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My goodness, it's being Frank, where the only way to be is Frank. Hello, everyone in, welcome to being Frank. We're the only way to be is Frank. I'm your host, Frank. Well going on, and I'd like to thank you for joining us on what we like to call the Intelligent Conversation podcast, where no conversations out of bounds and all points of view are welcome. Regular listeners are aware of our routine, and that is to record live to tape.
And I give you the date so you have some context and irrelevance is the eleventh of December.
You know.
The county in which I live in. This podcast streams from Rockland is outside of New York City, geographically the smallest in the state of New York. Yet despite its diminutive stature, it produces some of the finest musical talent found anywhere in the country. In addition, these musicians have always been willing to lend their considerable talents to charitable causes, and rarely will you find more talent or a better cause than this weekend's twenty ninth edition of Blankfest at
the Hudson House of Nayak. Don't worry a gang, We'll have plenty of details coming up shortly. For an entire day, you can enjoy great music for the simple admission price of a blanket that will then be distributed to the less fortunate on Christmas Eve. In the previous twenty eight years, the event has resulted in over twenty thousand blankets being donated to the homeless, with a total bound to increase
with this year's haul. Well, now it's time to meet four key members of the team that works so incredibly hard to make Blankfest happen. And I suppose the best way is to start at the so called top. But the man who originated this wonderful event those twenty nine years ago, and despite the enormous challenges, continues it today. As well as as many other skills. He may be best known as the front man for the progressive rock band The Bag Daddy OS one of my favorite titles
of a band. I love it. I'm gonna introduce him and let him tell us about the other very special guests he's brought with him, and indeed they are special, and we're gonna have some intelligent conversation right here at being Frank. Let's welcome back, mister Ken Row Ken. Thank you for joining us. It's a busy week for you. I'm sure it is.
It is a crazy week to say the least. And thank you Frank for making room for us this busy, busy pre Blankfest week.
You know, it's always my pleasure. It's it's such a wonderful event. It's a fun event. It's great to have you guys on to talk about it. So let before we get into the nuts and bolts, if you will of it, let's talk to I said, you brought very special guests, allowing you to introduce them. Since you know them so well, you know, I can give you a bio, but you tell us about them and how important they are to this event.
I'm good. I'm gonna go.
I'm gonna go with chronological order, by order of whom I met and when I first married.
I first met Chuck to.
Brune many many years ago, when we were both residents in the Nayac area and he was fronting a lovely band called The Horse She rooted in on. I went to go see them at the bottom Line and I was completely hooked. And I've been a fan ever since,
and I've been a friend even longer. As a matter of fact, he was bartending the night the Bag Daddys were playing a show down at a little club in Nyack that since departed called my place, and I said, you know, wouldn't be kind of neat if we had a show where we could have click blankets at the
door and give him to the homeless. And then I forgot about it for ten days, and after another show, I walked in to a bar ordered a drink, and Chuck came up to me and said, you know that idea you had about that show, that's a great idea. You should follow through on that. And that's how Blankfest was born. So that's our first guest is Chuck de Brune. Our second book is Chuck.
Welcome. We're gonna hear from you and and see if you will verify that story for us. So welcome, Welcome to being Frank.
Thanks Frank.
Ken, he's up there. Okay, my pleasure. We're gonna talk plenty in just a minute. We'll get through the introductions. Ken, Who's up next?
Next up?
One night the Bag Daddys were playing at the hallowed birthplace of Punk's CBGB, and there was another band on the build called Thrust. I struck up a conversation with someone in the band, and she was telling me about all the wonderful things she had going on, including an art exhibit at the now Departed. It was on Avenue A, and I can't remember the name of place. Bar wasn't called bar A, was it, Patty? I'm sorry, Well, you remember your art exhibit it was at Yes, it was.
Called Oh, I can't believe I can't remember. That's weird. It was ninety four, and for some reason, I was very much bolder than I'll just walk up to anybody. Where's latch? Who's latch? Give me an R two?
Yeah, like you know that.
So actually, Neil and I came down to check out your art show. We got cards and stuff like that. And then about a month later, I walked into a latch show as a matter of fact, and I said, whatever happened to Patty Rothberg? And he said, well, you didn't hear about her. And usually when somebody says something like that, it usually means that something bad has happened. But he said, she's big time now. She's going to be on the Tonight show. And I was like what.
And that's how I found out you've been signed by EMI and that you had an album coming out between one and nine. And I got my whole family to stay up and watch you guys play on the Tonight Show. I still have the VHS tape somewhere in our home.
And yeah, we're giving away. It's a while ago since it's on VHS.
David Letterman is now Santa Claus and Jaylen.
I was like, they've all morphed into.
Wasp icons of holidays past.
It's true, but it did happen, so all the way you said it happened.
Patty Wanner. Thank you for joining us here. We haven't met previously, so I've seen you at Blanket Fast It's me, yes up here up top. You can't see us, but we can see each other. Yes, that's me. I'm celebrating again. People can't see us, but I figured i'd set the mood. Thank you for joining us. We talk to you a little bit more a little more detail about blank Fest and your involvement, but can I know you've got somebody special you want to talk about now too, So yes, look at that last.
Last but certainly not least especially in my life. It was way way way back in twenty twelve when I was aimless and rudderless and I met a lovely, lovely lady who charmed the hell out of me. She made me want to clean up my act. I'm still working on it. And in the meantime, we got married and I got a chance to do something that has been very very close to me, which is I collaborate with someone I love very very much. She is not just my wife, but she's a wonderful bilingual poet, and she's
the brains behind this whole operation. And she and actually, on our one month anniversary of being a couple, she actually rode with me up to Nayak from Queen's while David Tanner, who will be at Blankfast, helped us set up all the equipment. So she's been with me every step of the way ever since.
I guess it was.
Blankfast, Blankfast seventeen, Blankfast sixteen. Her name is miss Yvon sodamayor Oh.
My hells, I hello, thank you once again. You were with us last year and you're back and you're going to read a couple of poems for us at.
