In March of this year, independent singer/songwriter Kelly Buchanan suffered a traumatic brain injury while playing street hockey at a rink in downtown Manhattan. The injury left her unable to speak, stand, or walk in the months following the incident, and she suffers continued effects in the form of constant headaches, dizziness, and other symptoms consistent with a high-grade concussion
BuchananÁ¢€”known for her personal, penetrating lyrics, her intense performances, and her appearance in a TV commercial for the news channel NY1 (sheÁ¢€â„¢s the blonde/cherry red-haired bass player)Á¢€”has been unable to work or perform since the incident. She had been readying a wonderful new album (titled Kelly Buchanan) for release prior to the injury, but it remains largely undistributed and virtually unpromoted.
Until now. On Wednesday, September 10, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) is holding a benefit show for Kelly at New YorkÁ¢€â„¢s Knitting Factory. Headlined by acoustic sets by Nada Surf, members of Fountains of Wayne, and Measure, the evening will also feature an all-star band performing songs from Kelly Buchanan, giving the album the release party Kelly was unable to give it herself. ItÁ¢€â„¢s an all-ages, general admission show; tickets are $25 each, available through Ticketweb. For more information check out the Knitting Factory website and ASCAPÁ¢€â„¢s Events Calendar page for the show.
While youÁ¢€â„¢re at it, head over to KellyÁ¢€â„¢s website and listen to a stream of song samples from Kelly Buchanan (Á¢€Å“Favorite ZeroÁ¢€ is my fave). You can order a copy through her site, or download it through iTunes. The record really deserves attention; in addition to the terrible physical effects of KellyÁ¢€â„¢s injury, itÁ¢€â„¢s also a real shame the wonderful music she created has gone largely unheard.
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