Blame Drew's Cancer 24 Hour Blame-A-Thon (9/9/09)

Watch the Blame-A-Thon LIVE!

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:57:54 -0400

Official North Star Bar Line-Up!

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:24:00 -0400

We’re about 22 hours from kicking things off at the North Star Bar and we thought it would be nice for everyone to see the full line-up for tomorrow’s bands. Here they are:

12:00 PM   Thom McCarthy
12:45 PM   Reed Kendall
1:30 PM Christie Lynee
2:15 PM    Da 1
3:15 PM   High Kick
4:10 PM   Billy Woodward & The Senders
5:00 PM   Elizabeth Seward
5:50 PM   The Press
6:40 PM   Filmstar
7:30 PM   DarkHorse & The Carousels
8:20 PM   The Goodnight Lights
9:10 PM   Kill You In the Face
10:05 PM   Bamboo House
10:55 PM   The Traded Series
11:55 PM   Swift Technique
12:50 AM   DJ Kash

These times are subject to change. If you happen to miss someone that you wanted to see, I think you know who to blame…

Need to know when the Taco Bell Truck is going to be there?
LUNCH 12noon - 3:30pm
DINNER 8pm - 11pm

[BUY TICKETS NOW for $15] or pay $20 at the door!

(@schmidtultra & @mikeyil)

Get ready to blame all day on 9/9/09!

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:12:00 -0400

Blame-a-Thon starts at the stroke of Midnight on 9/9/09 (that’s Tuesday heading into Wednesday), and it’s going to raise tons of awareness and donations for LiveStrong.

There are two halves to Blame-a-Thon. Overnight through noon is @ Indy Hall; from noon on is @ North Star Bar. Below is the basic info about both locations, and how you can give to LiveStrong.

See our comprehensive FAQ to answer all of your questions.

Blame-a-Thon @ Indy Hall is FREE from 9/9 Midnight - 9/9 Noon. Indy Hall is located at 20 North 3rd St, Unit 20, Philly, 19106.

- Stop by anytime for live podcast tapings, screenings from sponsor blip.tv and local film org ProjectTwenty1, free La Colombe coffee at 6am, free Chef-a-Me breakfeast @ 8am, and all-night cancer-blaming with Drew and his team.

- A BoltBus will transport you to North Star Bar for free.

Blame-a-Thon @ North Star Bar from 9/9 Noon ‘till closing time is $15 now or $20 at the door. North Star Bar is located at 2639 Poplar Street, Philly, 19130.

- Live music starts at noon and doesn’t end until after midnight. See the FAQ for the line-up.

- North Star Bar will serve food and drink all day. There will also be free and low-cost refreshments from the Taco Bell Truck, Rita’s Water Ice, Victory Beer, and the Buttercream Cupcake Truck.

You can donate to LiveStrong in three different ways.

1. Buy a ticket to the event (even if you don’t come)! Since event costs were donated, your money goes directly to LiveStrong.

2. Buy a raffle ticket. Our raffle is electronic, so you don’t have to attend to win.

3. Donate directly to LiveStrong in Drew’s name.

Don’t forget that Blame-a-Thon is also live in your home for 24 hours! Stream Blame-a-Thon thanks to our partner LiveStream.

Finally, please #blamedrewscancer on Twitter ALL DAY on 9/9/09. You can blame it in real life too. Just make sure to blame cancer, and spread positive energy around Philadelphia and the world!

(@krisis)

Announcing: Filmstar

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:01:08 -0400

Craving some 80’s pop with a touch of indie rock? Filmstar will take care of that and then some at 6:30PM on September 9th at the North Star Bar.

Coming to you from the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia is Filmstar. An indie / alt rock act bringing with them pop hooks that are easy to recognize,difficult to define,and impossible to forget.

Check out Filmstar’s MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/filmstartheband

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)

Announcing: Dark Horse and the Carousels

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:57:29 -0400

The Blame Drew’s Cancer Team is proud to have Dark Horse and the Carousels taking the stage at 7:30pm on September 9th at the North Star Bar.

