Rock Out for the Planet

Earth Day may have passed, but that doesn’t mean you should stop celebrating the planet.

On Saturday, Hank’s Saloon hosts the , an annual Earth Day benefit concert that raises funds for Sustainable Harvest International, a non-profit that works to provide farming families in Central America with the training and tools to overcome poverty while simultaneously restoring the planet's tropical forests. 

Organizer Andi Rae Healy, a Park Slope resident, bartender and musician, said she was first inspired to start the tradition after watching Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.

“I was always kind of brought up to conserve things,” said Healy, “ But when I saw An Inconvenient Truth I started to get a little be more vehement about the environment. I really wanted to make some kind of difference on my own.”

Healy will perform at the benefit alongside her band, the Back River Bullies, an indie-country act that’s a frequent fixture at city venues like Hill Country, Rockwood Music Hall and the all new Freddy’s. They’ll take the stage along with Brooklyn rockers like Wolfe & The Wayside and the brand new Julian & the Lopez Dispensers.

Of course, like any good benefit the show will boast a raffle as well, with fun prizes like local bar crawls, wine baskets and tickets to see The Blue Man Group.

This is the benefit’s first year at Atlantic Avenue’s Hank’s Saloon – the past two years it’s been held at Bar 4 on Seventh Avenue and 14th Street.

Healy said that this year they hope to raise $1000 (last year they raised $600) and expect at least 150 people. Hanks will additionally donate a portion of all bar sales from the evening to Sustainable Harvest International.