Award-winning promoters/producers Vickie and Peter Van Ness have produced some of the most critically acclaimed concerts and festivals on Boston's North Shore featuring national recording stars and award-winning young artists. Vickie, Peter and their son John created gimmeLIVE, which became the area's premier independent, family-owned concert promotion and production company.
In May, 2024, Peter's debut novel The Faithful was published by Good Job Publishing. The story is set in the Boston area at the dawn of the new millenium with scenes at The Larcom Theatre in Beverly [see here]
During 2021 and 2022, gimmeLIVE promoted dozens of shows at various North Shore venues, including The Gloucester Stage Company, The Regent Theatre in Arlington, Tuckerman Hall in Worcester, The Park Theatre in Jaffrey, NH and Kowloon's Outdoor Stage in Saugus, MA. For each of these shows, gimmeLIVE offered ticket swaps for all shows that were forced to cancel due to the pandemic.
On March 15, 2020, due to the pandemic, gimmeLIVE was forced to close 9 Wallis, which had become the North Shore's most intimate, elegant listeining room.
During the summer of 2020, gimmeLIVE presented safe, socially-distanced Drive-in concerts in the 3.5 acre lot behind the Manchester Athletic Club featuring 5-time Grammy-nominee Roomful of Blues, international soul sensation Barrence Whitfield, former Yardbirds guitarist Johnny A, J. Geils Band founding member Danny Klein's Full House, Boston legends The Fools, blues icon James Montgomery, SNL Band's Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman, Grammy Winner Paul Nelson, Megan Wolf's critically acclaimed Amy Winehouse revue and blues rocker Popa Chubby. GIMMELIVE offered ticket swaps to these concerts for all shows that were forced to cancel due to the pandemic.
Pre-pandemic 9 Wallis was the North Shore's most intimate, elegant listening room presenting live music every weekend with comfortable show seating at tables and award-winning food and beverage service, featuring local craft beers, and local distilleries.
In August, 2018, Peter and Vickie won the Boston Blues Society's Keeping The Blues Alive Award. See Award Presentation here.
In May, 2019 GIMMELIVE presented the premiere of the Gloucester Concert Series in partnership with Gloucester Stage Company.
From 2012 through 2017, GIMMELIVE's critically acclaimed seasons at Beverly's three theatres -- The North Shore Music Theatre, The Cabot and The Larcom -- featured Grammy winners, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and showcased emerging young talent you might want to keep your eye on -- Vickie & Peter have been known to spot stars in the making before.
In January 2016, after producing dozens of benefit concerts and festivals north of Boston, gimmeLIVE produced a Classic Rock Benefit Festival in Delray Beach Florida featuring Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals, Mark Farner -- founder of Grand Funk Railroad, Steve Augeri -- Journey's former lead singer, John Cafferty & Michael "Tunes" Antunes of the Beaver Brown Band. The festival raised thousands of dollars for the educational programs at Old School Square.
In 2007, GIMMELIVE reunited the Pousette Dart Band to headline a Memorial Day Weekend Music & Arts festival that launched Celebrate Gloucester and the grand opening of Cruiseport Gloucester, the very first cruise ship terminal in the city of Gloucester, MA.
After co-founding Gloucester's wildly successful summer Block Parties they produced several other major charity events, including the GIVE BACK MUSIC SERIES in Cambridge, MA and Brooklyn, NY; Concert From the Heart featuring Fly Amero of the band Orleans, Allen Estes, David Brown formerly of Billy Joel's band, and American Idol finalist Ayla Brown, which raised money for a heart transplant that saved a local boy's life; and Celebrate Gloucester 2010 featuring Grammy-winner Charles Neville, Henri Smith, Roomful of Blues and local rising stars.
GIMMELIVE kicked off a Summer 2012 concert series at North Shore Music Theatre with Chris Isaak's U.S. tour, which introduced Chelsea Berry followed by Aaron Neville, with local singer/band-leader Henri Smith and the first Orleans concert in New England after original founder John Hall re-joined the band, featuring local legend Fly Amero.
In 2013, gimmeLIVE brought music to Beverly's historic Larcom Theatre for the first time since the days of Vaudeville, starting with a sold-out Mardi Gras benefit concert featuring Grammy-winner Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers with Henri Smith New Orleans Friends & Flavours followed by world-class artists, whose Larcom Theatre shows garnered rave reviews.
In December 2013, gimmeLIVE packed Gloucester's iconic UU Church Meetinghouse for the first of a highly successful benefit concert series featuring top local talent and major recording stars, including John Sebastian, the first Rock & Roll Hall of Famer ever to perform in the city of Gloucester, MA.
During the summer of 2014, gimmeLIVE presented concerts at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard and in Gloucester aboard the Beauport Princess Cruise Ship and at the Waterfront Pavilion featuring artists of several genres -- from folk icon Peter Yarrow (of Peter Paul & Mary) to Ska pioneers The Toasters.
Later in 2014, Peter and Vickie co-produced That's When I Know It's Mardi Gras, a live CD recording at Beverly's Larcom Theatre featuring New Orleans vocalist Henri Smith with Grammy Award-winners Charles Neville and Amadee Castenell.
GIMMELIVE's 2014-2015 concert season at Beverly's Larcom Theatre featured award-winning, sold-out shows featuring music legends including Art Garfunkel, Leon Russell, Booker T. Jones, Jefferson Starship, Johnny Winter, Marshall Tucker Band and many more.
During the summer of 2015, Vickie and Peter presented a series of concerts featuring national recording stars and award-winning Boston area talent at the newly re-opened Cabot Theatre in downtown Beverly.
In January 2016, gimmeLIVE produced a Classic Rock Benefit Festival in Delray Beach Florida featuring Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals, Mark Farner -- founder of Grand Funk Railroad, Steve Augeri -- Journey's former lead singer, John Cafferty & Michael "Tunes" Antunes of the Beaver Brown Band. The festival raised thousands of dollars for the educational programs at Old School Square.
In early 2017, gimmeLIVE took over the building adjoining the Larcom Theatre (at 9 Wallis Street), formerly owned by members of Le Grand David Magic Company and known as the Grand Salon. GIMMELIVE addded comfortable chairs and elegant tables, installed state-of-the art sound and lighting systems and booked award-winning national touring artists. In April, 2017 the building re-opened as 9 Wallis, and became the North Shore's most intimate, elegant listening room offering cabaret seating with food & beverage service, featuring local craft beers and locally crafted liquors.
Because of its beautifully restored, tremendously flexible space with the best dance floor on Boston's North Shore, 9 Wallis became a favorite venue for fundraisers, private parties and corporate events. Local charities have raised thousands of dollars at 9 Wallis (see examples). With world-class entertainment, events began as a cocktail party or fully seated dinner...then transformed into a nightclub-style dance party with concert quality sound and stage lighting.
In May, 2019 GIMMELIVE presented the premiere of the Gloucester Concert Series in partnership with Gloucester Stage Company.
After 9 Wallis was ordered to close due to the pandemic, Peter and Vickie pivoted to producing drive-in concerts, outdoor benefit concerts and concerts in several other venues.
