Kelly's Lot and GoGirlsMusic.com
Present "Hep C Aware" Friday April 18 7pm -1:30am
Last Concert Cafe 1403 Nance St., Houston, Texas
$5 cover All Ages A night of music, info and testing for Hepatitis C
(Houston, TX): Kelly’s Lot, HepCAware.org and GoGirlsMusic will present an evening of live music and Hepatitis C info on Friday, April 18, 7pm -1:30am at Last Concert Cafe, 1403 Nance St. Houston, TX. There will be live music by Kelly’s Lot, OSIRUS, The Snake Charmers, Mary Noel & the Blackwood Co., Christie Glaser, Hidden Agenda, P.J. Flowers, EVRiM, 71 Stars, Kimberly Jason and 3 Kisses. Hepatitis C screening and testing will be available. All funds raised will go to The Texas Liver Coalition. More info at www.TexasLiver.org or call 1-800-GO-LIVER
Kelly's Lot, which was honored with the "Best Blues Band" award by Rock City News and named one of the Top 13 bands in the U.S. by Independent Songwriter Magazine, has been involved in raising awareness of Hepatitis C since 2000 when lead singer Kelly Z learned her friend Gioia Siciliano had been diagnosed with the virus. That year, Kelly and Gioia worked with the American Liver Foundation (ALF) to create a marathon of music on the Santa Monica pier and educate as many people as they could. The event was a success but Gioia lost her battle months later after receiving a liver transplant. To honor their friend, Kelly's Lot became the spokesband for the ALF and created a tour that brought them on the road from Los Angeles to Boston to educate people about this disease. At the end of the tour Kelly ran the Boston marathon and performed afterwards with her band to heighten the awareness. It worked and in 2002, with the ALF as their official charity, Kelly partnered with GoGirlsMusic.com in creating events across the country to raise money and more awareness of hepatitis C.
In 2004 Kelly formed HepCAware.org and began working again with GoGirlsMusic on a yearly basis for their annual Invasion of the GoGirls in Austin, TX. Through the years Kelly and Madalyn from GoGirls have met many who were suffering with Hep C, which has inspired them to continue the journey of raising awareness through music. They will be working together in October 2008 to kick off another series of events across the country. Producer of an annual telethon to raise both funds and awareness, Kelly Z has also recently teamed with MusiCares and The City of Los Angeles to create awareness in Los Angeles.
GoGirlsMusic.com's mission is to promote, support and empower indie women in music. Madalyn Sklar started the organization in 1996 with a vision of bringing together independent women musicians from around the country. Twelve years later, GoGirlsMusic.com produces the GoGirlsMusic Fest, Invasion of the GoGirls, Battle of the GoGirls and more. In the last eight years, Sklar has spearheaded well over 100 benefit showcases for various organizations including the Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls, MusiCares, American Liver Foundation and Nicole Brown Charitable Foundation.
There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C. It is a virus that attacks the liver and is spread by blood-to-blood contact. Although 1 in 50 Americans have the disease, 2 out of 3 do not know it. Persons who most at risk include those who have received blood, blood products or an organ transplant prior to 1992; those who have been involved with drug abuse (either injecting or snorting); those who have been patients of dialysis, those who have been tattooed or pierced, shared personal care items, been incarcerated or have been a war veteran (especially Vietnam).
Musical performances by Kelly’s Lot, OSIRUS, The Snake Charmers, Mary Noel & the Blackwood Co., Christie Glaser, Hidden Agenda, P.J. Flowers, EVRiM, 71 Stars, Kimberly Jason and 3 Kisses. For more information call 310-377-2527.
For Interviews, More Information:
Tom Kidd/Pres Pak Public Relations
310-377-2527 cell 310-433-6734
