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MySpace spurs Sudan benefit concerts
The popular networking website MySpace has partnered with more than 20 bands--including Ziggy Marley , Alice in Chains , The Fray , Gov't Mule and Bob Weir's Ratdog --for "Rock for Darfur," a campaign that aims to raise awareness and money for the humanitarian crisis in the Sudan.
On Oct. 21, a portion of the proceeds from more than 20 previously planned concerts will be donated to the humanitarian organization Oxfam's relief efforts in Sudan and neighboring Chad. The list of participating bands and concerts is below; more information is posted at the campaign's MySpace page.
"The crisis in Darfur is a global concern and as a global community we have a responsibility to take action," said MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe in a press statement. "MySpace's reach gives us an extraordinary opportunity to spread the word and empower individuals to help address the horrors in Darfur."
Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have died as a result of the an ongoing, three-year-old conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan, which has been labeled genocide by many.
"I've been watching the news reports and it brings tears to my eyes and anger to my heart when I see what is happening in Darfur right now," Marley said in a press release. "How can we sit by and not find a way to help? Together every little bit will add up."
The "Rock for Darfur" MySpace page includes video from actor George Clooney's recent trip to the region, as well as excerpts from the forthcoming documentary about the crisis titled "The Devil Came on Horseback."
"More than three years of violence in Darfur has left half the region's population dependent on international aid for survival, and there are untold thousands more who can't even be reached," Oxfam America President, Raymond C. Offenheiser said in a press release. "Such a catastrophic humanitarian situation will not improve without an end to this brutal conflict. The people of Darfur urgently need--and deserve--our help."
October 21 "Rock for Darfur" concerts:
Alice in Chains, Winston-Salem, NC, Millennium Center
Ziggy Marley, Medford, OR, Main One Center for the Arts
The Fray, Toronto, Ontario, Kool Haus
TV on the Radio, Philadelphia, PA, Starlight Ballroom
Atreyu, Baltimore, MD, Sonar
+44, Sacramento, CA, The Boardwalk
Secret Machines, San Diego, CA, SOMA
Insane Clown Posse, St. Petersburg, FL, Jannus Landing
Citizen Cope, Seattle, WA, Showbox
Teddy Geiger, Melbourne FL, King Center
Jamie Cullum, Reno, NV, Reno Hilton Theater
Amos Lee, Washington DC, 9:30 club
The Lost Trailers, Atlanta, GA, The Peachtree Tavern
Hotel Cafe Tour, Louisville, KY, Phoenix Mill Tavern
Slightly Stoopid and Pepper, San Francisco, CA, Warfield
The Wood Brothers, Charleston, SC, The Music Farm
Jars of Clay, Minneapolis, MN, Marantha Hall
Gov't Mule and Donavon Frankenreiter, Spokane, WA, The Big Easy
Benevento Russo Duo, Asheville, NC, The Orange Peel
Bob Weir & Ratdog, Milwaukee, WI, The Rave