New Amsterdam Benefit in Chicago on December 16 (Preview)
When composer Marcos Balter heard the news that Superstorm Sandy had ransacked the headquarters of New Amsterdam Presents (and its recording label subsidiary New Amsterdam Records) in Red Hook, Brooklyn, he was beside himself with concern for his friends and colleagues. But he didn’t just fret over their devastating loss. He sprung into action. In the modern day equivalent of “hey kids, I know what we can do, let’s rent out the old barn and put on a show!” Balter fired off a post to Chicago’s new music interest group on Facebook. “I’m starting to gather interest about organizing a Chicago fundraising event to help my friends at New Amsterdam in NY, who lost pretty much everything during Hurricane Sandy,” he wrote on November 4. Within days, he had heard from nearly every Chicago new music organization and artist, as well as several supporters, wanting to know how they could help. A plan began to emerge. Doyle Armbrust offered to organize a benefit concert, leveraging his (Un)familiar Music Series infrastructure, including his relationship with The Empty Bottle club. By November 14, (Re)New Amsterdam Benefit Presented by (Un)familiar Music, co-produced by Armbrust and Balter, was announced for Sunday, December 16, 2012, at 1:00 PM at The Empty Bottle.
