She did a good job of dimming the lights on the city that never sleeps, but slowly, New York most iconic music venues are crawling out from under Hurricane Sandy.
Power is back in much of Manhattan following days of blackouts, and the subway system is mostly back up and running, which means clubs and concert halls are beginning to reopen – and many are holding fundraisers to help with relief efforts.
Tonight at the Lower East Side venue the Cake Shop, Montreal’s the Luyas and Vancouver’s Peace are playing a free show, with donations being collected for New Amsterdam Records’ relief fund.
Tonight in the East Village, The Stone is holding a hurricane relief benefit featuring John Zorn, Joel Rubin and other music luminaries. At The Knitting Factory, Vast Aire, the Kominas and others will raise funds to benefit the Rockaways – one of the region’s hardest-hit neighbourhoods.
But even as The Bowery Ballroom re-opens its doors for the first time tonight with a show by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Ava Luna, other larger shows are still being canceled, including Little Feat and Leon Russell, Jefferson Starship and Rickie Lee Jones.
Located near the high-rise where a crane toppled over and dangled precariously Carnegie Hall also remains closed, and dozens of high-profile concerts have had to be rescheduled, cancelled, or moved to alternative venues. (The broken crane has now been secured, so there is hope it will be reopened soon.)
Of course, New Yorkers are famous for banding together in adversity, and heavyweights including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Sting and Christina Aquilera did just that at this weekend's Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together telethon, which raised an estimated $23 million for victims of “Superstorm Sandy.” All funds will got to the American Red Cross.
"We are incredibly grateful and humbled by this outpouring of support for those who are suffering as a result of Superstorm Sandy," read a joint statement from Red Cross and NBC Universal.
"Our preliminary results of nearly $23 million raised are an extraordinary example of how the American people pull together in times of disaster. Their generous donations will go directly to those in need, and we urge the public to continue to give.”
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