Karyn Kuhl & the Gang (from left, Charlie Nieland, Jonpaul Pantozzi, Karyn Kuhl, Lou Ciarlo and Billy Loose).
The West of Willow collective will host a benefit concert for The Hoboken Shelter, Dec. 8 at 2:30 p.m. at Hoboken’s 503 Social Club. The lineup will include the formidable rocker Karyn Kuhl and her band, Karyn Kuhl & the Gang, along with Debby Schwartz (of The Aquanettas and Psych-O-Positive) and poets Danny Shot and Vera Sirota.
“Both Karyn and Debby are classic Hoboken rockers who played at the 503 Social Club’s soft opening a year ago,” said WOW’s co-founder, writer Jack Silbert, who will serve as emcee. “By adding powerful poets Danny and Vera from our own WOW events, we’re really bringing it all back home.
“Unhoused people have recently been demonized in our community. ‘Not in my backyard’ is too often the response to helping the homeless. So we thought, now more than ever, it was important to side with — and assist financially — the crucial work of The Hoboken Shelter.”
According to one study, the number of unhoused people in Hudson County has increased in 2024 by 27 percent, rising from 920 people to 1,168.
From left, West of Willow co-founders Jack Silbert, Vera Sirota and Karyn Kuhl.
Silbert, Sirota and Kuhl started the West of Willow collective in 2022 and organized benefits for Ukraine and Planned Parenthood. “We had been on hiatus,” said Kuhl, “until the morning of Wed., Nov. 6, when, after the election results, I felt the urge to turn my previously scheduled show at 503 Social Club into a benefit. Jack suggested The Hoboken Shelter and we agreed — and then, West of Willow was back. We are ready to swing into action to help as many at-risk, marginalized groups as we can.”
“The West of Willow collective believes in the uplifting impact of music and poetry and that artists, musicians and poets play a unique role in inspiring social change,” said Sirota. “We felt strongly about supporting the Shelter for this event. The Shelter does exemplary work in providing concrete resources and support for the most vulnerable members of our community.”
According to its website, The Hoboken Shelter, established in 1982, provides food, shelter, case management counseling, skills training workshops and permanent housing solutions.
Kuhl (previously of Gut Bank and Sexpod) is joined in Karyn Kuhl & the Gang by Charlie Nieland (guitar), Lou Ciarlo (bass), Jonpaul Pantozzi (drums) and Billy Loose (percussion). Debby Schwartz will be backed by bassist Larry Heinemann (of Springhouse, Blue Man Group and Music for Enophiles). Shot serves as poet-in-residence for the Hoboken Historical Museum and Sirota works there as a communications associate.
West of Willow’s original goal was to bring more culture back to Hoboken’s West Side (west of Willow Avenue). But now, the collective hopes to “branch out east, north, south and beyond to benefit the underserved and underheard,” said Kuhl.
A suggested donation of $20 can be sent via Venmo to @Jack-Silbert-1. If you do not have Venmo, email Silbert at jack.silbert@gmail.com.
For more information about 503 Social Club, visit facebook.com/503socialclub.
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