If John Peel were still around, he’d be all over this classic five-piece, steeped in the reverb-heavy glam-and-a-wink ethos of the late ’60s and early ’70s. You can catch references to everybody from Phil Lynott to Sweet to Gary Glitter, but if they had to choose, I’m guessing these boys would go with late-’60s Stones. A video of “Crazy” shows singer Joseph Kusy in full-on Jagger mode, hips shimmying, elbows jutting and one finger wagging. Behind him, clad in multicolored mod, is one sharp-edged band, kicking out razory MC5 riffs and Sly soul jams. Maybe it’s time the Dark Horse won a race or two.” -Philadelphia Weekly (March 2009)

After two years of press acclaim, and shows with Black Lips, Peter Bjorn & John, The Detroit Cobras, The Teenagers, and Shonen Knife, DHATC released their debut self-titled full-length album at Making Time in 2008 at Pure Nightclub in Philadelphia. They are currently at work on a series of new releases.

See them on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/darkhorseandthecarousels

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@mikeyil)

CRUNCHY NEWS: Taco Bell just went "all in" for #BlameDrewsCancer

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:04:44 -0400

drew:

You might have heard that the @TacoBellTruck will be at the 9/9/09 Blame-A-Thon. We’re stoked. Free tacos for all of you cancer blamers who come out to our event.

But this just in, Taco Bell has promised to donate $1 for each of the next ONE THOUSAND #BlameDrewsCancer tweets.

That’s $1,000, right to LIVESTRONG.

YES!!!!

So blame y’all. Blame hard. And to be nice, add #tacobell to your blame. You don’t have to, but it would be nice, because they’re doing a wonderful thing here.

Thanks Taco Bell!!

Yo Quero Blame-A-Thon.

Yes, the amazing Taco Bell Truck will be there next week for the second rockin’ half of the Blame-A-Thon 12noon-2am at The North Star Bar. Get your tickets today: http://bit.ly/blameathon

(@mikeyil)

Announcing: The Press

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:00:05 -0400

No, this isn’t a list of the press coverage so generously given to us. This is the announcement of another excellent band slated to play the Blame-A-Thon at 5:30PM on September 9th at The North Star Bar.

This trio based in Brooklyn (via Atlanta [via Boston]) is ready to storm Philadelphia with their awesome style of “Co-Op” rock!

Check out The Press on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/thepress

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)

#blamedrewscancer’s Blame-a-Thon Explained!

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:22:00 -0400

Repost from Peter’s Blog: CrushingKrisis.com

http://crushingkrisis.com/2009/09/02/blamedrewscancers-blame-a-thon-explained

So, you’re a cancer blamer but you’re not sure what this whole Blame a-Thon thing is about? Never fear – we’re here with answers to all of your questions.

If you know the basics of #blamedrewscancer, you can skip to the Blame-a-Thon bits.

What’s Blame Drew’s Cancer
Actually, that’s “#blamedrewscancer” – a twitter hashtag that turned into a viral charity movement through the enthusiastic support of over 11,000 twitter users beating up on cancer.

It jumped into the real world with a series of fundraisers in Philly and San Fransisco, plus a literal leap out of a plane at 14,000 feet for the #blamedrewscancer team.

Who is Drew?
Drew Olanoff is a New Jersey native who was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on May 20. Since then he has kicked cancer’s ass every day in words, actions, and about $10,000 of fundraising in under 100 days.

How was your summer?

And all this money goes where, exactly?
Drew’s efforts have benefited a few different cancer-related charities over the summer, but both Drew and #blamedrewscancer are official partners of LiveStrong AKA the Lance Armstrong Foundation. All of our current fundraising goes to LiveStrong, and Drew emceed the LiveStrong Challenge in Philly.

Lance even blamed something on Drew’s cancer. We like him.

Have I heard about this somewhere else?
Maybe. Do you read or watch the Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, AOL Health, CNN, Fox29, Mashable, Tech Crunch, Philadelphia City Paper, Download Squad, or The Mendte Report? That’s just a portion of the press and blogs that have covered #blamedrewscancer in the past 100 days.

Oh, and we have a really catchy theme song.

What’s Blame-a-Thon
Blame-a-Thon is a 24-hour party and benefit concert held on 9/9/09 in Philadelphia where you can blame cancer all day while enjoying live podcast tapings, film screenings, and amazing bands.

