The "Blank Fest" is the brainchild of singer, songwriter and guitarist for "The Baghdaddios," Kenn Rowell. The first "Blank Fest" really wasn't a fest at all. In 1996 Rowell found himself with no family plans on Christmas Eve. Since he'd heard reports the year before of homeless people freezing to death in Manhattan, he decided to use the time to do something worthwhile. He collected blankets from his friends, sixteen in all, with the plan of passing them out in the streets of New York on Christmas Eve, making him a punk rock Santa Claus of sorts. He and a friend passed the blankets out at random to mostly grateful homeless people.

The following year, Rowell decided to do it again, except this time all of his friends were out of extra blankets. Then the idea hit, why not get a bunch of his musician friends together for a benefit concert, the admission price: one blanket? At first, no one took him seriously. Ten days before the projected date, the Sunday before Christmas, Chuck DeBruyn backed him up, saying it was a great idea. "Blank Fest '97" was a thrown together affair, with Rowell's band, "The Wheel," De Bruyn as a solo act, "Joe D'urso and Stone Caravan," and a female solo artist to warm up for them. There were about seven acts in all. They collected forty blankets. Rowell passed them out himself that year.

Flash forward to 1998 and find Rowell at it again, this time with a bit more lead time and planning. His manager helped arrange the show. Bands that turned Rowell down the year before, due to lack of notice, made themselves available this year. A dozen bands donated their time, energy and, of course, a blanket to the cause. As Rowell says, "We don't want your money, we just want your blankets."

I arrived at "The Loft" in Nyack, NY just as things were about to get started. I turned in my blanket and got settled at a table near the stage. "The Loft" is a small club, with the bar running midway down the left wall, and wrapped part way across the back, to a stairway running up the middle of the back wall. On the other side of the stairs, a small bar sat in back of a pool table. Blankets were piled near the small bar.

The stage area took up the front part of the bar, to the left of the door. Four colored lights shone from the ceiling to the stage. The crowd was small but enthusiastic.

Mike McGinnis Group

A few minutes after I arrived, Rowell stepped on stage and introduced, "The Mike McGinnis Group." The band was a jazz trio consisting of Mike McGinnis on saxophone, Sean Moran on guitar and Mark Dodge on drums.. They opened with an original song, written for "Blank Fest," called "Kenn's Christmas Dilemma." They followed it up with Thelonius Monk's, "Evidence." I'm not that familiar with jazz, so I'm not really an adequate judge of their performance, but they seemed good to me. They closed their set with, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

Joe D'Urso and Stone Caravan

The energy at the show was slow and easy at this point. Everyone seemed pretty relaxed. People were slowly filtering into the club with blankets to donate. Joe D'Urso arrived with his band, "Stone Caravan." They started setting up their equipment, and before too long, they were ready. The band included Joe D'Urso (vocals and acoustic guitar), Dan Albanese (bass), Sam Lamonica (drums), Chuck Chesler (accordion and melodica) and a friend from California, Tony Mattioli, guested on slide guitar. After being introduced, D'Urso and the band jumped into a song named "The Call." He had a deep raspy voice, which reminded me of Bruce Springsteen a bit. The music was in that same vein too. They had a relaxed laid back attitude and a full, uncomplicated sound.

Their second song was "Summertime Dreamin'." This one had an overtone of "Meatloaf" to it, with Chesler and Albanese supplying backing vocals. The song "Runnin' to You" was next. Chesler played the melodica, and D'Urso introduced his friend, Tony Mattoli, who joined the group on stage with his slide guitar. They played "The Other Side of Midnight," then "Aint Got No Money," a blues song, followed. The accordion seemed a bit out of place for blues, but it worked for the song. All in all, they were a pretty impressive band.

Patty Rothberg

As Patti Rothberg and her band set up their equipment, a mixture of tunes from "Smashing Pumpkins" to "Rush" played on the jukebox. The mood was laid back and relaxed as Patti Rothberg opened her set with "Dish" and "Flicker." Her voice sounded good and on target. The band created a full-bodied sound, much larger than one might expect from just guitar, bass and drums in such a small club. "Perfect Stranger" was up next.