Yeah, I appreciate the opportunity.
Always, it's it's always it's in need my pleasure. Guys, let's talk a little bit about you know, your involvement, how you got involved with with blank Fest. You know, Chuck, why don't we we start with you. We got a little bit of the short story about it, but tell us a little bit more detail. How you first got involved with blank Fest.
Yeah, Ken kind of nailed it. We we had a conversation or two about it, and uh, coincidentally at that time, my grandparents had passed or my my grandfather had passed away, and we were cleaning out his house and they had a pretty big house and they had a lot of blankets, and uh, I just threw them all the back of my car.
And uh, what did we raised the first year? Ken?
Was it forty blankets? And I think you brought most of them.
I think I brought twenty of them.
Yeah, but go ahead, Yeah, it was it was it was.
Uh, you know, when we first talked, I started talking about it and I love I love the idea of being charitable, and I'm also a bit of a cynic and I think some of the charities could be better run and there could be waste cut from some of them and administration costs. The great thing about Blankfest is there is none of that. It's twelve hours of music. And I should also say to anybody who's planning to attend,
you don't have to go buy a blanket. There's one in your closet, in your guest room that nobody has touched in five ten years.
Just take that one.
This is about taking the things we don't need and give them to the people that really need them. And I would also like to emphasize that these blankets get distributed on Christmas Eve, and without fail, for twenty nine or twenty eight soon to be twenty nine years ten organizes people to go down and hand them out to New York City's homeless on Christmas Eve. The sacrifice and the generosity and the caring, I there is no better charity in my eyes here.
You make a couple of great points there. I think, Chuck, that we should emphasize the fact that it's truly hands on. I mean, it's an exchange. You bring the blanket, you give it to, you know, to somebody. It's stored for a little bit upstairs, then it's stored until Christmas Eve. Then literally a crew of people come and take it, so there's very little overhead, if you will. Everything is directly given to those who need it, so that you know, that's I think a really great point yep.
Yeah, and also an amazing day of music.
Yeah. Again, people have to realize it's all day long, it's a variety of music, and we're gonna get into it a little bit. I'll allow Ken to give the lineup that we can expect and in just a bit, but I want to get to Patty too. Patty, talk a little bit about your involvement. How you first, you know, heard about this crazy idea of performing and for blankets. If you were, what did you think about it at first? How did you first become involved?
Okay, well, first I'd like to say I remember the day I met Ken, I was playing with this crazy tribal industrial band, which that genre has not continued. I mean, you know they say, like, for example, the band White Leg is very popular right now, and they say, oh, they were just screwing around, and no, no, no, they weren't screwing around. Thrust was like we were banging on stuff, we were wearing body glitter, and you know, we were sex positive and we were going to make a statement.
And meanwhile, there were some women who chose to be nude, topless mostly and the guys would just come to gawk. Of course, So and Ken was not one of those guys. Of course, he was a gentleman who was shielding his eyes and waiting for his bride to be I'm just trying to repeat it, like I remember how.
Much how much.
This is the graphs roots operation money is only there's no bitcoin here, only blankets. So I remember Ken as being very bright, very smart, and like enthusiastic about his band, the back Daddios. I loved that the title of his band. And back then I was so open to any idea. I mean, if you've ever seen Thrust, this is not
a commercial with Thrust gone. But and by the way, that art show it was called Math for Artists, the Wonder of Genetics, and it was a portrait show of people in pop culture who looked like to me, and then you put them together in it. But I'll just continue talking about Ken. So the first place that I remember he had he had me to his friend Neil. This is when guys still had long hair but not lipstick or you know. It was like a transitional I
guess grungy phase of reality. Uh, and Ken had long hair, but yeah, that was a later phase. You were Beatles fan. I remember, of course very serious and you said, hey, I have this blank Blankets.
Uh.
I don't know. All I remember is going to it was not bad synops. This is not the beautiful operation that it now is. And I'm sure that is very much in part to Yvonne who came. But no, I don't know. I mean I remember we were in It looked like the Neville with a green stained, beer stained carpet. Like at the first year, since I think it was called bruck Cells, it was a different.
It was Chuck's place. It started out of brook Cells.
And it was just like you know, it was a little bit like Chile, if I remember. Actually they made it into a venue and it worked, and then somehow it turned into the Hudson House and it just grew and grew. Every year was more and more, and I missed maybe one year. I think I've been to every single Blankfest.
Well, you were on my short list of dream performers to have at the first ever Blankfest in ninety seven, but you couldn't do it at that time, and do you remember why.
I was probably on an airplane somewhere.
Yes, you were. You were on tour with the Black Crows in Japan, right, did I get that right?
It was Japan? Right?
Actually the Black Crows was just like England and oh okay, but you know what I back then, they could It's like tomorrow you're on OPRAH just in Chicago, and then I don't know who was the brilliant prisoner put together to the itinerary, but it was like, okay, you're going to Japan and then you have to be in you know, Italy. So yeah, this is great.
I love this nave dropping. It's really good, really good. And one of the names they dropped you mentioned Neil. I should clarify it. That's the mail man, Neil Richter, our engineer who's with us every week, by the way, has played. He's asked not to, you know, because we've got our conversation going so quietly back. But Neil is that's Neil Richter, that guy up behind the mic, that's him.
That's me.
That's amazing because I remember you.
Of all the people that can remember that, I remember, that's him.
Yeah, that's totally amazing.
To me.
My new band is called the Coincidence and that's why.
See as things are always happening to get big. Frank okay, ivon Or, I said, let's you know you're you're now you're on the spot as the organizer, the brains behind the operation. Tell us about your involvement. What do you do here?
