Electronic Dance Music Beats for Sandy Relief

The electronic dance music scene in NYC joined the string of charity events for victims of Hurricane Sandy on Monday, just over three weeks after the amplified storm caused seawater to surge onto the streets of lower Manhattan.

Since the storm swept through NYC, there have been many community efforts made to rebuild the homes and businesses that were destroyed during Sandy. The electronic dance music scene has participated in this restoration process with the spinning of electric beats for some Sandy storm relief. 

On Monday, 19^th November, 2012, a collaborative effort was made to create the EDM For Sandy Relief benefit concert at the legendary Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan. The doors opened at 7pm as electronic music began to percolate within the theatre venue. 

The record label Brooklyn Fire teamed with UG Strategies, Live Nation, GBH Events, and Sol Productions to raise money for The American Red Cross and those affected by Hurricane Sandy. It was a night where artists such as The Crystal Method, Drop The Lime, Run DMT, The Disco Fries, and Dances With White Girls, came out to share their love for electronic music and New York City. 

The founder and CEO of Brooklyn Fire, Tommie Sunshine, said: “Creating this was an easy decision as my family almost lost our summer home in Manasquan, NJ. It was my grandmother’s house and I spent every summer of my life visiting the Jersey Shore there.” 

The tickets were sold for $20 and 100% of the proceeds went to The American Red Cross and those who lost their homes in the Sandy storm. After the silent auction bids along with ticket sales, the EDM Sandy benefit concert raised roughly $2,200. In addition to the evening’s fundraiser, Live Nation will donate $1,000 on top of the overall money that was generated for the evening, resulting in $3,200 towards Sandy relief.

The American Red Cross has been working to distribute emergency materials and provide families who were affected by Hurricane Sandy with food, shelter and supplies such as hygiene items, work gloves and cold weather items. There are still many people without homes as the winter holiday season approaches. For ways to make a donation to The American Red Cross you can visit the website here.

Melissa DeGasperis
Photos: Anita Isola