Shows of all types come and go every night of the week in the Big Apple, but Tuesday night's (Oct. 29) Safe And Sound benefit showcase at the Westbeth Theater in New York City will long be remembered for a host of reasons. Not only did it feature an exceptional assortment of top quality Boston-based bands such as Morphine, Gigolo Aunts, Fuzzy, Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz, and Letters To Cleo, but it also served as a vehement public rebuttal to the cold-blooded murders of two young women at abortion clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts in December 1994.

In between a few brief speeches reiterating the organization's pressing purpose, all of the bands involved turned out tight, crisp sets which were soaked up by a faithful 250-strong contingent in this medium-size space. Though literature detailing the tragic incident was available upon entrance, the success of the night was probably due to the fact that there was a feeling of unity and solidarity wafting through the air as opposed to mere sloganeering.

Gigolo Aunts delivered a particularly overpowering set, using their tight, syncopated, passive-aggressive and highly hook-laden songs.The four-man crew certainly showed why they've been regarded for years as one of Beantown's most formidable outfits.

Likewise, Letters To Cleo also brought the noise, with their choked-up lead singer Kay Hanley admitting at the start of their set how the Brookline incident changed her life.

If you weren't able to catch this show, don't worry. A compilation,Safe And Sound: A Benefit In Response To The Brookline Clinic Violence, featuring tracks donated from all oftonight's performers, as well as Aimee Mann, The Mighty Bosstones,Tracy Bonham, Scarce, Deluxx Folk Implosion and Julia Hatfield, will be released November 5th on Big Rig/Mercury Records. It's a worthy cause accentuated by some excellent music.