Ken is too generous. I support him. I count the blankets. I welcome the folks in the blankets at the Hudson House. I do get to perform the thank you very Much, my bilingual poetry in Spanish and English. So basically I'm just like the I guess, the wife behind the organizer. I may suggest some ideas or some acts, like I'm always unofficially scouting, like if we were watching a friends or shows or something, you should ask them, should ask
them to perform. And sometimes you actually he has followed, and I'm trying to think of who it was, anybody, any of the acts, and then you did ask them and they came and like Fizz was one of them, that Brooklyn group, two young ladies, and I thought they were just exciting and fresh blood, and I just thought, bring that tonight, bring that to Blankfest because we need to. We need to promote the fundraiser, you know, the benefit, sorry, the benefits, because all we asked for are blankets.
That's it.
No money, just blankets and your beautiful smile and personality and hope for it.
Really is it really is amazing. It's an amazing day. It's uh, you know, perfect for the holidays, et cetera. And now I'm going to read a little something that at the end that I think we'll tie it off together. Chuck, I want to bring you back into the discussion here. Do you have a best memory of blank Fest?
What?
What are some of your strong memories, either of your own performance or somebody else's. Is there something that sticks out in your mind?
Oh my god, going on twenty nine years, Frank, there's a there's a mountain of every year is it's always a different animal, which by the way, comes with a whole slew of different challenges that we didn't anticipate.
But somehow we always seem to pull it together. And when I say we, I mean ken.
Everybody.
Yeah, you know I I love playing it. I love playing with the band that I play it with. Every year.
Who hasn't I don't think we've been a band since nineteen ninety six, but we still play once or twice a year and always Blankfest. I you know, I can bring up some funny memories. Joel fell down the stairs of the Hudson House.
It's long. It's a long stairwell too. That's not funny. That's a long way to go down.
It's a long staircase.
I can remember a couple of the shows that were at Brucksell's. At the end of the night, can Ken and I were standing there looking at the pile of blankets and he was terrified, lamenting the fact that he was going to have to count them all.
There were so many. Yep, it was a fire hazard.
There you go, and please relieve me of this duty. Yeah, oh my god.
There. What was the biggest year? Ken? Was in the eight hundreds, I think right.
Yeah, it was. It was over eight hundred.
And that was the year when the cutting room. I knew somebody at the cutting room in New York City and they said, uh, you know what, We've got some old coats and uh and and uh, you know, stuff that had been left behind and we'd like to donate that. So everybody that year they just all threw everything in so that combined with what we did in Nayak, it topped well over eight hundred and I think that was around two thousand and two, two thousand and three.
And if I can, I'll share one more thing, please do sure.
Somebody who hasn't been mentioned here, who has played every blank Fest and is usually flying in from Europe on the same day of blank Fest. This guy named Joe Drso, who I think everybody on the call knows. And I've been lucky enough to do a couple of duo acoustics shows with Joe, and it's just it's it's fantastic that Joe cuts time out of his incredibly busy schedule to make it to this event.
Yeah, you know, we invited him on this evening, but he's touring. Is in Europe, in Italy or Germany's some really cool place.
Where we all get he's actually he's actually going to fly into LaGuardia on Sunday and he's and and he's done this on multiple occasions, including last year.
Uh.
He's basically going to get a.
Car from the airport and go directly to the Hudson House.
And you know, kind of dedication people. And these are really talented people, busy people get paid well often to perform and and do it for charity, for for blankets and for people who really need it.
It's just that I think that says a lot about the charity and the grassroots, you know, beautiful aspect of this charity is that people at that level and including yourself right see that it's it's an important thing to support.
Because this is this is really you know, human to human.
People helping people in a very direct sense. Patty, Let's go, let me what's some of your memories. Is there something that sticks out in your mind a particular performance or performer associated with blank Faster.
Let's see. Well, I remember when Ken and Yvonne were upstairs were actually I hate to say this, but we were making a movie but it never got finished. So that's not a guilt triper.
But that.
But Yvonne was there and she was just so cool and I got to know her for the first time, and I just thought those two there's some vibe there run off. But the other memories. I love going to the Blankfest. It's an annual tradition with my booker manager, Gary Barton, who is also my best friend. He's the greatest guy ever, is so funny. And we would go to the Japanese restaurant before.
Because the first time we went, he accidentally knocked water, like a lot of water, like a picture all over the floor, and we were so embarrassed, but they were so nice about it.
And then I think it happened again the next year. It's something those things happened. I don't know why, but but I think the second time it was just a glass and it wasn't a joke either, But so we would go. That's that's our tradition, the blankfest. We go to the Japanese restaurant, spill a little water and there's plenty of blankets to stop it all up, and then we go play no wet blankets but all together.
Mix that clear.
The misfits. It's unbelievable because this is the typical thing I would do. Like I was, remember Don Hill's Anyone, It was like of course, of course, so that was a club that you know, if faster was the catworn town like today, that's where they would have flit. And also the bag Daddy was in my band. They had a stage and lights kind of metally, and I know I had a point. It was something and I can't remember because I'm nervous. I want to make sure I have enough time to savorything.
About high point because.
Every year I would see Bobby and they were just like, isn't the Adams family that has Marilyn. I don't know, but there are size and their like monsters, the monsters great good for you, So you know they you know, they're just like great and they do these Christmas songs except like mister and missus munster. And then they have this daughter who's like this beautiful like blonde anyway, so that's like towards the end of the night. I remember that always.
I remember interrupted, Patty, I can talk about the fact that you remember the end of the night is impressive after everybody's.
AT's in its own right, exactly after twelve hours offest to remember even the end of the night. Chuck is saying, it is quite an accomplishment even of itself.
Oh yeah, well, I of course missed my entire point, which was the Misfits. Like, okay, basically, I'm talking to a guy I don't know who he is in the basement of Don Hill's and he's got powder all over his face, and I don't know who he is. Now you guys all do, but I'm talking to him. He seems like a cool guy, you know. And then later people are like, what was he like? And I'm like, he's a guy who fatter on his face.
I don't know, what do you mean.
They're like, that's uh. And now I don't even remember his name, the guy Bobby Steele. Was his name Bobby Steele. It wasn't Bobby Steele. I'm creating this unbelievable coincidence that relates to me and I think probably everyone. But I'm just really tied into it right now, like this ynchronicity of the fact that I mentioned one person that Ken knows and he's on my Brady Bunch. He's a great Brady in my zoom land. But anyway, so I don't know.
