Event Details
| Group Name: | 9/11 Benefit Concert for The List Project to Resettle Iraqi |
| Event Date: | Thu, September 11th 2008 |
| Event Time: | 5:30 pm |
| Admission: | $20.00 Cover/Donation |
| Tickets (no fees) | http://dromnyc.com/home/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=210&category_id=2&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=69 |
| Event Info/Notes: | 9/11 Benefit Concert for The List Project to Resettle Iraqi Allies STARRING NELLIE McKAY W/ Special Guests: Laura Thomas Band, Amir El-Saffar and Ray Gerber.  Nellie McKay McKay, who is also a talented pianist, brings an unlikely combination of influences to her work, which isn't easy to categorize. The New York City resident is relevant to pop/rock, but she is also relevant to cabaret, traditional pop, and vocal jazz. Tin Pan Alley, Kurt Weill, Cole Porter, Annie Ross, Peggy Lee, and Billie Holiday have affected her writing (either directly or indirectly), but so have Dory Previn and Randy Newman (the latter a frequent comparison), the Beatles, and hip-hop. McKay, in fact, shares Newman's penchant for lyrics that are cynical and sarcastic as well as dark-humored; like Newman, McKay knows how to laugh at the world even when she's complaining about how screwed up it is -- and she can be incredibly clever and witty. Her eclectic style and sharp lyrics distinguish her as an original voice. Laura Thomas Band Funky and fierce, the Laura Thomas band is a New York group with a sound like no one else in the industry. The LTB combines the power of Rock and Funk with probing lyrics and emotional songwriting. Textured by a fiery violin and a multi-layered guitar, the band is led by Laura’s powerhouse vocals. Laura sings with Ani Difranco’s tell-it-like-it-is defiance, Alanis Morissette’s sheer, clear power, the sultriness of Norah Jones. The result is an audio-shock of emotional truth. Amir El-Saffar Amir El-Saffar put hisNew York career on hold in 2002 to immerse himself in the music of his ancestry, the Iraqi Maqam. He quickly became versed in Maqam and found ways to adapt the microtones and ornaments to his trumpet playing. He went on to learn to play the santoor (Iraqi hammered dulcimer) and to sing, and he now leads the only ensemble in the US performing Iraqi Maqam, Safaafir. This ensemble has researched ancient practices that have been lost in recent generations, and is now reviving these sounds, continuing the legacy of the great masters of the Maqam tradition. Ray Gerber. Ray Gerber was born in Camden Maine on Feb 23rd 1973. He was 13 when he received his first guitar. At age 18, he joined the army and became a medic and later an LPN. He was on active duty for 6 years and honorably discharged in 1997. That year Ray moved to New York City and has claimed it as his home ever since. In August 2000 Ray joined the Army Reserves and was deployed to Iraq in 2004. He was stationed at the Abu Ghraib prison facility from January to December of 2005. He performed music at every opportunity during the tour of duty. Since coming home to New York City in 2006, Ray has been actively pursuing a career as a musician, with his emphasis being on songwriting and playing guitar. His most powerful song entitled “Let Me Go” recalls the fear he experienced as a soldier in combat. |