Sat 5/30 @ 8PM
When Ken Janssen died at the beginning of this year of the Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) he’d been battling for more than two years, he left a hole in the music community and the Waterloo neighborhood where his outsized personality, enthusiasm and generous spirit had been.
But he won’t be easily forgotten and his legacy lives on, supported by his family and friends and It*Don’t Quit, the organization he founded to fight ALS.
Kenfest, taking place at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern, is part of his legacy. It will mark the release of The Action Janssen LP, a collection of live and studio tracks on which he was featured. And some of the money raised will go to send his caretaker to nursing school.
Exploding Lies, Kill the Hippies, Charles Hill Jr., and New Planet Trampoline will play in the ballroom, with the evening culminating with a jam session featuring Ken’s old bands the It*Men, Vista Cruisers and Hot Rails. In the tavern, there’ll be a pre-show dinner at 7pm, Pool Party live karaoke from 9-11pm and music spun by DJ Orvis and DJ Alright starting at 11pm.
Admission is $10.
groovebot.gottagrooverecords.com/
Photo by Frank Lanza