I went to a barbecue in Linden, New Jersey. I don't know anybody there, and all of a sudden, this girl with a woman with a dog, she's talking like this. She's like, I got this. Uh, this guy, he just never gives me enough merch. I don't understand that she went to second grade with this guy who I can't remember his name, with the powdered face. I mean, this always happens to me. So that's my point is, Look, everybody is in need of a blanket, you know. I mean,
look at Linus. I don't know if you guys ever used Linus as a i'll have.
What you're having. Girl.
My friend is totally panicking because he's waiting. No, no, no, But I mean I'm trying to get there's so many amazing memories. I remember seeing Michelle Shocked a couple of years ago.
There you go, that's memory. Very cool.
Yeah, I didn't know. I actually didn't know what she sounded like, so it was cool to have that.
Very cool.
Here's another really good memory.
I don't know if we brought this up yet, but longtime blank best supporter we lost a couple of years ago. Yes, Tim o'donne, who's performances were always spot on, there, always spot on.
The first year without him with his and the TMU band and all of the tributes, it's a wonderful day. It's it's a meeting.
Ahead, if I may interrupt.
Right after Tim passed in September of last year, I was in contact with Robin, his partner, and I said, you know, is there any way we can get in contact with the rest of his band and get them to make an appearance as a tribute. And they showed up, and it was in the four o'clock time slot, you know, which is just entering prime time. And I can't believe the emotional weight that that carried that evening, and it just knocked me out completely, and I know it blew
everybody's circuits in the room that night. And so I got in contact with Robin again and she put me in contact with the boys or the guys, and I think this is going to become an annual tradition. I it just broke my heart when I got to the four o'clock timeslot to book last year and I saw Tim's name and I knew he wasn't here anymore. So I think from now on, four o'clock still will always belong to Tim o'donniue And they'll be playing again this year.
You know.
It's a good time to, I think, segue and talk a little bit about the lineup, Havana. I want you to. We're gonna get you ready for a poem in a bit, but before that, let's talk. Since we've we've led into it a little bit and mentioned some of the performers. Ken tell us a little bit more about the lineup. Who are we going to see? Who are they?
Uh?
And uh? In general? When when will they perform?
Okay, I'm just gonna go in in in just chronological order.
You know.
Donald Sabasnik is a really I I personally love his songwriting. He reminds me so much of Lou Reed. He's just got that nice visceral kick to what he does.
What you mean, I've never heard his last name pronounced. I've only read.
Ye, it ain't no eye chart that's his last name. Donald Sabasnik is the wonderful performer, and I've gotten to know him a lot, especially in the pandemic years when we used to do a lot of remote features together and.
With our good friend Rue Rue Star.
Donald front's a group called a Density Black Cat, and so that's with Dennis Doyle, who's another very very very talented singer songwriter. So they're both going to be performing together to kick the show off at noon, and then we've got the equally talented songwriter Michael G. Potter going right after him, and Michael actually volunteers his time to play at Strawberry Field down in Central Park, h every
week and always attracts a crowd. As a matter of fact, Michael Moore caught him and featured him on his on his his Instagram feed one one weekend, which I again just blew all of our minds. Michael is a great guy and we can only wait to bring him to the stage. And that's followed by Amanda White. Amanda White. I knew her way way back when she used to hang out and sing with various bands down the Lower east Side. She's since relocated to her native Boston and
she's operatically trained. There's times when she doesn't even need a PA system to get her voice over the band. And she yeah, she's She's just fantastic. And also, if you ever see the Bag Daddyo's Gut Wrench video, she's the quote unquote chick in the video We go back a long long wayverbialick, proverbial chick. Now, she's got a great backup band and one of the guys in that backup band is a very very talented singer songwriter who plays a mean ass electric guitar. He's actually sat in
with the Bag Daddy is on occasion. His name is Ross Byron and he'll.
Be following her.
Yeah.
I mean, that's the beautiful thing about Blankfest.
If you don't know these acts, if you play on the same bill, you know enough times, everybody gets to know each other. It's kind of a great cross pollenization, you know, where people end up collaborating with each other. I notice because I hear the stories.
And beautiful community it is.
It's and then right after Ross, at one point thirty, we've got Anne Hussick. Anne Hussick AND's a personal fave of mine because again she was part of the same crew down the Lower east Side that we would bump into all the time. She has her own promotions place, Annie Husseck Presents, and I'm just flattered that she can carve out enough time to come on up and lend her singer songwriter.
Talents to the night.
Sophia mcglue came by recommendation from a mutual friend and she's younger, but yet despite her youth, she really, really really has a lot of experience under her belt and she brings it every time. I'm gonna keep going because I know time is limited.
Count of nine.
Count of nine only does one gig a year and it's Blankfest. I've known Joe Dugan going way way way back when he used to play with a band called the Uh. I always mispronounced this. Please forgive me the Thucidian Theory And yeah.
It's easy. It's easy for you to say.
They played.
What was that their city and Theory played Blankfest as well.
Yes they did. They played back in the bruck Sells days. Thank you for remembering that.
You know, that's right. And as a matter of fact, that's how I got my snare drum because Joe Dugan, the drummer who I always loved, a great guy. He one day he just left the snare drum behind and I called him. I said, you left the snare drum behind. He says, ah, keep it, hold on to it. It's yours. And so that's how my studio got a snare drum from from Joe Dugan. And UH we actually the bag Daddy has played at his wedding to his keyboard player Abby, who he met through a UH I believe he was
advertising for a keyboard player. Abby answered the ad and became much much more and uh since then, uh they put count of Nine together and again it's a wonderful lineup. And again I'm blanking on names and I hate this.
Uh yeah, art, art will imitate or life will limitate art.
Trust me on this one, because I forget a bunch of things. And but count of nine, they will be there. They will be laying it down, uh and there, and considering that they're going at three o'clock, it's great to have a full band just like, you know, kicking it out. And one year they actually did uh their own interpretation of the entire Help album, believe it or not. And all I can say is I was so knocked out by it that I kept their set list as a permanent reminder.
