In the wake of disasters like Hurricane Sandy, many are seeking out ways to lend a hand. Two local residents, Larry Stoffa and Jim Sollami of 3 Amigos Entertainment, have done so by organizing the Impact on People benefit concert.

Stoffa explains that when he and Sollami conceived of the event, they needed sponsors. Bruce Klien of Anytime Fitness in Cornwall was happy to help in whatever way he could.

Next, they found a venue in the form of The Castle in Chester. Imperial Guitar of Newburgh also donated amplifiers and speaker cabinets for the event.

Hudson Valley radio stations have been helpful in getting the word out. WRRV has been promoting the concert for several days now, and K104 will be there with a street team.

Stoffa emphasizes the event has been designed to include several genres of music in order to offer something to everyone.

Bands and artists performing at the event include local favorites Nuts in a Blender & The Great Blendini’s, The Chris Dukes Band, City at Dawn, and Amanda Penecale. These acts will treat the concert’s audience to a wide variety of music styles, including punk rock, country pop, folk songwriting, and fun covers of favorite classics. The event also promises to feature appearances from MC Peter J. Gleason and “other surprise guests.”

The Impact on People concert will be held at The Castle, 109 Brookside Avenue in Chester, from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm on January 5. Tickets may be purchased online at www.thecastlefuncenter.com, as well as at Pizza Mia in New Windsor, Anytime Fitness in Cornwall, and 2 Alices in Cornwall-on-Hudson. All proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross.

It’s been said that a decade in someone’s life is a chapter with a beginning and end. With that end we are sad to announce the departure of our longest member of NUTS IN A BLENDER. At the end of 2012 our singer, frontman and co-founder Bryan Seeley has decided to take a needed break and leave NUTS IN A BLENDER to finish other chapters in his life. This is sad news for all of us in the band, as we are losing a great talent and a good friend on the stage. Obviously, it will be sad news as well for many of our fans. Bryan spent a decade pleasing audiences from North Carolina to Boston Mass. He will certainly be missed, honored and revered for being one of the best front men ever in the Hudson Valley. We wish him well.

However where there is change there is also opportunity. We’ve always been a band that has worked hard to put on the best show possible. So for those who felt maybe NUTS has hit the wall… well we’re really ready to break through it. So Nuts in A Blender will now be holding open auditions for the position of lead singer effective immediately. If you know of someone who is a terrific singer, engaging performer with the confidence to front a band, we would love to meet them. This will be an opportunity for someone to join one of the top cover bands in Hudson Valley and Upstate New York. We earn great pay, we play to big crowds and treat the band like a business. And in 2013 we’re looking to take things even further beyond nightclubs and into with wedding and corporate events.

We’re looking for a singer who is an energetic performer and can inspire an audience. For someone with great vocal range who also feels comfortable singing rock, rap, pop, and current Top 40. They also must be a team player and co-exist with many other members of the band. Most gigs will require the commitment of weekends and occasional week nights. Rehearsals are twice a month and some shows will require an overnight stay and occasional travel.
For those who wish to apply please send a note about yourself and some type of reviewable demo media (ie: mp3’s, video) including three songs to mike@nutsinablender.com. We’ll contact you upon receipt and if we feel you are a good match for this band we’ll move forward and set up an audition.

-NUTS

Yes, last year Mother Nature played a cruel trick on us. The day of Boo Ball she dumped 12 inches of snow in our laps and then it never snowed for the rest of the winter. So we’re pumped like we have  two Boo Balls we’re waiting to unlease. Tickets are on sale here:  http://wrrv2.ticketfill.com/ and are just $5 until Oct 1st. What a bargin. We promise this will be our best Boo Ball yet! Details are below!

Join us for the 2012 WRRV Boo Ball, the biggest and best Halloween Party in the Hudson Valley! Nuts in a Blender will be jamming out all night on stage, Michael Bochar will amaze you with a full show of magic and illusion… plus we will have a $1,000 costume contest, with cash prizes for runners up. Doors will open at 8pm and the band goes on at 9. We will have a full cash bar. Get your friends together and join us for the 2012 WRRV Boo Ball… you never know what else could happen at the Boo Ball! Purchase your tickets below…. tickets will be more expensive at the door!

If there was ever a room in the Hudson Valley that has grown with your dear old NUTS it’s been the Empty Bottle Saloon. Since the summer of 2012 NUTS has played 30 shows here including some key events; Like Thanksgiving Eve, every Anniversary Party, THe Empty Bottle Beach Party’s, Cinco De Mayo, St. Patty’s Day and of course our annual Mardi Gras spectaculars! We’ve also captured some of the best videos of this band known to man. So Imagine our thrill to play The Empty Bottle this Saturday! Three cheers to a terrific room, great staff and good drink!

7pm-9pm is an OPEN BAR… that’s in as open and come out and drink!!!

Victor Vargas will be spinning mad jams and from 10- 2am NUTS hits the stage… Gangnam style (come on, you think we’d ‘miss’ covering this song?)

This will be epic! ***5*** FIVE YEARS!!! The Empty Bottle Saloon Come out and celebrate 5 years at one of the best rooms in the Hudson Valley. So much Nuttiness happened here over the years, we can’t even begin…

Check out 5 years worth of memories in the videos below:

NUTS is off this entire weekend, resting up for a great September. We had a blast this summer playing our favorite clubs, some terrific weddings, big public events and some kickin private parties. Sadly summer will symbolically come to an end for most of us with our closing parties at The Beach and Gully’s. And remember to check us out next Saturday at General Montgomery Day Parade as well.