‘My Morning Jacket’ Headline NJ Sandy Benefit Concert [VIDEO]
New Jersey is still reeling from Hurricane Sandy, months after the storm rocked the US East Coast, and last week some of the best musicians around convened in the Garden State for a relief concert featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (from New Orleans), Joseph Arthur, Nicole Atkins, River City Extension, Tangiers Blues Band, other special guests, and headliners "My Morning Jacket."
For the "Preservation Hall Jazz Band," the show was an effort to bring the healing power of music to a region of the country hit by Hurricane Sandy, after seeing damage following Hurricane Katrina.
"Following Hurricane Katrina, the response from around the world was overwhelming," said Ben Jaffe, the creative director for Preservation Hall Jazz Band. "Now it's our time to give back to a devastated community where many of our friends, family and supporters call home. In New Orleans, we turn to our music during hard times. It offers us hope and the feeling that things will be better. We are doing what we always do during hard times: celebrate life. Hopefully this will bring some joy to the residents of the devastated region at a time of great heartache."
Ticket sales for the show went to a number of different NJ charities, including Coastal Habitat for Humanity, The Food Bank of Monmouth/Ocean Counties, Waves for Water, Food For Thought By The Sea, and RebuildRecover. My Morning Jacket has also announced that they will donate a portion of the proceeds from two other upcoming shows as well, according to Brooklyn Vegan.
Jim James performing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band:
RebuildRecover co-founder, Anthony Setaro, speaking before the concert: