The Hudson House will be rocking for a good cause on Sun Dec 21 from 12n-12m for the 18th annual Blank-Fest, a benefit in Nyack that collects blankets and raises awareness for NYC’s homeless.
Kenn Rowell, front man for the NYC-based indie band The Baghdaddios, is the show’s organizer and MC. “When we started handing out blankets in ’96 we had no idea that this would still be going,” says Rowell. “Now that we’ve been at it for this long, I honestly couldn’t imagine a holiday season without doing this.” The Nyack native says that putting the annual event together is both exhausting and exhilarating. “I’m exhausted – but energized and running on adrenaline at the same time!”
The cost of admission? A suggested donation of one blanket in any condition, a small price to pay for 12 hours of name-brand rock ‘n roll.
Blank-Fest headliners include Blues Hall of Fame member Beki Brindle and NYC-based singer-songwriter and renowned indie recording artist Victoria Levy. Returning to this year’s event are EMI alum Patti Rothberg, Bobby Steele (of The Misfits & The Undead), Rockland-based international touring artist Joe D’Urso & Stone Caravan, Tim O’Donohue, Johnny & The Alimonies, The Rewd Onez (featuring internet webcast personality Rew Starr), Kama Linden, and (Vans Warped Tour veterans) Reflective Insight.
The first show of its kind, this blankets-for-homeless effort has spawned several satellite shows within the past decade, including Blank-Fest shows in Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal & Guelph in Canada, Florida, Wisconsin, Virginia and New Jersey in this country and Nottingham in the UK; sources estimate a total from all shows, worldwide, of close to 15,000 total donations for those in need during the past 17 years.
The Hudson House is at 134 Main Street in Nyack. For more info go to BlankFest.org or email Kenn Rowell.