That brings me to David Tanner.
And I had only known David Tanner for the last twenty years as a promoter, somebody that I used to work with with the Mini Fest out of New York City, and we would play, you know, we would play for David, you know, at the drop of a hat. He's just a great, great guy. One day he said to me, I'd like to come and do a few songs. I said, I didn't even know you played. He says, not only do I play, and not only do I write, he goes,
but I'm playing my best friend, Jesse Kelso's guitar. Jesse Kelso as a musician friend of his that he had known for forty years who had passed away a few years before. And so David plays his scotched a butterscotch colored fender and he does several songs in the memories of those that he's lost before. It's a very touching set.
He brings his family, he's his kids, his grandkids. He's just and by the way, this is a man with a pacemaker that will show up the day before Blankfast and it will help us hustle equipment up and down the stairs. It's just I said, David take the rest of the day off. But he's just a generous, generous guys. He's been with us since. Like I said, the first month anniversary that I was with Yvonne, we were in his van hustling equipment up for Blankfest.
From the Bronx.
The Bronx Now, of course four o'clock that's when we have the Tim O'Donnell memorial with the TMU band, and once again they were definitely one of several highlights last year and we're looking forward to more of the same. I can hardly wait to introduce those those guys on stage after that is this artist I got to get to know.
Her name is Missy Vanst to my own.
She'll be doing her righteous righteous rhymes backed by some ugly guitar player, but we won't go into detail.
Using his original bagdadio.
Music, you're gonna hear some of that soon. Right after we go through the lineup, we're gonna an opportunity to demonstrate your dual skills.
Yes, indeed speedy.
Right after that, we're gonna have Patty Rothberg up.
Yay, we know her.
Yeah, we surely know her now, don't we. And uh, by the way, one of the real one of my fondest memories would Blinkfest And this is early on. This was when Patty was coming up, and this is the late nineties, early two thousands, and I remember her calling me on the phone and saying, I didn't realize Niyak was such a cool place. And I took special pride in that because I was born and raised in Nayak, and I've always.
Been proud of where I come from.
So uh, thank you very much for that, Patty. Uh that was.
Said something like that unless I meant it.
Thank you too.
And then as if, as if the hits just can't keep on coming, then we followed Ms Rothberg with Joe Drso fresh off the plane from Italy, and uh, all I could say is I've known Joe Drso for a million years. He went to high school with my sister Jennifer. I just wanted to put that out there.
Uh.
And jen always told me that he was a great guy from you know, from first day of freshman year on. Joe's just a good, good guy.
And then I was lucky enough.
To work with him when he helped resurrect the CBGB name. Uh he became he was one of the partners in the new CBGB, the CBGB festival.
Uh.
He gave me a job when nobody else would so. But he was playing Blankfest long before that, I want to add. And then, of course, right after Joe Durso again, as if it can't get any better, the horse that rode in on we'll be playing.
And we know who that involves, don't.
I. I rendered Chuck speechless.
Which easily done.
And and best band, We're the best band that's playing at six o'clock that night, that's all I'm gonna say.
Well, then that's followed by the best band that plays is six thirty, which is Nuns Imposers, which again Chuck is is directly responsible for Artie and the and the guys are just fantastic. And again I'm blanking on names because for years I knew it is who else is in the band? Chuck helped me, so.
John Ricks in the band, who also plays trombone in the horse, he rode in on.
That's right.
I've known John through you, uh you know, via you through through the years, didn't he didn't He front Kablama Chuck.
Yeah, he was the lead singer for Kablamachuck. He's got a ridiculously powerful voice. They were an amazing band.
Yeah, I love I love those guys.
I used to see you guys do double bills together all over the place, and uh, it's amazing that somebody that talented and you should include yourself in this.
Somebody that talented? Is that is that down.
To earth you know, no, no no star attitude or anything like that. He was just like the guy you would talk to, you know, on the barstool next to you. He was just a really, really nice guy and still is and.
So it's kind words can by the way, I was brought promised aviar.
Well, you know everything we could.
We took the brown m and ms out. I don't know what else you want, you.
Know, let's keep moving along, guys.
Ago we spoke about Bobby Steel before. That's when the undead will come up right after nuns imposers.
Uh.
Bobby with his bride Diane. Uh, they always put together a great show.
Uh.
For years they would show up in this converted hearse that was the Steelmobile. And the first year Bobby Steel ever appeared at Blankfest. Uh, the late great t Tommy Dirkin was doing his podcast, his live podcast called Tommy D's Nuts, and he was able to go live through iHeartRadio. And when Bobby Steele came on, it got so overloaded the net just crashed. And that's the power of Bobby Steele. We always get people inquiring when's Bobby coming, when's Bobby's coming?
Well, he's coming at seven o'clock.
Hopefully he'll be there before then because we want to get him on stage on time. And his daughter through Diane, is Hannah and she fronts a three piece harmony group called the guests, and so we piggyback them one after the other. They go on to seven thirty. They are wonderful and it's just so great to bring them back. The biggest challenge with Blankfest is that we are always
open to getting new blood in. But the thing is is that we're not going to introduce newer groups at the expense of people who have been loyal to us over the years. So and it makes me so happy that people want to come back year after year after year and play this.
Uh.
It warms my heart that they recognize how great the the the cause is. Thank you, dear. And after the guests we have the Suffolk Stranglers.
They're a new band.
But but but Geo the Gino, the drummer for that group, actually played with the band Chuck. You might remember them, remember the beauty school dropouts.
Oh hell yeah, yeah.
Great yeah, great old school punk band. I met them down at CBS on on several occasions.
Love those guys.
We got them to play blank Fast. They've all gone on.
To different things.
And Gino when he said, uh, you know, you got room for my band this year, I didn't even listen to them. Our publicist was going don't you shouldn't you hear them?
First?