If you aren’t there in person, you can watch on the web and enter our web raffle for big prizes – like gene research kits from our sponsor 23andMe or a signed hockey stick from the Philly Flyers. All proceeds go towards our giant contribution to LiveStrong.

Where is Blame-a-Thon?
Blame-a-Thon will be three places on 9/9/09: Indy Hall, North Star Bar, and the internets.

Blame-a-thon starts when Tuesday ends, kicking off at Philly co-working space Indy Hall – 20 N. 3rd St, Unit 201, 19106. It’s free, and it lasts from midnight to noon. Just drop by. More info below.

At noon, the party shifts to venerable venue North Star Bar, where we’ll host live music past midnight, followed by a DJ’d farewell – 2639 Poplar Street, 19130. Tickets are an absurdly low $15 presale, or $20 at the door. More info below, too.

I’m not in Philly and/or I’m busy on 9/9/09, but I still want to support #blamedrewscancer and give to LiveStrong. What should I do?
You can still buy a ticket – 100% of proceeds go to LiveStrong whether you show up or not. Or, you can buy into our major twitter-based raffle. Or, just give straight to LiveStrong on our behalf.

Or do all three.

Indy Hall: A party from midnight to noon? What are you going to do all night … and morning?
We’ll kick off with a live, super-sized, back-from-hiatus version of Drew’s Best Damn Tech Show podcast, followed by staying up all night for film screenings, video games, and acoustic music. Heck, bring pajamas if you want. Then, wake-up with La Colombe coffee and breakfast from Chef-a-Me.

We’ll cap off this half of the event with a live taping of Two Guys on Beer, which just celebrated its 100th episode! In addition, a DKMS Americas sponsored bone marrow registry will take place from 7am – 12pm.

North Star Bar: 12 hours is a long concert – who’s playing?
Bamboo Houses, Dark Horse & The Carousels, Filmstar, Goodnight Lights featuring Jonah Delso, High Kick, Reed Kendall of Up the Chain, Kill You In the Face, Christie Lenee, Thom McCarthy, The Press, Elizabeth Seward, Swift Technique, The Traded Series, and Billy Woodward & The Senders, plus award-winning spinner DJ KASH.

Not in that order, though. Check back for a schedule. Or, just buy a ticket and see them all.

That’s a lot of bands. What if I get bored? Or hungry?
North Star Bar will be selling food and drinks the entire time. We’ll also have the Taco Bell Truck and the Philly Buttercream Cupcake truck, plus complementary drinks from Victory beer (while supplies last). Plus awesome raffles and a DKMS Americas sponsored bone marrow registry.

Oh, and Drew.

So, buy your darn ticket already.

You keep mentioning this bone marrow registry? Sounds painful.
Totally not. It’s a simple swab of your cheek to be registered, and we’ll have plenty of info from DKMS Americas about what happens if you’re matched.

Wow, that’s a lot of stuff. How did you put it all together?
Drew has an awesome team of friends helping with #blamedrewscancer, all of whom are dedicated to kicking cancer’s ass in every way possible.

In the long-term, we plan to work with LiveStrong bring the amazing support Drew has found on social networks to EVERYONE fighting and surviving cancer.

Cancer should be terrified.

Who’s paying for all of this?
We could have never done this without the amazing support of our presenting sponsor, 23andMe, and our generous supporting sponsors blip.tv and Level 3 Media. You can multiply their support just by showing up!

Also, Indy Hall and North Star Bar have been incredibly gracious in volunteering their services for little or no cost. They are both wonderful supporters and cancer blamers!

Any questions?

(@krisis)

Rafflegrabs!

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:08:51 -0400

We’re announcing RIGHT NOW, that you can be a part of the Blame-A-Thon in a brand new way, even if you’re not there in person (in Philly). While watching the livestream of our 24 hour event benefitting LIVESTRONG, you can win raffle prizes. Even if you’ll be at the event, you can win.

How?

#rafflegrabs

Every hour we’re going to give one cool prize away (for the entire 24 hours), that’s 24 potential prize winning opportunites?!?!?!?! Amazing.

