a region where the economic floor can feel like it’s made of thin ice, 100% of ticket proceeds stay local. We are talking about Windsor-Essex and Chatham. Now entering its sixth year, the collective is looking to smash their previous ceiling. Since 2013, they have funneled nearly $270,000 into the mouths of the hungry. It is a staggering number for a local arts initiative, yet the reality on the ground suggests it is still just a drop in a very large bucket.
I sat down with the band to talk about the mechanics of this machine. When you ask Jody Raffoul why he keeps showing up to the same stage every December, he doesn't give you a rehearsed PR answer. He looks at the numbers.
“Every year the crowds keep getting bigger for this fundraiser and that keeps more people aware of the need to help with the hungry,” Raffoul says.
And that awareness is a double-edged sword. While the spectacle grows, so does the demand. It is a grim irony that as the band’s profile rises, the poverty statistics in the city refuse to budge. Raffoul is acutely aware that music can only do so much against systemic failure.
“Unfortunately, the need never seems to go away, but $270,000 definitely helps to reduce it,” Raffoul says.
The selection process for where that money goes is shifting, too. It’s no longer just about filling the local food bank shelves; it’s about responding to a community that is increasingly vocal about its struggle. Jeff Burrows, who has seen the industry from the heights of international rock stardom down to the local trenches, notes the increasing pressure from the non-profit sector.
“I’m sure that more and more charities are hearing about the work that we are doing and they are contacting us to help out,” Burrows says.
But the core of the mission remains hyper-local. David Cyrenne, who balances his time between the stage and the technical side of the house, emphasizes that the focus has narrowed even as the impact has widened. The group is targeting 16 local food banks, including the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association and Chatham Outreach for Hunger.
“Choosing to take care of our own by donating to those in need in Windsor-Essex and Chatham, is important to us. The beneficiaries and our local community that support these charities have grown so much over the years. Even though The S’Aints have donated to various other local charities, the focus has been on the 16 local food banks, including the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association and Chatham Outreach for Hunger. The need to help feed the hungry is too great to ignore,” Cyrenne says.
And then there is the elephant in the room: child poverty. Windsor holds a title no city wants. It has the highest childhood poverty rate in Canada. It is a statistic that haunts the festive lights of the Colosseum.
“This year we are also addressing Windsor’s growing child poverty problem. Sadly, our community has the highest childhood poverty in Canada,” Cyrenne says.
It is easy to get lost in the bleakness of the data, but Cyrenne is quick to pivot back to the agency of the audience. He views the band as a vessel for a community that is desperate to help but often lacks the platform.
“I am very proud to be part of The S’Aints and what we’ve accomplished so far for our beneficiaries. Along with our sponsors, St. Clair College and Caesars Windsor, ‘The Sleighing Hunger’ campaign has raised nearly $270,000 in total by donating proceeds from ticket and CD sales since 2013. We may be the ones on stage donating our time and efforts but the true heroes are the community members that support this charity every year and who truly want to make a difference. Let’s all help to ‘Strike Hunger,’” Cyrenne says.
Choosing to take care of our own by donating to those in need in Windsor-Essex and Chatham, is important to us. The need to help feed the hungry is too great to ignore. This year we are also addressing Windsor’s growing child poverty problem. Sadly, our community has the highest childhood poverty in Canada.
The origin story of the group feels almost accidental in its simplicity. It started with a phone call and an acoustic set, long before the massive lighting rigs and the Caesars partnership. Kelly Authier recalls the early days of 2008 when the goal was much smaller.
“Jody and I were contacted by Ron Seguin back in 2008 to play some acoustic shows to raise awareness for St. Clair College students and to help with the homeless. Jeff Burrows came on board with Jody to put this band together with some of the greatest musicians that they have had contacts with through their many years in the music business to form The S’Aints,” Authier says.
As for the name? It’s a bit of marketing genius that managed to stick. It’s a play on the season and the city, a clever bit of branding that Burrows pulled out of thin air.
“Jeff Burrows came up with the name. It really suits the project well,” Authier says.
But you don’t get to play the Colosseum with just a clever name and a few acoustic guitars. The production value of these shows has skyrocketed. It is a massive undertaking that requires professional-grade audio and visual coordination. Kelly “Mr. Chill” Hoppe credits Cyrenne’s dual role for the high-end sheen of the performance.
“To our benefit, David Cyrenne has been running the audio group for The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor for many years and got them interested in helping us with this project. Dave has been a huge part of the production as well as one of The S’Aints great musicians,” Hoppe says.
And there is always the element of the unknown. Part of the draw of a S’Aints show is the "who might show up" factor. With Burrows and Raffoul at the helm, the Rolodex is deep.