I said, trust me Gino, I trust him implicitly. And then when he sent me the MP threes after we had booked them, I was so happy because these guys absolutely friggin rock and they're going on at eight o'clock. And that brings us to the next band, which is Sad Coffeehouse, brand new original band, but it's fronted by the same people that were playing with the ex tribute band We're Desperate last year. They've they've they've they've hung up the ex tribute uh for now and they're doing originals.
And all I know is that if there anything is as tight and as good as We're Desperate, these guys are absolutely gonna rock. And then then that's followed by this little known band out of Naia called the Bag Daddios.
Yeah.
Yeah, And then.
Turn to a pumpkin wet Rothberg.
We want to thank you. We know you have another gig, all you working musicians and artists my god, So uh, we'll see that thing.
And I'd love to talk to this guy about some day. Compare notes about being in a Ramones cover band and just all at the Blank Fest. So come and bring your blanky.
Very good.
There, kick ass and we'll we'll talk to you later, my dear, I.
Will see you. I'm really sorry I'm missing the post the protests going to miss you because I'm going to see.
You with and you can catch it on the stream afterwards. Yeah, okay, thank you again. Sunday, all right, I can't continue. We've got a few more minutes to get everybody in.
Let's go.
Well, you know what, after the bag daddios, we've got a couple of open slots and we've decided not to go out there fishing for new groups.
In the eleventh hour, mostly because A we may run over.
B we may actually invite a couple of last minute guests that show up, and if it devolves into a jam session, so be it.
But if we call it an early night.
As long as we get our blankets, we're golden beautiful.
Indeed, indeed you are. It's going to be so much fun. I'll be there, my partner band will be there. It's gonna be great day. We're going to give more details who, when, where, We've already talked about why. But we have a special treat, as Patty teased, we have a poet amongst us. I'd like to use you the female Poetessa just sounds.
Cool before we transition to bond.
Yeah.
Can I just bring something up that I think, I think really needs to be emphasized about this event?
Of course.
Uh.
I'm a huge proponent of local, live, original music. Yeah, and the lion's share of the bands that are playing there our original bands, and that doesn't get nearly enough focus or publicity or notice.
I think in today's world.
So I would like to applaud ten for making sure that the original talent as a place to play.
Yes, live music, baby is a good thing, and it's live all day.
It's our Our main theme is always Indie to the death.
All right, well it's Yvonne. We're setting you up. What are we going to hear? Now?
We'll start with I guess Nostalgic Christmas, which is about Christmas in New York City that Ken and I spent after delivering blankets or during delivering blankets. I always ask him can we please go by Saint Pat's Cathedral and the Rockefeller Tree because as my parents used to well my mom really used to always take as it was a tradition, you know, when I was a little girl,
and those were the stops that you made. You you went to the church prayed, and then you went to see the tree and see it lit and enjoy you know, the city. I've added to it, and I've told can we have to go to Macy's and see the windows. So in between delivering blankets and to the homeless, we make little pit stops. And so I started to write about it because it's sometimes you just get lost in things that you just do and then you forget the
feeling that it's that is evoked from that. And so I just said, wait a minute, let me stop and think about this. This is very special that I've done with my mom, and.
I think my little brother was in tow.
And then now I do this with my husband and I take him or he takes me, you know, and now it's our tradition.
Yes, you make That's the wonderful part of the holidays too, is you know you have old and you can always make new traditions as well too. Absolutely all right, Ivan Sotomayor with nostalgic Christmas.
Christmas with green and red ribbons going straight to my heart, the warmth and the chuckles music to my longing fears. I'd almost forgotten such joy and good year. Kids running around in circles singing Palla lea. I stand in its energy as the skaters go by and lovers proposed by the Rockefeller train, as hot chocolate is sipped with floppy windows onto the Grand Cathedral, filled with belief and hope, giving respite to the cold admirers rushing in and clutching
trendy bags of chocolates. Back outside to the storefronts with magical light, shoes full on display, filling the night's noisy crowds, merry music and carold we all know, heading down to Midtown with a center of their pulses.
It's a band of beautiful lads dancing.
And kicking, sinkling and charms. Further down to the windows made famous in names, each a special Christmas scene, all different, but stilling theme the same. It's Christmas, Christmas everywhere, It's
Christmas again. Can't wait till next year. Navidad consintas verdes with ROPAs uendo direct on corrasson el calori lassas mumus caparam solidos and ciosaus caserio virado tell ria buen animos minos corin and circulos cantando Alleluia, my parents, Sun and he a Miteros, Patine los pasan Rosamantis, proponent Undo, Largo, Rocketella, the interested very Chocola glin that thereslas bantanas conivla Ala Ran Catral Vanos Ueno, the pe Esperanza dandorespirolos a Milores
Herncos and Candria Grando wols As Evan bonn As the Mooda. There were a puerreloss, caparades can spectaculos de lusis, macigos and panti to Letra Lenando las with us as movie to co musica and sicosquitos as the Regeno cell Center,
La Sua don the nervous Central Ulsa. It's Navanda and mosas nana by Landi Patio Comuni, Cantos Synchronis, album Masabaco, la tentanas h as famosa in number and caronas and especial those differences for an and the mission of them is Navida navidatas pactis its navida denuevo no may one fast a.
Proxy one.
H. That was beautiful, Vonne, thank you so much. We are sharing that memory and making new ones for all of us.
Thank you, Frank, Thank you for the opportunity and the and shining a light on Blankfest, which again I've joined only in the last thirteen years, but it's a really worthy cause, blankets for the homeless, and it's something that I truly wish would end and we wouldn't have to do it. But until then, let's do this every year. And we'll see you on December fourteenth at the Hudson House in Nayak.
You know, guys, we're going to We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, talk a little bit more about the event, where people can find it, et cetera, times, locations, et cetera. And maybe we have time for at least one more poem from Mayor? What do you think I think I think we should certainly, ok, Yeah, my very special guests Chuck to bruin and if on such a Mayor Patty Rothberg was with us earlier. She had a prior engagement that she had to leave to
but we thank her for being here. Please don't go anywhere. This has been great fun. We've got another poem come up. We've got some great closing music from none other than the back Daddy os to close the show, so lots more fun to come. Don't go anywhere yet. This is Being Frank. I'm your host, Frank Lebono. We'll be right back after these brief commercial messages.
