Our friends from Rock 2 ReBuild have been busy planning a benefit concert for vicitims of Hurricane Katrina. The concert is scheduled for Sat, October 15th at the Palace Theater in Albany, doors open at 7pm.
The current lineup includes performances by some of the Capital Region's biggest acts including The Refrigerators, Conehead Buddha, Super 400, The Kamikaze Hearts and Sensemaya and Friends.
The response from the local music community has been overwhelming. So many local musicians have contacted event organizers and offered to perform that Rock 2 Rebuild recently announced the "Palace Challenge" which will give local musicians an opportunity to compete for a chance perform at the benefit concert in one of two open slots in the lineup for the concert.
In addition to talented musicians, and generous sponsors a event of this magnitude can only be successful if people are willing to get involved and help. Please check the official Rock 2 Rebuild website for more information and to learn how you can volunteer to help and show your support.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Third Annual Lake George Blues Fest Ends On A Somber Note
This past weekend we headed north. We'd made plans to catch the Maynard Brothers' set at the Third Annual Lake George Blues Blast. It was late when we got to the village, about 3pm on Sunday, and we joined the rest of the blues fans already enjoying the music in Shepards Park.
We settled into a comfortable spot on the lawn, scanned the crowd for friends and family, and gave little thought to the familiar sound of an ambulance as it passed thru town. At the time, we had no idea of the tragedy unfolding just a few miles away. It wasn't long before everyone noticed the sirens; a sound out of place and hard to ignore between the blues tunes.
Slowly, word began to spread thru the crowd - there had been a boating accident of some kind on Lake George. One of the tour boats on the lake was involved; many passengers had been injured or possibly drowned. I turned to our friend, Jeff Maynard, and whispered what I had heard to him just before he headed down the hill to the stage for their set.
Within minutes a festival organizer thanked everyone for coming, announced the Maynard Brothers Band, and then asked the audience to pray for those who were involved in the accident, quite an introduction. The guys opened with "Don't Mind Livin' Alone" - their music was tight, and sweet for the next hour. The Maynard Brothers played one of the best sets we have ever heard them play that afternoon.
We struggled over what to say about the Lake George Blues Blast on the website. It's difficult to talk about the music in light of the tragedy this past weekend. We're music fans, not trained journalists, so we decided we'd just try to do our best. In addition to The Maynard Brothers, we caught sets by Phil Petroff & The Natural Fact and the area's own blues legend, Ernie Williams. Everyone sounded wonderful, in spite of the tragedy that was playing out just a few minutes north of Shepard's Park.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and survivors of the Ethan Allen accident, their families, and the volunteers and rescue workers who risked their own lives to help.
We settled into a comfortable spot on the lawn, scanned the crowd for friends and family, and gave little thought to the familiar sound of an ambulance as it passed thru town. At the time, we had no idea of the tragedy unfolding just a few miles away. It wasn't long before everyone noticed the sirens; a sound out of place and hard to ignore between the blues tunes.
Slowly, word began to spread thru the crowd - there had been a boating accident of some kind on Lake George. One of the tour boats on the lake was involved; many passengers had been injured or possibly drowned. I turned to our friend, Jeff Maynard, and whispered what I had heard to him just before he headed down the hill to the stage for their set.
Within minutes a festival organizer thanked everyone for coming, announced the Maynard Brothers Band, and then asked the audience to pray for those who were involved in the accident, quite an introduction. The guys opened with "Don't Mind Livin' Alone" - their music was tight, and sweet for the next hour. The Maynard Brothers played one of the best sets we have ever heard them play that afternoon.
We struggled over what to say about the Lake George Blues Blast on the website. It's difficult to talk about the music in light of the tragedy this past weekend. We're music fans, not trained journalists, so we decided we'd just try to do our best. In addition to The Maynard Brothers, we caught sets by Phil Petroff & The Natural Fact and the area's own blues legend, Ernie Williams. Everyone sounded wonderful, in spite of the tragedy that was playing out just a few minutes north of Shepard's Park.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and survivors of the Ethan Allen accident, their families, and the volunteers and rescue workers who risked their own lives to help.
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