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Wilmington’s
2nd
Rock ‘n’ Roll Food Overdrive
Take the fight against hunger to the
streets once again at the 2nd Rock ‘n’ Roll Food
Overdrive, Friday, April 3, through Sunday, April 5 at Wilmington’s
fastest growing music venue, The Spot, at 1908 N. Market St.
More than 20 bands from five states
have signed on to play Wilmington that weekend, making it one of the
largest movements in underground music the city has seen in years,
and all in the name of charity. All proceeds from the weekend go to
benefit the Food Bank of Delaware.
The resident musicians and event
organizers at The Spot have teamed up with the Food Bank and the
nonprofit Urban Bike Project for a second time. The first Food
Overdrive sponsored by the two organizations comprised an eight-band
lineup at The Spot Dec. 20, 2008, just in time for Christmas. We
raised $268 and an estimated 300 pounds of food in just one evening.
The weekend kicks off during the
Wilmington art loop. The Spot’s gallery, which will be open from
5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., will feature works from several local artists.
During the art loop, acoustic musicians Evangelina, Devin Zito and
locally renowned comedy guitarist Todd Chappelle will play live
music.
After the art loop, the show kicks into
high gear with a lineup featuring rock, alternative, electronic and
new wave musicians, including Deaf Not Dead (Newark); Vib
(Baltimore); CoCoSyn (Wilmington/Newark); Cave Bats in the Gold Dust
(Wilmington); E.Joseph and the Phantom Heart (Baltimore); and The
Black Cheese (Wilmington).
Saturday we open the doors at 4 p.m. to
a punk/metal extravaganza, featuring Maine’s longtime pop-punk
favorites The Leftovers; Tit Patrol (Wilmington/Newark); Ba-durr!
(Newark); My Version of It (New Castle); The Cockblocks (Pa.); Bob’s
Hemophiliac (Pa.); and sludge metal band Hellblock 6 (Philadelphia).
Sunday’s lineup is still in the works
but will comprise seven punk and hard rock bands, including Sexon
Horses (Wilmington); Rapid Cities (New Brunswick, NJ); Anne
Frankenstein (Newark); and The Impatients (Wilmington/Newark).
The Food Overdrive is open to people of
all ages. Admission Friday and Sunday is $5 or 3 nonperishable food
items. Admission Saturday is $6 or 4 nonperishable food items.
Yeah, really, you can hang out and see
upwards of six bands on any one of these nights and pay with just a
few cans of food.
Of course, we’d appreciate additional
donations. After all, with unemployment on the rise and demand at the
Food Bank skyrocketing, thousands of families – your neighbors and
fellow citizens – need as much help as they can get.
But suffice to say you need only give
what you feel you can.
“Rich or poor, without our
volunteers, our musicians and our audience who devote their time to
helping someone less fortunate, the Food Overdrive does not exist,”
event co-organizer Gerry Montag said.
“Nearly all the bands play for free,
and we front all additional costs. Not one cent from the cash box
goes toward ‘expenses,’ ‘administrative fees’ or profit.
“The lengthening shadow of this
recession shrouds more people in panic and despair as time goes on.
So now’s the time when we have to decide either to fight over
scraps of bread or to share some with our neighbors with whom we rub
elbows every day.
“It’s also a time to show that rock
‘n’ rollers do care enough about community to give something
back. The first Overdrive was full of good vibes. A lot of people
felt that, regardless how small, we made a difference.
“And that’s the difference between
us and the Bernie Madoffs of the world: we still believe what we do
counts for something. So here’s our invitation we graciously extend
to you: come on out the first weekend in April, kick off the spring
with a fresh start to a new era of grassroots social consciousness,
and let’s rock downtown Wilmington.”
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Food Overdrive is
a new tradition at The Spot and will be held three or four times
annually.
Born in 2007, The Spot is the place in
Wilmington for local music and arts. The venue is managed and staffed
by volunteers dedicated to bringing more live and visual art to
downtown Wilmington. Their multipurpose space at 1908 N. Market St.
is also home to the Urban Bike Project and Gallery 1908, a showcase
for local artists and part of Wilmington's art loop.
The Urban Bike Project is a
not-for-profit bicycle shop with a focus on education and mechanical
self-reliance. They have a full compliment of shop-quality
tools and provide educational programs and mechanical assistance to
Wilmington residents and youth in need.
The Food Bank of Delaware distributes
food to shelters, kitchens and charity organizations throughout the
state. According to Community Relations Manager Kim Kostes, those
organizations have reported an increase in demand of between 25 and
50 percent within the last year.
“A lot of people who once donated
their money to these organizations are now needing them for help,”
Kostes said.
This is a list of items the Food Bank
needs most urgently:
Canned fruit
Tuna
Canned meats
Pasta sauce
Pasta
Peanut butter
Cereal
Soup
Pet food
Toothpaste
Paper Towels
Canned Vegetables
Soap
For more information about the Rock ‘n’
Roll Food Overdrive or The Spot, visit
http://www.myspace.com/brandywinevillagecollective
to get in touch via MySpace, or contact Ted Bond at (302) 598-3820 or
tbond302@gmail.com.
For more info on the Urban Bike
Project, visit http://urbanbikeproject.org.
For information on the Food Bank of Delaware, contact Kim Kostes at
kkostes@fbd.org.