“Put Your Sad Down” Benefit Concert for School of Seven Bells’ Benjamin Curtis To Feature Paul Banks, Albert Hammond Jr.

Masses of uninsured musician winced in sympathy when, early this year, guitarist Benjamin Curtis of the electronic dream-pop band School of Seven Bells was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. Six months later, as his medical bills continue to compound, three organizations—Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, Wiz Kid Management, and New York-based creative agency GOST—have stepped up to curate a high-profile benefit concert to take place August 22nd at Bowery Hotel in New York.

The benefit has been titled “Put Your Sad Down,” after the School of Seven Bells’ 2012 EP whose trippy euphoria mixes with buried melancholy. The event stage will feature solo acts by Interpol’s Paul Banks and Albert Hammond, Jr. of The Strokes, as well as DJing by The Strokes Fabrizi Moretti, Devendra Banhart, English television host Alexa Chung, and Danny Masterson of That ’70s Show. Some huge personalities have donated to the silent auction which will take place during the event. These include The Black Keys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Regina Spektor, and The Strokes, as well as comedians David Cross, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Aziz Ansari, and others. Every cent of the event’s proceeds will go directly to a fund established for Curtis. Buy tickets for this event here.