Rock Out ALS observes ALS Awareness Month

SEATTLE, Washington (May 11th, 2011) May is ALS Awareness Month.  ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, takes away the body’s voluntary muscle functions trapping a fully thinking and feeling brain.  The average life expectancy is 2 – 5 years and is 100% fatal.  In observance of ALS Awareness Month, Rock Out ALS is producing to rock shows in Seattle:  Rock Out ALS “Unplugged” on May 21st and PUNK-Rock Out ALS May 28th.

Rock Out ALS “Unplugged” won’t be a bunch of “sappy ballads”.  It will be an “MTV Unplugged” styled rock show and will feature 13 rare acoustic sets from the finest of Seattle’s Rock Club Scene.  Scheduled to play are Christopher Haley (Dreaded Knuckles), Supergirl featuring Joe Motor of SODO’s Club Motor, Fringe Shift, Andy Wylie (Church for Sinners), Chris Forry (Pretty Enemy), JAR of Rain, Chris Bicknell (Moneta, Devils Hunt Me Down, Hexxus), Jack Rainwater (Hard Money Saints, Momma Tried), Madison Drive, Rane Stone & JT Philips (Klover Jane), SYFT, Windowpane and Introducing Americana/Blues/Fusion Guitarist Jesse West.  The show will be at King Cat Theater on Saturday May 21st with a $10.00 Cover at the door.  Doors open at 7pm, Show starts at 8:00 with a pre-show warm up at 7:30 by Jesse West.  This show is ALL AGES with a Bar for 21+ with ID.

Punk-Rock Out ALS is at El Corazon and features some of the best of Seattle’s Street Punk:  The Greengoes, The Kamikazi’s, The Blue Ribbon Boys, Spiderface and Seattle hardcore punk legends The Bloodclots whose guitar player Maddy Matt’s brother died of ALS.  Doors open at 7pm with the show starting at 8pm.  This show will be 21 and over ONLY.  Admission is $7.00 at the door.

American Music has donated a Tim Armstrong (of Rancid) Signature “Hellcat” Fender Acoustic Guitar for the Punk show and a Fender Stratocaster to be signed by all the artists performing at the Unplugged show and will be raffled near the end of the night.  Information on ALS will be provided at both shows.  Proceeds from both shows will go to ALS TDI (Therapeutic Development Institute) who is working on a medical therapy to interrupt the progression of ALS. 

Rock Out ALS, founded in Seattle in 2007, is an organization whose purpose is to unite the music industry behind awareness and fundraising for ALS.  It produces 5 – 8 shows a year as well as other music related events.

Unlike Multiple Sclerosis, Autism, Parkinson’s or Cancer, ALS is underfunded and has no effective therapies.  Generally speaking, someone is diagnosed with ALS every 90 minutes.  At any given time, there are over 30,000 patients diagnosed with ALS living in the United States; the number world-wide is estimated at around 400,000.  40% of Families with ALS are forced into poverty due to the loss of the ability to work or by the primary income earner having to stay at home to care for the ALS Patient.  Anyone can be diagnosed with ALS, no matter what Age, Race, Sex or Economic Status. 

More information on Rock Out ALS can be found at www.rockoutals.com and more information on ALS and ALS TDI is at www.als.net.

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Rock Out ALS Founder, Michael Mad Mike Miller of Woodinville WA can be reached at madmike@rockoutals.com for pictures and further information.