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Welcome back to Being Frank, the Intelligent Conversation podcast. Thanks for sticking with us. I'm your hosts Frank Bubono and as always our engineer as the mailman, mister Neil Ripter. We bring our audience a fresh topic every week and we stream from Hudson River Radio, located and beautiful and historic Stony Point, New York. But remember you can catch Being Frank anywhere you get your favorite podcasts like Apple, Spotify,
iHeartRadio and all the others. And because every Being Frank is archived, you can listen to any of our programs anytime you like. You can find a link to Being Frank on the Hudson River Radio Facebook page or at our website Hudsonriverradio dot com Just click and you're there. We're back live to tape. It is the eleventh of December and we're talking blank Fests with the three of the people who are the pro movers behind this wonderful
event held every year. This is the twenty ninth consecutive year. They haven't missed any time in all those years and have managed to donate over twenty thousand blankets to the homeless during that time. It's really it's quite an achievement. We're joined by Ken Row, Von Suttomayor and Chuck to brewin. Guys. I'll put it out for all three of you too. It's kind of a rhetorical question, but I think it's an important one as we talk about this charitable event
in giving. What have you felt through the years too? Are people more or less charitable today? Are they more tolerant? I mean that's the thing that's been going on with the Internet and stuff, the kind of divisiveness. You know, an event like this kind of pulls people together. Do you feel people are becoming more or less tolerant today? Again, it's a rhetorical question. Just your thoughts on it, Chuck, wh why don't you pick it up? Wow.
I mean that's a that's a huge question.
I mean, obviously, you know, five years ago, we had a small situation that that I think really changed the way people interact. Uh, you know, I think we I think we're more segmented now. I think, you know, social media has had a huge impact, and I don't think people you know, if you look at the numbers in the restaurant, in the bar business, they're all down for the most part. People aren't going out, they're not interacting as much as they used to.
And I think an event like this.
Really gets people kind of involved and connected and in the same room and enjoying what we used to enjoy years ago, which was great live original music. And and the charitable aspect of it is you know, I've I've said it a couple of times, but I just don't think there's a more down to earth, you know, grassroots charity on the planet that does what this one does.
I'llbeit on a.
Smaller scale, but there's zero fat, there's zero waste, and I really think people identify with that.
You know, it's kind of like feel good for doing the right thing, have fun and feel good. How can how can you go wrong.
With that right, yeah, right, and throwing a couple of beers, which I've never been afraid of, and I think pretty much.
Everybody in the call is not afraid of that.
Better, if I what are your thoughts? It's the same question, how do you? And again what I think Chuck raised a good point where interactive human events like this are important. But I don't want to put words in your mouth. What are your thoughts?
I know that's it's a dense question. But and as I'm reading or trying to understand about this k economy and the flattened K of the top three percent and all this, the point is we're all suffering. We're suffering with higher prices. We're suffering and choosing rather than going out to see a show, or go into the city or take a drive and pay the higher gas prices. You know, you're choosing to stay home. You're choosing to
stay local. The beauty I think of this charity is, first of all, it's a charity, it's to help others, and that it makes you feel good of what you know you're participating in society. And secondly, what all you're asked is for a blanket, a gently used blanket, it doesn't have to be new. Some people donate gloves, hat, scarves, and it's something just whatever you have to warm these folks up. We don't need you to come in and spend. We don't need money from you. We just need your
good cheer. You come in and if you have one beer and nurse it all night, that's.
What it is.
But you're here, you're physically here.
And yes, with social media, this podcast, notwithstanding, this is an intelligent one of thought to connect absolutely other social media seeks to confine in solitary you're by yourself with this, you know, glowing you know screen and that if that's all it does, then that's not good. But this at least we're we want to see you, We want to talk to you, want to just get together and have a conversation. I mean remember that you know subject, verb, you know object, and just talk.
And just connect.
And I think just with a blanket. And this is what I think Can sought to do before, way before I met him on Christmas Eve, even though sometimes I'm like, please, you're you're killing our holiday Christmas even to Christmas Day as.
His wife, you know, I want him home.
I want to be home with them.
But you know what, we have the luxury of going home.
The few hours that we spend out there, driving around looking for the homeless and finding them and giving them some warmth, warmth and comfort and looking them in the eyes and just smiling, saying hello and respecting them.
That's immeasurable.
So that human contact, Yeah, that's great. God has just just beautifully said and a perfect setup for Ken. I think she may have answered it for you. But we've we've spoken in the past, and I know it's difficult. It's it's an enormous challenge, you know, not only organizational but physically. You know, the movement, the equipment, the blankets, the storage, the driving, the distribution. So let me cut to the chase. Why do you still do it?
Oh? Oh, you know what.
I have handled that question several times with therapists over the years. I'll be out on the couch and Freud will turn to me and go, I, why do you still do this?
You know?
And I'll be I'll be honest. When I first did this, I thought it was a one off. Well, the first year I did it, I wasn't even a benefit. I just went to some friends and said, you know, I had three things I wanted to do. It was like on my bucket list, and one of them, I'd have a friend named Jay I grew up with. He's like a brother to me, and we used to write songs together. And you know, he was a Nia High school dude.