"Inside" started off softly, then built speed and volume to a cacophonous roar - very impressive. An awesome acoustic twang from Rothberg's guitar gave "Forgive Me" a country edge. The drummer played bass on the tune, while both Rothberg and the bass player went acoustic.

She dedicated the song to Rowell at the end. "Treat Me Like Dirt" was raw and harsh to complement its lyrics. She switched back to electric guitar for a new song, "Candelabra Cadaver," an imposing heavy rocker. She closed her show with "Suffocator." Many of the songs from Rothberg's show were from her first album, "Between The One And The Nine." The album gained her enough recognition, at the time it was out, to get her a spot on "The Tonight Show." The album is still available in record stores and online.

The Baghdaddios

After Rothberg and her band left the stage, Rowell hit the mike and asked if anyone wanted to hear "The Baghdaddios," his band. The crowd cheered him on. "The Baghdaddios" are Kenn Rowell on guitar and vocals, Jim Ievolella on lead guitar, John Croyle on bass and Paul Zlotucha on drums. They quickly connected their equipment to the amps and began playing. Their first song was "My Iowa Wife," from their first album, "Willy Horton Hears A Who," about the perfect woman. They followed it up with another song from that album, "Welcome to New York." The song examines all the hardships of living and working in New York. A new song came next, "I Live in Fear," then they left the stage after some applause to make room for the next performers.

Three Against Four

The crowd was still pretty small, but appreciative. There was a lot of drinking, merrymaking and blanket collecting going on. "Three Against Four," a trio from Boston, set up their equipment, and Rowell joined them on stage for an introduction. "Three Against Four" are Brandon Patton (bass and vocals), Anand Nayak (guitar and vocals), and Jay Skowronek (drums). The band started off running with their song, "Statement." The chiming lead guitar offered a promise of good things to come. It was a promise fulfilled, because the song was awesome. Wild guitar playing meshed with the statements made in stream of consciousness style lyrics. They sang in a monotone, "No philosophy will satisfy me in a mood like this. . ."

"2 Days," a song from Patton's solo album, "Nocturnal," was next. It's a hard edged song about falling in love in only two days. They have an interesting lead and backing vocal mix. Patton explained that their song "Grace" was written for Jeff Buckley. It had a complex and choppy lead guitar, and you could tell they were really into this tune, particularly the drummer, Skowronek. It's a really tense song.

They dedicated "Bottle" to a best friend from elementary school, whose wife just told him she wanted a divorce. It had a soft, cool bass line, and a quirky, funk influenced guitar style. It started off quiet, slowly building to crescendo, then softening again at the end. This was an intense song live. The energy held up, despite Patton's guitar strap falling off his bass. The rest of the band continued playing undaunted as he fixed it. The song was about divorce and alcoholism.

"Think Again" featured Nayak on lead vocals. There was some great funky distortion on his guitar. Skowronek took over with a drum solo in the middle of the song. It ran right into "Green On The Ceiling," with frantic guitar, bass and drumming degenerating into soft drum and guitar overlaid by a quirky vocal. It created an interesting dreamlike effect, like being under water. They closed their set with "Fall Out." I was very impressed by this young band. Their intense playing and devotion to their craft shone through any technical problems with sound and equipment.

Cosmic Box

The changing of the guard slipped by quickly as "Cosmic Box" took the stage. Band members include Ethan Collins on guitar, Ross Kash on vocals, Marc Kurlanchik on drums and Chief Thompson on bass. They're from Bayside Queens, and carried the attitude of New York with them. Kash strutted around the stage like he owned it, with good cause. He did while he was up there. Their song, "Here I Come," reminded me of late seventies Led Zeppelin. Their sound was loud and powerful, easily carried off by Kash's stage presence. Frenetic guitar and drum gave way to soft interludes and vocals on "Late AM." The two parts of the song didn't blend well for me. Hopefully the relationship that the song portrayed mixed better. Kash jumped and skipped to the music often. Their songs had a good seventies retro feel to them.

Hang Brain

It took a bit longer for "Hang Brain" to set up, because keyboards were at the heart of their music. I was impressed with their long, jazz influenced, intro for "Sunshine And Rain." The two vocalists sounded good together on their second song. The bass player rocked back and forth from one foot to the other to the beat. Though the drummer dropped a stick, he continued playing. Unfortunately the keyboards overpowered everything else on their third song. The repetition in it was rather daunting as well. With more experience this band will do well.

