“This year, more than ever, a pressure from new development continues to threaten our physical and emotional landscape, we must assert our commitment to the East Village as a bastion for the rebels and the dreamers,” says FEVA Executive Director, Phil Hartman. “By celebrating our historic legacy, and promoting opportunities for new artists to flourish, the HOWL! Festival makes one thing perfectly clear: we’re here to stay.”

Speaking at the press conference held August 2nd, Phil Hartman spoke of the three themes for the Howl! Festival this year. The first of course is the 50th anniversary of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl!” for which the festival is named after. On August 26th the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Festival begins with a marathon reading of the poem in Tompkins Square Park, kicking off the weekend of activities in the park. The second theme is the integration of the artists and the immigrants. Hartman joked that the immigrants have long been trying to find their way into the neighborhood while the artists have been trying to find a way out. The third and seemingly most important theme of the festival this year is the passing of the torch to the new generation of artists calling the neighborhood home. Downtown legend Penny Arcade drove the point home when she told members of the media to get out there and do their homework adding that Lou Reed, Deborah Harry and Moby are always going to draw attention but there is a whole new generation of talented artists whose work is of equal importance.

The Howl! festivities begin on August 21st with an opening night party at The Delancey being hosted by Murray Hill, “The hardest working middle-aged man in show business.” The party promises performances by Theo and the Skyscrapers, Deva, Reverend Glasseye, DJ Dirty Jean, Julie Atlas Muz, Taylor Mac, Miss Saturn, Scotty the Blue Bunny, Benjamin Ickies to name a few.

Among the hundreds of artists expected to perform in the festival are Jonathan Ames, Penny Arcade, Amiri Baraka, Yoshiko Chuma, Robert Downey Sr., The Fugs, Luis Guzman, The Jazz Passengers with Deborah Harry, Jesse Malin, and Matthew Shipp.

For more information including a full list of events visit: www.howlfestival.com