Blank-Fest XXVIII

25+ Years of Warming Bodies
and Souls
Dec 15, 2024
Noon to Midnight

LIVE from The Hudson House
134 Main Street
Nyack, NY 10960

...

Bobby Steele

Being a veteran of several recognizable bands, Bobby is most notable for his affiliation with The Misfits and his own band, The Undead. An iconic punk rocker, Bobby is also known for his encyclopedic knowledge of jazz and pop standards, which resulted in the most online hits ever for a Blank-Fest show, temporarily knocking iHeartRadio offline from listener overload during his first appearance here in the mid-2000s.

2023 Line Up

Patti Rothberg

Patti's debut album, "Between the 1 and the 9" (EMI) went on to sell 450,000 copies in the US, Japan and Europe. Touring extensively with several multi-platinum artists, she's also appeared on The Tonight Show, Late Night, and Oprah, and guest VJ'd on MTV, in addition to her music being featured in major motion pictures. Returning almost annually since Blank-Fest II in 1998, she missed our first year only because she was touring with The Black Crowes - Patti truly is a friend of this show and our efforts!

2023 Line Up

Chuck DeBruyn

Chuck was there for the birth of Blank-Fest and the storys goes... Chuck DeBruyn and Kenn Rowell were sitting in a Nyack bar one night when they hit upon the idea of having a musical charity event benefiting NYC's homeless. It was so simple: provide a means for Kenn's musician friends to join him in giving back to the community by donating their time and talent to perform a concert where the cover charge is a blanket.

2023 Line Up

Joe D'Urso

Joe D'Urso has released 14 records since 1991, the most recent being 2018's "Jersey Diner". The new release features 11 original songs along with odes by Tom Waits, Harry Chapin and Bruce Springsteen. Joe has performed in 27 countries.

2023 Line Up

Yvonne Sotomayor

Yvonne writes raw, intense, visual ,bilingual poetry.
She's pioneered poetry videos with music, performed at The Iowa & Kentucky State Fairs, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, all over NYC as well across the USA & Canada!

2023 Line Up

The Baghdaddios

The Baghdaddios hail from the depths of New York City's underground punk and alternative circuit. Alternatively known as 'The Band That Refuses To Die', these guys rock. Plain and simple.

2023 Line Up

...

Blank-Fest is proud to announce our newest co-sponsor:
New York Independent Record Label, Manic Kat Records!
Please join us in welcoming Manic Kat aboard!

Suggested Donation:

Ah, the suggested donation! This is the part that was always so easy for us to state; since 1997 all we ever had to say was "One blanket, any condition", which we would collect at the door. But this year is different. Very different. For the first time, ever, in our Benefit's history, instead of donating an actual blanket, we will be asking for cash via PayPal. This came after heavy consideration. We have always maintained that we were never interested in collecting any money. We even used to say "If we've made dime one at the end of the day, we've failed, somewhere".

But, once again, this year is very different. The logistics in collecting blankets when we're not having a live performance at a venue would be complicated at best, impossible at worst. And so, we are asking anyone who is viewing this year's show to contribute cash via PayPal. With this cash we can purchase blankets and have them shipped to various homeless shelters in or around NYC. Not one penny will go for anything else. If it's not blankets, then it will be for nothing. No offsetting of expenses. No payment to anyone connected with this show, period.

It's About The Homeless
Nothing More, Nothing Less

And how much are we suggesting for a cash payment? There IS no suggestion. That's right. Over the past 23 years we have seen plenty of people come and go at our flagship show in Nyack and not even bring a blanket. But we've also seen many more people who brought not just one blanket per person but in many cases multiple blankets. We felt back then - and still feel now - that for a "suggested" contribution, it should always be a matter of conscience. If you wanted to show up at past shows and bring nothing for the less fortunate, well, that's on you. The same applies for this show. You pay what you want.

If you log on, watch the entire show, and you don't donate anything, that's on you. We're sure there'll be many more people who will try to give at least something. If it's a dollar, so be it. If it's 33 cents, we'll deal. If it's more, $5, $10, $100(!), you'll leave us not only grateful, but speechless as well. But the bottom line is this: our suggested donation for this show - payable via PayPal, only - is left very much on the honor system: you pay what you can (or want). And for whatever we get, we will always remain grateful - and we assure you, every donation will go toward getting blankets to our City's homeless. And we thank you for that!