Every hour, at the beginning of the hour, we will tweet and say on our stream what the prize is, who it’s from, etc. During that hour you can blame my cancer for something and add the hashtag #rafflegrab for a chance win (one random blametweet will be picked each hour!). BUT you have to buy a raffle ticket.

$9 for the WHOLE day.

AND, it goes right to LIVESTRONG!

You can only win once per each #rafflegrabs ticket you buy (so buy up to 24!), but ALL of the prizes are worth it. Like this one:

A genuine NHL hockey stick autographed by the Philadelphia Flyers Claude Giroux. This was donated to us by the wonderful Philadelphia Flyers organization themselves! (complete with certificate of authenticity!)

You’ll also be able to win things like 23andMe kits , A signed copy of the book “Twitterville” by Shel Israel…and MORE!

So buy your #rafflegrabs raffle ticket RIGHT NOW!

Announcing: The Traded Series

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:03:56 -0400

One week away from the Blame-A-Thon and we’re very excited to announce The Traded Series will be another fine band performing at 10:30PM on September 9th at the North Star Bar.

It’s been quite some time since The Starting Line went on break, but this pop-punk quartet featuring The Starting Line guitarist, Mike Golla, has not been resting. They’re ready to shock and amaze!

Check out The Traded Series on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/thetradedseries

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)

Announcing: Kill You in the Face

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:31:00 -0400

Voices of Angels. Bodies of Gods. Conspiracy Theorists. Revolutionaries. Forward Thinkers. Captains of this Vessel. Intergalactic Bounty Hunters. Editors in Chief. Hood Rats. Cat Burglars. Sandwich Makers. Minds like Razors. Hearts of Kings. Super Models. Connoisseurs Of Fine French Wines. Panic Endusers. Pain Relievers. Handsome Lumberjacks. All Around Nice Guys

This is what the next band announced for the Blame-A-Thon describes themselves as. You can be the judge of that at 9:00PM on September 9th at The North Star Bar.

Check out Kill You in the Face on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/killfacephilly

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)

Announcing: Billy Woodward & The Senders

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:27:00 -0400

Hauling in from the Washington DC area, Billy Woodward & The Senders are slated as another great act on the bill for the Blame-A-Thon at 4:00PM on September 9th at The North Star Bar.

The Senders bring a classic rockabilly sound to the stage that will have you dancing before you even know it.

Check out Bill Woodward & The Senders on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/billywoodward

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)

Announcing: Swift Technique

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:47:00 -0400

The Blame Drew’s Cancer team is very excited to announce Swift Technique as one of our many amazing acts performing at the Blame-A-Thon late night on September 9th at The North Star Bar.

“Few bands embody the soul and showmanship needed to be a true funk band. The Swift Technique is one of those few. They play straight up funk, and are damn good at it. I caught up with them at the Tin Angel and watched as they delivered one of the best performances I’ve seen in a while.” - Ptah Gabrie, Philly.com

Check out Swift Technique on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/swifttechnique

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)

I Like My Blaming With Coffee & Cream

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:17:35 -0400

We’re very pleased to say that La Colombe will be our coffee sponsor the morning of 9/9! It should go very well alongside the greatly anticipated breakfast from our Chefame friends.

A Rittenhouse bastion of delicious brews, La Colombe is known for their friendly baristas, selection of coffees, European vibe, and great people watching. Make sure you check them out at IndyHall -they’ll be providing the Blame-A-Thon with coffee, tea, lattes, and espresso from about 6am - Noon.

La Colombe Torrefaction
130 S 19th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 563-0860
www.lacolombe.com

Note: The IndyHall portion of the Blame-A-Thon (12midnight -12noon) does not require tickets whereas the North Star Bar half of the day does. So, just stop by on September 9th!

(@eedawson)

Buttercream Cupcake Truck

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:45:00 -0400

One Blame-A-Thon, two yummy trucks. You heard it right. After you’re done having some wonderful Taco Bell courtesy of the Taco Bell Truck, grab some cupcakes from Buttercream.

To say that Philadelphia residents were excited to hear about Kate Carrara’s Buttercream Cupcake Truck is an understatement. Blogs from Daily Candy (http://bit.ly/2lyoY2) to Phoodie (http://bit.ly/PvHSl) heralded the arrival of Kate’s mail truck-gone-mobile-bakery. A former attorney, Kate now bakes her delicious treats out of Philly Kitchen Share (1514 South Street) from the chocolate and vanilla standbys to red velvet! She’ll be rocking the Cupcake Truck at North Star Bar during our epic Blame-A-Thon on September 9th.

