Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Bruce, R.E.M., Wilco, Modest Mouse, Interpol, Feist, Obama Do Rock for Kids Auction
Poster by Spike Press
The twentieth anniversary edition of the annual Rock for Kids Rock & Roll Charity Auction will take place December 5 at Chicago's Park West, with the aim of raising some coin for the city's homeless and underprivileged youngsters. Over the years, the Rock for Kids auction has raised more than three million dollars for the cause, and they've once again gathered a mighty impressive lot for the auction block this time out.
There's plenty of autographed posters, from the likes of Interpol, Public Enemy, TV on the Radio, Spoon, the Decemberists, Feist, Jarvis Cocker, Dinosaur Jr., Andrew Bird, Elvis Costello, M. Ward, Cursive, Gogol Bordello, Tegan and Sara, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, Velvet Revolver, Ani DiFranco, Lenny Kravitz, and Monty Python's Eric Idle. Hometown heroes Wilco turn in a series of posters from their recent winter residency, signed by the boys in the band (see below). You've got autographed guitars from Carlos Santana, Mark Knopfler, the Eagles, the Hives (which they broke onstage at the Riviera here in Chicago back in February), John Mellencamp, and Sheryl Crow.
There's even some signed vinyl from Cat Power, the Psychedelic Furs, Steve Earle, the Rocky Horror Picture Show cast, Melissa Etheridge, and, tucked way in a display made to look like a bed(!), George Michael. What's more, there are signed photos from Brian "Moses" Wilson (pictured just down yonder), the late Heath Ledger, Rob Zombie, Jay Leno, actress Kathy Bates, Charlton Heston and Kim Hunter in Planet of the Apes, and Sally Field. There's even a photo of the Beatles from their last concert signed by photographer Jim Marshall.
And then there's the stuff that doesn't quite fit into those neat little categories. There's an autographed chair from the Flight of the Conchords, a ukulele signed by Jon Brion, a bodrhán (Irish drum) scrawled on by the Pogues, and an autographed drumhead courtesy of Ween. Tapes 'n Tapes sign a light box, and there's one of those singing James Brown dolls autographed by the late legend, signed jackets from Gwen Stefani and Henry "The Fonz" Winkler, a dollar bill signed by Bo Diddley, a soccer ball autographed by Rod Stewart, and a purse written on by Patti LaBelle. And, perhaps coolest of all, a suit, worn by Snoop Dogg. Winner, let me be the first to say: check the pockets.
There's also cool stuff expected from Barack Obama, the Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Yoko Ono, Joanna Newsom, Modest Mouse, the Hold Steady, the Strokes, R.E.M., Stephen Malkmus, the Magnetic Fields, Hot Chip, Vampire Weekend, Rage Against the Machine, Iron and Wine, Kraftwerk, the Breeders, Bloc Party, Ray Davies, X, Broken Social Scene, Rilo Kiley, Justice, Eddie Vedder, and many others. Geez, Obama! Best get on that.
Even if you can't make it to Chicago in person, you can bid by proxy online. Do it for the kids!
Here's a sampling of some more Rock for Kids auction material:
The Pogues
Public Enemy
Flight of the Conchords
Cat Power
George Michael
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