BY LEE B. ROBERTS
Journal Times | Posted: Monday, December 17, 2007 12:00 am
It was ten years ago that John Sidoti first played Blank-Fest, a benefit concert for the homeless which started in Nyack, New York.
Back then Sidoti was the bass player for the band the Baghdaddios whose front-man, Kenn Rowell, is one of the founders of the annual festival, which has been collecting and distributing blankets for New York's homeless for ten years.
Now a Racine resident, Sidoti will play in Wisconsin's first-ever Blank-Fest. It's a satellite version of the New York event and will take place Friday at McAuliffe's Pub, 3700 Meachem Road.
These days Sidoti plays bass with the local, alternative/indie band ChupaRosa, which will be one of five groups playing Racine's version of the benefit concert. Other bands joining the effort will be Shameless Place (blues/rock) and Nolo Contendre (experimental/punk/rock), both of Milwaukee; and Thunder Driver (rock/metal) and the Romeros (power pop/rock), both of Chicago.
"I think it is great that Ron is doing the festival here," said Sidoti, who grew up in New York. "This year there are also going to be Blank-Fests in South Jersey, Houston, Texas and the United Kingdom, and last winter they had their first one in Toronto."
Ron is Ron Purtee, a local internet radio host whose idea it was to bring Blank-Fest to Wisconsin. Purtee connected with folks from New York's Blank-Fest through his radio program, "The Ron Show," which will be moving to VPZRadio.com on January 7. After learning about Rowell and his commitment to helping the homeless, Purtee thought a similar effort here would be a good way to help people during Wisconsin's cold winter.
"Everybody has times when they are down," Purtee said. "This is a way to pay it forward."
He proposed the idea to J.J. McAuliffe and the tavern owner was happy to host the event, offering the larger of his two venues to accommodate as many bands and as many people as possible. McAuliffe will also be collecting blankets for the cause at his pub throughout the week, for those who cannot attend Friday's event, he said.
"I consider myself very fortunate and if I have the opportunity to do something like this to help others, I feel I should do it," said McAuliffe. "Being a part of a cause like this is easy, it is almost a no-brainer."
Blank-Fest is also an easy way for the audience to participate, as their only requirement is to bring a blanket with them to the show.
One blanket - new or used in good condition - is the price of admission. All blankets collected will be donated to the homeless through area shelters, such as the Love and Charity Mission and the HALO shelter.
For Sidoti, Racine's Blank-Fest might feel a little like deja vu.
"We all had a blast," the bass player said of his time playing the first Blank-Fest, which took place in 1997 at a Thai restaurant called Mai Place with just a few bands. "All the bands that played were from CBGB's (a famous music venue in New York City's Greenwich Village) who came up to the burbs to play."
This year's 10th anniversary Blank-Fest, which was held on Dec. 16, featured 24 bands, each playing a half hour set.
Through the years, Blank-Fest has also increased the number of donations it has collected from about 40 in its inaugural run to more than 650 last year, according to the event's web site http://www.blankfest.com
While it has grown in many ways, the festival's mission has remained the same, according to organizers. "It's about the homeless. Nothing more, nothing less," reads the banner on the Blank-Fest Web site.
WHAT: Blank-Fest Wisconsin
WHEN: Doors open at 7 p.m. Friday (Dec. 21).
WHERE: McAuliffe's Pub, 3700 Meachem Road
COST: Admission is one blanket. Those without a blanket pay $10. All money collected will be donated to area homeless shelters.
INFO: Go to http://www.myspace.com/blankfestwisconsin