Follow Kate on Twitter to find out where’s she’s going to roll next:
@ButtercreamPhl

Or find out more:
http://www.buttercreamphiladelphia.com

While you’re hanging out at the North Star Bar, you wouldn’t want to miss out the great musical performances inside would you? Buy your tickets today.

(@eedawson)

DKMS Americas: Bone Marrow Registry Drive

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:06:00 -0400

My little sister Casey was just 21 years old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. Within three weeks, the leukemia claimed her life. Casey had a lot going for her - bound for Teach for America after graduation, she was working on her psychology thesis and volunteering at a local animal shelter. Everyone who knew her called her “traveling sunshine.”

If Casey had lived through her time in ICU, she would have been a candidate for bone marrow donation and was fortunate to have my two younger sisters as matches. A lucky 25 to 30 percent of patients have an eligible family member with compatible tissue. For the other 70 percent of patients, however, a compatible donor must be found elsewhere; tissue type is inherited and so a huge factor in compatibility is ethnicity. The makeup of the six million people on the national registry is less than 10 percent each African American, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, and 75 percent Caucasian.

On September 9, participants at the Blame-A-Thon will have an opportunity to make an enormous impact in the life of a stranger by registering for the national donor registry through DKMS Americas. Joining is easy - it takes a few minutes to fill out a registration form and swab the inside of your cheeks. This buccal swab is tested in order to determine your tissue type; a successful marrow transplant requires the use of compatible tissue in the hope that the recipient’s body will accept it as its own. And joining the registry is FREE.

The Blame-A-Thon is a chance to make a tangible difference in the lives of people battling cancer. They are your friends, your coworkers, your parents, and your siblings. And one cheek swab could give them a chance at recovery. Wouldn’t you want someone to do the same for you?

For more information about bone marrow registration & donation visit dkmsamericas.org

Bone Marrow Registration
IndyHall
7am - 12pm

North Star Bar
4pm - 8pm

- Elizabeth Dawson (@eedawson)

Announcing: Christie Lenée

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:23:00 -0400

The Blame Drew’s Cancer team is very excited to announce Christie Lenée as another amazing artist performing live at 1:30PM at the North Star Bar on September 9th!

“Christie is an eclectic guitarist, composer, and singer/songwriter. Her music moves seamlessly among genres ranging from funky dance jams to virtuoso classical guitar, fusing funk, folk, jazz, rock, bluegrass, classical, and percussive loops.”

Visit Christie on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/christieleneemusic

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)

Announcing: Reed Kendall

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:15:00 -0400

The Blame Drew’s Cancer is proud to introduce Reed Kendall as the second named performer for the Blame-A-Thon.

Reed is a young and upcoming Philadelphian and part of the acoustic rock band, Up the Chain. Recently featured on NBC Philadelphia’s “THE 10! SHOW” to promote their live recording residency at MilkBoy Coffee in Ardmore, Up the Chain takes the substantive pop sensibility of Reed’s songwriting and infuses it with hints of jazz and jam.

See Reed make a solo acoustic performance at 1:00PM at the North Star Bar on September 9th.

Check out Up The Chain on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/upthechain

Reed’s YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/reed85

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)

“Another battler has a quirky invitation” via the...

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:29:15 -0400

“Another battler has a quirky invitation” via the Philly Inquirier.

(photo of @sarahcooley and i.)

Announcing: Thom McCarthy

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:48:00 -0400

The Blame Drew’s Cancer team is proud to announce the first of our many talented performers for the Blame-A-Thon: Thom McCarthy! He’ll be entertaining us with his indie folk, upon his mighty acoustic guitar.

Nothing says Philadelphia as much as a guy who has a song entitled “Cheesesteaks Live Forever In The City of Brotherly Love.” See him make a solo acoustic performance at 12:30PM at the Legendary North Star Bar on September 9th.

Visit Thom on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/thommccarthy

[BUY TICKETS!]

(@schmidtultra)