The Pookestra, The Rise of the Downtown Avengers Set for Typhoon Haiyan Benefit Tonight

...tired of Christmas muzak? ...don't have a present for your friend yet?...trying to find meaning in Christmas? Typhoon Haiyan wiped out multiple Filipino towns and left over 2 million people in need of food and shelter. One can only imagine how their Christmas will be like this year. For this one of a kind celebration, musicians from all corners of New York City will join forces to raise money and awareness of this tragic disaster and send out a gift to the people in need.

The Pookestra (directed by Carolin Pook) and the Downtown Avengers (curated by Fung Chern Hwei) follow the same musical vision of gathering adventurous improvisers with different musical backgrounds to create a beautifully coherent sonic experience. Every member of the Pookestra will be featured as a soloist with their favorite Christmas song, and the Downtown Avengers -as always- will take the audience on a wild journey to wherever the music leads them.

Experience the power of a Christmas song in a whole different way...Escape from the rampant shopping crowds and bitter cold of NYC! Buy a ticket and give it to your friend ...and celebrate Christmas in its true spirit.

$20 (all proceeds will be donated to the victims through Mercy Corps) at the ShapeShifter Lab 18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn. R train to Union St.

8pm- Rise of the Downtown Avengers
Fung Chern Hwei /violinMin Xiao-Fen / pipaLola Danza / voiceGina Izzo (RighteousGIRLS) / fluteSylvain Leroux / fula flute Vasko Dukovski / clarinetShoko Nagai / piano, electronicsSatoshi Takeishi / drums,percussion Gregor Huebner / violinPauline Kim Harris / violinConrad Harris / violin Carolin Pook / violinJeremy Harman / celloTyler Gilmore / electronicsMichael Bates / double bass

9pm- the Pookestra -a different x-mas music
Carolin Pook / arrangments, musical directionFung Chern Hwei / violin Jen Herman / violaBrIan Sanders / celloChristof Knoche / bass clarinet, flute, harmonicaPaul Orbell / electric guitarCraig Akin / double bass tba / electric bassJeff Gretz / drums

10pm- the Pookestra and the Downtown Avengers+special guests
...sending out a musical prayer to the Philippines