New Partnership with Send Me A Friend + Fundraiser

Send Me A Friend (SMAF), a program founded by New Orleans musician Anders Osborne that offers support to musicians and music industry professionals struggling with addiction, will host a very special evening on Friday May 4th featuring Anders performing with the masterful ensemble, Nolatet (Mike Dillon, James Singleton, Brian Haas, and Johnny Vidacovich). This first-ever musical collaboration will take place at John Bukaty Studio / Gallery (841 Carondelet St., New Orleans). Tickets are available at: www.sendmeafriend.org. Since launching last year, Send Me A Friend has developed a national network of over 1,500 volunteer “Friends” who are on-call to support musicians and staff at their gigs. SMAF has already helped over 50 music industry professionals in early recovery. This Jazz Fest event will celebrate a newly-formed partnership with New Orleans-based Positive Vibrations Foundation, as well as SMAF’s new mobile app, which will better connect “Friends” who can offer help with those seeking support. “SMAF has become one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever done,” Anders says. “I am eternally grateful for everyone that has helped us so far and shown so much love for this idea.” Tickets for this intimate performance are $150 (only 100 available) and will feature a sushi dinner by master chef Kimiaki Aoyama of San Francisco’s “Sushi Zone.” All proceeds from the evening will directly benefit Send Me A Friend’s new headquarters, located in Uptown NOLA at the Imagine Recovery New Orleans facility. Over the next year, SMAF will focus its attention on working with treatment centers in music cities such as Nashville and New Orleans with the goal of being available to those in need at a critical stage in their early recovery. *poster by Art By W