Rock Out Reach Out Roundup: Namelessnumberheadman, Pet Comfort and the Abracadabras

This past Saturday, April 18, at Crosstown Station, the Center for Justice and Sustainability at William Jewell College hosted a local benefit rock show that could serve as a model for all benefit rock shows to come. These folks did a lot of things right. First and foremost, they booked bands people want to see at a good venue. They also came up with a clever way of getting people to not only give to the charities that participated but also to pay attention to them (more on this in a minute). And, coolest of all, they put together a free downloadable compilation album featuring 18 of the best bands in town (and one from out of town).

But first, here’s what it looked like. Click the photo below for a slide show.

The organizers set up the benefit in a pretty unique way. You walked in, handed them your $10 cover charge, and they gave you two gold tokens to give to the charity or charities of your choice. While the bands played on the stage downstairs, upstairs booths from a couple dozen local charities including Harvesters, MOCSA, the Free Health Clinic and Bridging the Gap were set up, manned by volunteers ready to give you the lowdown on their respective causes and accept your gold doubloons.