Woody Sloop Benefit takes place at Towne Crier
The third annual Guthrie’s Ghost Fundraiser will be held Aug. 14, at the Towne Crier Café in Beacon.
In 2012, Hope Machine (Fred Gillen Jr. and Steve Kirkman) teamed up with folksingers David and Jacob Bernz along with vocalist Amy Fradon to raise money to restore the Woody Guthrie, an environmental and historical boat originally conceived by Pete Seeger, currently operated by the Beacon Sloop Club, and to celebrate Guthrie’s centennial year.
Hope Machine, an official program of the Woody Guthrie Archives, presents cutting-edge versions of classics along with powerful new material. David Bernz is a two-time Grammy-winning producer for Seeger and an accomplished folksinger in his own right (Work O’ The Weavers). Jacob Bernz is a young songwriter-balladeer who won top honors in the 2013 Towne Crier open-mic finals. Fradon’s leather-lunged vocals have been acclaimed throughout the region, with over 14 albums to her credit. She is also the lead female vocalist in The Vanaver Caravan’s “Pastures of Plenty” program honoring Guthrie. This year, Guthrie’s Ghost will celebrate “Pete, Woody and Lee,” not only Guthrie but also Seeger and Lee Hays who would have been 100 last March. Special Guest: Dan Einbender.
The benefit for the Woody Sloop takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 14, at the Towne Crier Café, Beacon. Visit beaconsloopclub.org. Call 845-855-1300. Advance tickets are $20, $25 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online.