The Baghdaddios

It was time for an encore performance by "The Baghdaddios." Their new song, "You Da Man," is a lot different from the songs on their first album. With two new players since that album, it's not surprising. It's a tribute song to WFAN DJ, Forrell. It had a speed metal and punk influence, and Rowell's vocal on the refrain, "You da man," was deep and rumbling. "Ramones" influenced "Christmas at CBGB's," was a punk screamer of a song. Ievolella's lead howled out on his solo, as he deadpanned the playing itself as a study in contrasts. They closed the short set with a punk version of "Auld Lang Syne," in the vein of "The Sex Pistols" classic, "God Save the Queen." Their raw energy demolished the holiday staple to good effect.

Mary Ann Farley

Singer, songwriter and guitarist, "Mary Ann Farley's" band includes herself; bass player Dennis Ambrose and drummer Steve Meltzer. The songs she played at "Blank Fest" were intimate and engaging. Farley opened her set with acoustic of "About You," followed by "Bliss." Ambrose and Meltzer completed the sound with electric bass and drums. "Might" had a folk influence to it. I found the percussion based "Silent Night" interesting. It almost sounded like Farley was yodeling at times, but not so. Her singing reminded me of a cross between Grace Slick and Dolly Parton, if you can imagine that. "I'm Your Girl" featured a bongo beat and a slower rhythm. It led into "Strange And Wonderful" and "For You To Do That." Their last song was "Crush." Farley has an impassioned vocal style and songwriting abilities to match.

Home Sweet Elsewhere

"Home Sweet Elsewhere's" claim to fame is their connection with the WB television show "Hits" where some of their songs were featured. They're first song, "Smash," was simple, straight up, early eighties style rock.

Singer Vaczy's vocal style was a bit irritating at times. It doesn't match his look at all. "Whatever Happened To Fun" affirmed the eighties influence, reminding me a bit of Rick Springfield songs. Mostly they reminded me of a combination of "The Knack" and "The Romantics" though. They played "Part of Me" and "Special Thing," then closed the set with "Undertow." The songs were all from their self-titled EP.

Chuck DeBruyn

Rowell approached the stage again to say a few words as "Home Sweet Elsewhere" dismantled their equipment. He wore a football blanket and carried "Elsewhere's" CD and an obligatory beer. He joked about always wanting a blanket like that, but he'd soon willingly give it away to someone who needed it more. He then introduced an old friend, Chuck DeBruyn.

Things seemed to be winding down a bit by this time. DeBruyn, a solo performer, played mostly cover tunes, but he played them well. He joked about his guitar having no low end and that he didn't really care. It didn't matter, his voice was pretty high and his set was all about performance. His jokes and easy manner on stage easily carried the show.

Suddenly things didn't seem like they were winding any more. He played an original song, "Mary Ann," which was good, and a highlight of his show was his awesome acoustic rendition of the "Kiss" classic, "I Want To Rock And Roll All Night." At first I had no idea what he was playing, but the refrain gave it away. DeBruyn plays around the New York area. Go see him if you get the chance. He puts on an engaging, humor filled solo show.

If Any

The surprise act of the evening, "If Any," was cobbled together that afternoon for "Blank Fest." Their first song was a cover song with a blues influence that I didn't recognize. The lead singer had a nice deep voice, and they sang "Green Eggs and Ham" to an electric fiddle. Their sound was infectious and full, surprising for a bunch of guys who hadn't played together before. Their version of Hendrix's "Hey Joe" wasn't bad at all. For a finale, they pulled four girls from the audience to sing the "ooh, oohs" in a Stones song. Debruyn joined them on stage to sing lead vocals, reading the lyrics off a sheet of paper. The result was astonishingly good. The final song was a blues tune too.

The Blankets

The collective effort of "Blank Fest '98" earned seventy blankets, nearly doubling the donations from "Blank Fest '97." With the help of his manager, Rowell delivered all but one blanket to the homeless of Manhattan on Christmas Eve. The punk rock Santa saved the last blanket for a homeless man in his home town, Nyack. "Blank Fest" continues to grow and change. Plans have already begun for "Blank Fest '99." I'll be the one at the front table with the pad and camera. See you there.