He was like he was a senior when I was a freshman kind of thing, even though I didn't go to Nia High School. Long story, but he had a father who had suffered a stroke and he was confined with a walker to their house and he would watch baseball a time. He would he was so desperate for baseball. He had a short wave radio when he would watch WGN for the Cubs games, and and so one of the things I wanted to do on my bucket list was go and sit up with him and just watch
some old baseball videos. And I did that one year on Christmas Eve, and it was great. Another thing on my bucket list which I haven't done yet, oddly enough, and I swear I'm going to do someday is go to a children's ward at a hospital and play on Christmas morning. And you know, I just like, I love to do that, and I don't know why I haven't done that, probably because I've been too tired from handing
out blankets as the homeless. Because the third thing on that bucket list was to go out and just hand blankets to the homeless. So I went to some friends, I got eighteen blankets, and I handed them out, and then it was such a good feeling I wanted to do it again the next year. My friend said they didn't have any more blankets. That's when we came up with Blankfest. And again, I'm thinking one year just to have a benefit, and we'll just do that. Next year,
I'll buy them. You know, I'll be more successful next year. I'll be able to buy them on my own. But I got to the end of that first show and I looked out at the handful of people that were still left in that club, and because there was an awkward pause and I didn't know what else to say, I said, I'll see you next year. I walked up the stage and go, oh geez, what did I just commit to? And the reason I keep doing it year
after year after years, I can't stop. I feel if I stop that somewhere along the line, I'm gonna let somebody down.
I don't want to do that.
Well well put ken well put so blank Fest Sunday the fourteenth, that's just a few days if you're listening to this recording beforehand. Obviously we're recording on Thursday evening Sunday the fourteenth, from noon to well to whenever. Wonderful lineup, blank Fest. All you have to do, folks, is just bring a blanket. And you know, has Chuck mentioned early on in the in the podcast, everybody has what I think,
can you mentioned in duvantus in your closets somewhere? I know I certainly have blankets and things that I said, my god, it's going to come in handy someday. Yes, it's going to come in handy. That someday is Sunday. That's what it's gonna come handy with somebody.
Yeah, And you know what, Frank, I think one thing we didn't mention is, and it kind of goes unseen at Blankfest is the people that come in and don't stay but just drop off a couple of blankets.
Good point. Yeah, it's a great point.
There's there's a there is a lot like all throughout the whole event, there are people walking in dropping off a blanket.
People drop off coats, gloves, they drop off all kinds of stuff and.
They don't stay.
You don't.
It's not expected. We're just we're just trying to help some folks.
Great point, absolutely, great point. You guys are just about at a time. But I want to squeeze in one more poem because they're so good, So we asked we're going to get one more in. Then we're gonna close with some great music from the bag Daddy os. We got this way, packing everything, packing everything in. This is one tight all right. So what are we going to hear for our second poem of the evening, Evonne?
Well, this last one is called platform Babe.
And speaking of dignity and respect, this I wrote and was inspired when I was Oh my god, I always forget seven grand Central yep and taking the train home when we lived in Queens, and this lovely lady carried herself elegantly and.
She had a disfigurement.
She her face was scarred, but she still looked amazingly proud, dignified, proud and dignified. Yes, And so I through the train ride was writing sketching out this poem for her, and I was just moved by how proud she was and just and quiet.
It wasn't it wasn't a brash thing, and.
So I was moved by her. So I wrote, platform Babe, in her honor, and any of us who carry our little dark secrets or we think that they're worse than they are. And you know what, You're still lovable, you're still respectable, you're still amazing, and you still are special.
So platform Babe.
I love it. I love it.
From grotesquely, she walks in beauty geometry, amok selen eye and heavy lids, downtrodden spirit, holder, pride hidden by crooked skin, yearning love, twisted smile keeps the laugh hid, and joy repressed, suspended, unknown,
pleasure to be seen. And yet grotesquely, she walks in effervescent beauty, gorgeous in disguise, elegance tucked away, immaculate and shy, pale as moonlight, soft as satin, Quiet and demure, she recedes into the night, a wesper, never spoken Grotesquely, she walks in beauty grotescamente comin and bayesa jumitria, salvaje o jouraniosi parpos besalos espiritu piso tiao guada Suyo, Tapalo po Piel Torcida, the Senda morson Risa Chueca, Juan Tellarisa, Alegria, culte, reprimida,
placer Deesco to Ravilla, Grotescamente, camin and Bayesa e fervesente Maravilla, and this fras releganzies, condida, imaculaapenosa, parida, commos reus lunares, sabosa, caricat raanocche sos ramon cal coming And.
All right, guys, that just about wraps it up for us. I really want to thank you, Chuck to Bruin, thank you so much for joining us. We won't tell since you can't see the visuals, we won't tell you. We won't tell people where you actually came to us live from. Well we'll leave that as an inside choke.
Ye.
It bears a certain relevance to actually where my podcast ratings are. That's a story for another day. Ivan So Tobayor, thank you for your talent, Thank you for your time. It really appreciate it.
Thank you, Frank, You guys are awesome.
Thank you, And of course Ken Rau, the man okay who's done this now for his twenty ninth year. My God, keep keep the vision, brother, keep it going.
Trying to bro trying to yes.
Okay. And of course we offer special thanks to our listeners who take time to give us a voice in their lives. Remember you offer fresh topic just about every week. Catch us wherever and whenever you get your favorite podcasts that it calls Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, all the others. Check us out on the Hudson River Radio Facebook page. You know, I was leaving two little extra things. I already teased the bag Daddyo song at the end. We'll have can
introduce it in just a second. But also, you know, a little bit of a slogan or something that I think is appropriate for our program. And I found this comes from my patron saint of Saint Francis of Assisi and everybody knows how religious I am. But that's a story for another day. Not but I think the message here transcends, especially at this time of the year, and it's the prayer for peace. Lord, make me an instrument of your piece where there is hatred. Let me bring
love where there is a fence. Let me bring pardon where there is discord. Let me bring union where there is error. Let me bring truth where there is doubt. Let me bring faith where there is despair. Let me bring hope where there is darkness. Let me bring your life where there is sadness. Let me bring joy. Oh Lord, grant that they might not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in
giving that one receives. It is in self forgetting that one finds. It is in forgiven that one is forgiven. It is in dying that one awakens to eternal life. For our engineer, the Maleman, mister Neil rich Or, I'm your host, Frank Obuto. We hope to have you join us on the next being. Frank, We're the only way to be is Frank. I hope you see Sunday at Blankfest. Take care everyone, Christmas A.
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