Converge have released an 18-track live album, Live in Orlando, FL 03.14.22, to help raise funds for Hurricane Helen relief efforts. The LP was recorded on March 14, 2022 at the Abbey in Orlando by Zach Rippy and mixed by Kurt Ballou.
All proceeds from the album, available on the hard rock group’s Bandcamp page, will be donated to Mutual Aid Disaster Relief. “This release aims to offer financial aid to those impacted by Hurricane Helene,” the band wrote on Instagram announcing the LP.
The LP includes a full set from Converge’s 2022 tour, with tracks like “Dark Horse” and “Aimless Arrow” appearing on the album. The band’s most recent album, Bloodmoon: I, a collaboration with Chelsea Wolfe, arrived in 2021.
Converge, who hail from Massachusetts, join numerous artists donating funds to help victims of Hurricane Helene, which swept through the southeastern United States in late September. Last week, Dolly Parton personally donated $1 million to relief funds and the Dollywood Company provided an additional $1 million.
“From myself, personally, just from my own bank account, I’m donating a million dollars today,” she said. “But there’s a lot to be done and we’re trying to find other ways to even raise more funds.”
On Oct. 21, Sturgill Simpson will play a special benefit show in North Carolina to raise money for recovery efforts. All funds from the event will be donated to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
Hurricane Helene caused significant damage across the southeastern United States, with a current death toll of over 220 people. Western North Carolina was one of the hardest hit areas, and Asheville in particular saw severe damage from storms, flooding, and mudslides. The city’s famous River Arts District — the epicenter for a town that’s long been a haven for musicians an artists — was completely wiped out.
For the time being, all concerts in Asheville have been canceled as relief efforts continue. MJ Lenderman was also forced to postpone the first couple dates of his upcoming tour because most of the band’s families are based in Asheville.