Benefit Concert for Family Who Lost Father and Son to COVID

I love it when music and charity come together because they can bring out a sense of community unlike other mediums. The circumstances in this case though are heartbreaking, to say the least.

Martin Family Benefit Concert at Putnam Place

The band Thanks! along with Perpetual Vibes LLC are combining forces to host a benefit concert for the Martin Family on Sunday, April 3rd from 1-5 pm at Putnam Place. Back in November of 2021, Thanks! Drummer Ben Martin and his family were devastated by COVID. They lost Ben’s father, Rick (57), and Ben’s brother Jacob (27) to this horrific disease within six days of one another. It has been an incredibly difficult time for the family and for everyone close to them.

When times get tough, we all grow stronger together and Thanks! is now calling on the community far and wide to come be with them and rally around this wonderful family.

"There is no greater force than music to bring everyone together and we wanted to host a benefit concert to do just that,"  Thanks!

The lineup of artists for the event will feature Deb Cavanaugh, Jennie Angel, Son of a Gun, E.R.I.E., and Thanks!. Special guests will also make an appearance at the end of the show, so make sure you stick around for an entire day of wonderful music!

I've known Ben since college. We both attended the College of Saint Rose. He was a couple of years older than me. He is a great guy and an awesome drummer. I've had the pleasure to interview him and work with one of his bands back in college, and I've had the pleasure to book Thanks! and work with them on a couple of events outside of college.

As someone who has lost close friends and family during the pandemic too (a couple of which from COVID-19 specifically), my heart breaks in regards to the Martin's situation. Everyone in Thanks! are great people with good hearts, and it is very sweet to see the measures they are going to to support one of their own.

How You Can Help?

Tickets will be $10. There will be raffle baskets, a 50/50 raffle, and of course an entire day of entertainment from many local bands and much more! All proceeds from the event will be donated directly to the Martin family to help them through this difficult time. Tickets will be available at the door or online at the Putnam Place website.

If you would like to donate a basket, money, or time to this event, please reach out to Michelle Moyer at michelle@perpetualvibes.com or by phone at (239) 834-1022.

There is also a GoFundMe account that has already been created for the Martins. If you would like to donate to the cause, please find it here.

"Music has so much power. It can heal the soul and bring us all together...COVID has taken a lot from all of us. It has been the most difficult time that any of us have seen in a long time, if not ever. We hope that we can all band together during this time and prove how strong our community is. We thank you in advance for your generosity and support," Thanks!