Christmas with The Cranktones

On Wednesday, December 13, 2023, GuitarMasters held their annual Christmas concert “Christmas with the Cranktones” benefiting The Kern County Cancer Foundation (KCCF). A full house at Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace enjoyed the unique holiday tunes performed by “The Cranktones” and supported local patients by donating funds to help pay for medical bills related to cancer treatment.

“The Cranktones” is a group of musicians who have come together for the last eight years for “Christmas with the Cranktones.” The ‘unofficial leader’ of the Cranktones, Carl Verheyen, a longtime member of perennial rock legend, Supertramp, and a frequent guest artist at the Guitar Masters concert series says, “We love this town, so it’s never hard to convince the guys to play one more show every year,” Verheyen said. “The fans are so appreciative and into our show, and we’re always happy to lend a hand to a great cause.”

Rick Kreiser, event organizer, states “Christmas with the Cranktones” has always been a very special show for us, and it really fits well with Guitar Masters’ mission of making our town a better place to live through the magic of music. It’s a wonderful opportunity to give back to this community.

The community was extremely generous. Through sponsorships, ticket sales and other donations the event raised $60,000. Over the last 8 years the total raised by this event for KCCF is approaching $500,000. The funds from the event will be used to assist Kern County cancer patients with their medical bills related to their cancer treatment. Applications for financial assistance have doubled in 2023 compared to 2022 and events like this help ensure that KCCF can meet the need.