“Jeff and Jody have many contacts in the music biz so you never know who might show up from year to year,” Hoppe says.
For Wes Buckley, the show is a grounding exercise. In an industry that is often defined by ego and the next gig, the Dec. 20 show is a reminder of why the music matters in the first place.
“It’s a great time to think about why we are here. I am very fortunate to have a very large family that are all doing great, and I look forward to spending time with family and friends, and playing music with The S’Aints,” Buckley says.
The music itself is evolving. Their ninth album, *Strike Hunger*, moves away from the traditional, often tired, Christmas canon. They are leaning into covers that carry a specific weight—songs that speak to peace and social consciousness. Jeff Burrows admits there is a ceiling to how many times you can reinvent "Silent Night."
“There are only so many Christmas songs that we can put on these albums, so we decided to start putting some of our favorite cover songs that have a variety of feel good messages of peace, love and understanding. Maybe we should start taking requests!” Burrows says.
Stephanie Baker describes the song selection process as a year-long curation. It isn't a democratic free-for-all; it’s a rigorous, often brutal, vetting process that starts in the dead of winter.
“It’s actually a really fun process. A lot of song ideas are bounced around during rehearsals, I try my best to keep track. But each member keeps a running list that they add to all year round. Then we come together as a group in January (we miss each other by then) and each of us take turns ‘presenting’ our lists. Some of us have really long lists (I think Jody and I are the worst for that),” Baker says.
The group then enters a listening phase where Cyrenne acts as the gatekeeper, playing tracks to see if they can survive the transition to a S’Aints arrangement.
“Dave is our DJ for the meeting and he plays each song so we can hear the potential of each tune. Some get shot down right away! Some make it to a very long ‘short list.’ Then we critique the short list for certain criteria to include variety: songs that inspire and make people feel good, songs that include the choir and horns section to really build the effect, obviously we need some holiday cheer in there too,” Baker says.
The final cut has to pass the "live test." If it doesn't have the legs to fill a room the size of the Colosseum, it doesn't make the record.
“The most important criteria we try to stick to are songs that will rock and wow the crowd live on stage. With everyone’s input, I think we do a good job of achieving that goal. I also think the versatility in each band member helps with the variety, too, for example, our lead singers can literally sing anything. There’s always a lot of excitement when we choose tunes – like kids in a candy shop with a lot of money to spend,” Baker says.
One of the standout tracks this year is a cover of "Hunger Strike." It is a bold choice, but Liz Robinson notes that the title alone made it an essential addition to the project’s identity.
“It seemed like the appropriate theme for helping with all the food banks,” Robinson says.
Technically, the recording process has shifted significantly over the nine albums. The romantic notion of a band sitting in a room together is becoming a casualty of busy schedules. Jeff Burrows admits that while the efficiency has gone up, something has been lost in the isolation of the booth.
“It was difficult at first because we are all so busy with our other carriers, and it was almost impossible to all get together at the same time in the studio to record. For the last three or four albums, we are now going into the studio separately to do our parts. I miss the comradery and collaboration with all of us there, but it cuts down on the studio time and we are getting the work done quicker and more efficiently,” Burrows says.
However, Marty Bak sees the evolution as a sign of the band’s maturity. They no longer need to be in the same room to anticipate each other's moves. They have developed a musical shorthand that allows them to "colour" the songs in isolation.
“After many years of recording and performing together, it has become much easier to record our albums. The band chemistry and dynamics have tremendously grown, so each of us usually know and understand what our band mates are going to implement as we build and colour the songs. Of course, once in awhile there are songs which require more time and detail since recording horns/strings/arrangements can sometimes be challenging and time consuming. Each band member is very well versed at their instrument, so even when decisions have to be made on the spot, we act very quickly and efficiently to serve each song as best as possible,” Bak says.
The logistics of the *Strike Hunger* sessions at SLR Studios were intense. They traded the slow-burn approach for a 1.5-month sprint, knocking out 13 songs with clinical precision.
“Every year, we get together at SLR Studios and usually book many dates over the course of a few months and pick away at the album throughout the summer/fall so that we have plenty of time before our deadline. This past year we became more efficient by recording for 1.5 months straight in order to fully complete 13 songs. Many people think that we record the songs live as an entire band in the studio, but this is not the case. Each instrument is recorded individually and precisely in order to give us detail and control during the mixing phase so that we can ultimately give our fans the best sound possible,” Bak says.
The result is a polished, professional product that sells for $10 at St. Clair College campuses and various locations across the county. It is a bargain for the talent involved, but then again, the price point isn't about profit. It’s about volume. Every CD sold is another meal. Every ticket to the Colosseum is a middle finger to the poverty statistics that plague the region. It’s a loud, rock-infused strike against a problem that usually thrives in silence.
