Dancing Goats Launches Occupy Hunger For The Holidays

The band Dancing Goats is producing a holiday fundraising event to support the Food Bank For New York City, which is the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. "Occupy Hunger For The Holidays" will take place on Friday, December 23 at 7 pm at the Mercury Lounge at 217 East Houston Street in New York City. All the band’s net proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Food Bank (foodbanknyc.org). Plus, the band will raffle off gift cards, theater tickets, and dinner certificates from some of New York’s best restaurants. Also performing at the benefit will be opening band, Mother Zeta.

Tickets are $15 and available through Ticket Master. Concertgoers are also asked to bring canned goods. Dancing Goats is also launching an online campaign to encourage bands all across the country to do the same type of event in their communities. To be part of “Occupy Hunger for the Holidays” bands are asked to perform a show, collect canned goods, and donate funds to their local food banks.

Dancing Goats is a seven-piece band is a rock/blues/jam band. The band’s performances feature a mix of original music interspersed with versions of popular songs with a Dancing Goats twist – from funk to high energy. The band is known for weaving from song to song, using spontaneous jams to bridge one song’s mood into another, making each performance unique.

For more information: http://www.dancinggoatsband.com

“Hunger is a 100% problem – not just 99% or 1%,” says Dancing Goat Scott McPherson. “We decided to tie this event into the recent awareness about the Occupy movement. In the holiday spirit, we are aiming to show there are good people supporting a worthy cause on both sides of the percent sign”

The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced there are about 49 million Americans are facing hunger including 1 in 5 children. According to the Food Bank For New York City, throughout the five boroughs of New York City approximately 1.3 million people — mainly women, children, seniors, the working poor and people with disabilities — rely on soup kitchens and food pantries. Approximately 3 million New Yorkers experience difficulty affording food for themselves and their families, an increase of 60 percent since 2003.

“Hunger is a nationwide problem. Every local food bank needs local support. We hope to enlist bands nationwide to produce similar ‘Occupy Hunger for the Holidays’ events,” says McPherson.

Listing Info.

Where: Mercury Lounge
217 E. Houston Street
(between Avenue A & Essex Street)
212-260-4700
http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com

When: December 23, 2011

Doors at 7:00 pm
Mother Zeta at 7:30 pm
Dancing Goats at 8:30 pm

Tickets are $15.00 and are available in advance at : http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00004785C483B921?brand=mercurylounge

Subway: F Train to 2nd Avenue
J , M Train to Essex Street