FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November xx, 2010
ACADEMY® AWARD- WINNER RYAN BINGHAM TO HEADLINE 1ST ANNUAL
‘STANDUP FOR KIDS’ BENEFIT CONCERT IN SANTA MONICA ON DEC. 5TH
StandUp For Kids/LA & Ryan Bingham Set To Debut Inaugural
‘Music + Art + Food’ Festival Event Benefiting Youth Homelessness in Los Angeles
Musical Performances to Include Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses,
Timmy Curran, The Americans, as well as Music/Art Demonstrations by Local Homeless Youth
(Los Angeles, CA)--On Sunday, December 5, 2010, acclaimed singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham and nonprofit
organization StandUp For Kids are teaming up with local area musicians, artists, and vendors to present
LA’s 1ST ANNUAL ‘STAND UP FOR KIDS’ BENEFIT CONCERT. Taking place at the James Gray Art Gallery in Santa Monica's
Bergamot Station from Noon-4:00pm, this inaugural one-day festival will bring together elements of 'music + art + food'
in an effort to raise funds & bring awareness to the currently growing issue of youth homelessness in the US.
Anticipated to be the largest event of the year for the Los Angeles chapter of StandUp For Kids - a national nonprofit
volunteer outreach organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless, and street kids – the
afternoon will feature LIVE PERFORMANCES by bands The Americans, Timmy Curran, and headliners Ryan Bingham &
The Dead Horses. Additional highlights of this year’s benefit to include: PORTRAITS OF HOMELESS YOUTH by celebrated
documentary photographer Tom Stone; a LIVE STREET ART demonstration courtesy of Viva La Art!; SILENT AUCTIONS; an
extraordinary collection of food & beverages from LA’s FINEST VENDORS, and much more. This year’s fundraising event
will also serve as a rare opportunity for the local homeless youth themselves to showcase their own unique music/art
talents alongside other established musicians and artists.
For recent Oscar-winner Ryan Bingham, being able to contribute to this event was not only an honor, but also one of
particular importance to him. Spending the past several years on the road traveling as a musician, Bingham has all too
often witnessed firsthand the harsh reality of the homeless condition in the US – an issue that’s even had an impact on
some of his songwriting material – making this opportunity to give back all the more meaningful.
“I've always had this soft spot in my heart for the homeless community, particularly any children that are trying to
survive living on the streets,” says Bingham. “When you’re continually traveling around the country, you really begin to
see the condition that the country is in and the condition that people are in. You’re constantly encountering people from
all different walks of life at all hours of the day - so you’re not always looking at the glossy side of everything - but also
seeing the less fortunate side of our cities and communities and towns. I feel a lot of people still often overlook that these
days, but it’s an important issue that definitely deserves more attention – and I really admire the work StandUp For Kids
is doing to make that happen.”
All proceeds from the event will go directly to benefit the Los Angeles chapter of Stand Up For Kids. Admission to the
event will be $20.00 at the door – OR – a donation of a sleeping bag, which will be given to the local homeless youth
population. Children under the age of 14 will be admitted free of charge.
The James Gray Art Gallery of Bergamot Station is located at 2525 Michigan Ave in Santa Monica, CA. Doors open at
12:00pm, with the first musical act taking the stage at 12:30pm.
ABOUT RYAN BINGHAM (HTTP://WWW.BINGHAMMUSIC.COM/)
Though it’s only been three years since he released his major label debut – it seems musician Ryan Bingham has already
accomplished more at the age 29 than many do in a lifetime. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums under Lost Highway
Records in 2007 (Mescalito) and 2009 (Roadhouse Sun) - it was 2010 that truly catapulted the talented young singer/songwriter into
the national spotlight. Not only did he earn both an Oscar® & Golden Globe® for his song “The Weary Kind” – the title track to the
acclaimed film CRAZY HEART - but Bingham was also recently awarded the Americana Music Association’s top honor: “Artist of the
Year.”
Ryan Bingham’s latest release, Junky Star, was received with further critical praise this past August – debuting in the ‘Top 20’ on the
BILLBOARD 200 CHART, his highest charting release to date - with the magazine also exclaiming: “Bingham’s writing is filled with
stark images and canny observations…Look for this gifted young artist's star to keep rising.”
Most recently, Bingham and his longtime band The Dead Horses, wrapped an extensive Fall tour schedule in support of the album –
which included sold-out headlining tour dates along the East Coast, supporting dates with Willie Nelson along the West Coast, and a
successful European tour. Additional notable performances this past Fall included an appearance on the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID
LETTERMAN, headlining stage slot at the 2010 Austin City Limits Festival, and exclusive performances at both the Grammy Museum
and the Americana Music Awards. Currently, Bingham and his band are prepping to hit the road again next Spring.
ABOUT STAND UP FOR KIDS (HTTP://WWW.STANDUPFORKIDS.ORG/)
StandUp For Kids is a national non-profit organization that helps homeless and street kids 21 and under. Volunteers across the
nation find, stabilize, and assist homeless and street kids in their efforts to improve their lives. The LA Chapter of StandUp For Kids
currently conducts outreach in both Venice and Hollywood, with volunteers physically seeking out local youth living on the street
(seeing between 150 to 200 kids per week) in order to provide them with food, clothes and adult support. In the Los Angeles area
alone, statistics show that there is an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 homeless youth in the area, and roughly 80% of them are
unsheltered each night. The funds raised from the Dec. 5th event will be dedicated to support the opening of a new Outreach Center
in Venice.
ABOUT VIVA LA ART! (WWW.VIVALAART.ORG)
Viva La Art! is a movement organizing and empowering the art community to help socially responsible programs and charities in Los
Angeles. By partnering with local non-profit organizations, Viva! hosts events celebrating the love of art and the humanitarian spirit,
while also providing awareness and financial support for local non-profits and socially responsible organizations.
ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHER TOM STONE (HTTP://WWW.TOMSTONEGALLERY.COM/)
Tom Stone is a documentary photographer known for his portraits of people living along the edges of society, particularly those of
American poverty. His photography shares perspective with the work of Dorothea Lange, Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus and
Sebastião Salgado.
ABOUT BERGAMONT STATION (HTTP://BERGAMOTSTATION.COM)
Bergamot Station is Southern California's largest art gallery complex and cultural center, located in the heart of Santa Monica. The
James Gray Gallery, located within Bergamot Station, will serve as host to this event. The Gallery has nearly 5,000 square feet of
space, which will serve as host to the afternoon’s featured artists and silent auction items.
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For more information on Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, please contact:
Nicole Fox at (310)871-8085/ press@binghammusic.com
For more information on StandUp For Kids/LA, please contact:
TBD
For Photos & Cover Art, visit:
http://www.binghammusic.com/promomaterials.html
(USER NAME: bingham_promo PASSWORD: rb_st@rpromo)