The Contribution (Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, Jeff Miller) Release Song to Benefit Piedmont Land Conservancy

The Contribution’s Newest Single, “Wilderness And Space” Released on LoHi Records August 18
Benefiting Piedmont Land Conservancy

Available now →  cdbaby.com | iTunes | Amazon

The Contribution is:
Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, Jeff Miller, Keith Moseley, Sheryl Renee, Matt Butler, and Duane Trucks

Since this February, The Contribution have been living up to their name and giving back with each song. They have been releasing one single a month, as sort of a mid-month pick-me-up since February 2017 and have partnered with a variety of nonprofits to which 100% of the profits from each single (sold as a digital download) will go to a charity (hand-picked by members of the band) in perpetuity. Nonprofits involved include Rex Foundation, Conscious Alliance, HeadCount, Rock the Earth, The Delaware Riverkeeper Network, BCEF, and Piedmont Land Conservatory.

The Contribution is the brainchild of Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth (violin, guitar, vocals) together with Phil Ferlino (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Miller (guitar, vocals) of New Monsoon. Keith Moseley (String Cheese Incident), has been the bass player from the band’s inception along with vocalist Sheryl Renee (The Black Swan Singers). The drum chair has been occupied by Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident), Matt Butler (Everyone Orchestra), and currently Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic). Both Matt Butler and Duane Trucks appear on the band’s new record, Wilderness And Space. The full ten song album will be released on vinyl this Fall on LoHi Records and reveals the group’s love of 60s pop and soul coupled with their ability to flat-out shred.

They release their newest single “Wilderness And Space” on Friday, August 18, 2017 and it will benefit Piedmont Land Conservatory. The song is a stream of consciousness tone poem about dealing with life like a compassionate warrior. What a fitting song as Piedmont Land Conservancy protects the region’s natural lands, farms and waters for present and future generations. To date, PLC has protected nearly 23,000 acres of North Carolina’s Piedmont.

Tim Carbone tells Shows I Go To about how the nonprofits were selected, “I put it to the band at large and asked them, ‘What do you feel strongly about?’” LoHi Records labelmate, Jim Brooks, suggested Piedmont Land Conservatory as he has held events to raise money for them in the past.

Brooks says, “When Tim approached me about LoHi releasing The Contribution I loved the idea of combining great music to support great causes. By way of Piedmont Land Conservancy’s annual LandJam concert featuring the very best names in live Americana roots music (this year’s event features Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn) to further its cause of protecting the Piedmont’s treasured natural spaces, it was a no brainer. I mean, the title, ‘Wilderness and Space,’ couldn’t be a better fit for PLC’s mission and legacy, right? I appreciate Tim inviting PLC to be part of such a unique and worthy musical endeavor.”

Carbone continues about the non-profits involved, “Matt Butler said we should go for the Rex Foundation. Keith wanted Conscious Alliance, who I have also worked with before. Phil suggested Rock the Earth. I thought we would go with HeadCount because I am politically motivated. They don’t choose sides, they just encourage people to register to vote. When you don’t vote, bad things happen. I think we found that out.”

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is located nearby where Carbone is from and they do wonderful work in protecting the waterways, including the drinking water of nearly 17 Million people, throughout the entire Delaware River Watershed which includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York.

Tim says, “I wrote the words to ‘This Too Shall Pass’ for our guitar player Jeff after his mother passed away from breast cancer.” He says they did some searching and found BCEF, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund in SF Bay area, to pair up with that song. All songs were written and produced by Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, and Jeff Miller.

The song “Wilderness And Space” features Carbone on lead vocals, electric guitar and oramics machine, Miller on electric guitars and background vocals, Ferlino on piano, organ, synthesizers and background vocals,  Sheryl Renee on background vocals, Keith Moseley on bass, and Duane Trucks on drums. The bring in guest additions of Linda Kistler and Christopher Souza on violin, Marsha Cahn on viola, Agnieszka Rybska on cello, and Jay Rattman for the string arrangement and as the conductor. The song was recorded at Silo Sound Studio in Denver, CO and Engineered by Todd Divel. Additional recording by Don Sternaker at Mix-o-Lydian Studios in Delaware Water Gap, PA.

Carbone says, “We feel blessed to be able to make this music and have it help people in need… and we would like to empower those who share our passion and provide a resource for them to take action with us.”

Released Singles Available Here → www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheContribution

For more information, please visit www.TheContribution.net, www.facebook.com/TheContribution, www.twitter.com/thecontribution, and www.instagram.com/thecontribution.

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The Contribution Releases Song to Benefit BCEF (Breast Cancer Emergency Fund in SF Bay Area) – Audio Stream

The Contribution’s Newest Single, “This Too Shall Pass” – Out 7/21
To Benefit BCEF (Breast Cancer Emergency Fund in SF Bay area)

Now Available on iTunes, Amazon, and Cdbaby

Since February, The Contribution have been living up to their name and giving back with each song. They have been releasing one single a month, as sort of a mid-month pick-me-up since February 2017 and have partnered with a variety of nonprofits to which 100% of the profits from each single (sold as a digital download) will go to a charity (hand-picked by members of the band) in perpetuity.

The Contribution is the brainchild of Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth (violin, guitar, vocals) together with Phil Ferlino (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Miller (guitar, vocals) of New Monsoon. Keith Moseley (String Cheese Incident), has been the bass player from the band’s inception along with vocalist Sheryl Renee (The Black Swan Singers). The drum chair has been occupied by Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident), Matt Butler (Everyone Orchestra), and currently Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic). Both Matt Butler and Duane Trucks appear on the band’s new record, Wilderness And Space. The full ten song album will be released on vinyl this Fall on LoHi Records and reveals the group’s love of 60s pop and soul coupled with their ability to flat-out shred.

They release their newest single “This Too Shall Pass” on Friday, July 21 and it will benefit BCEF, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund  in SF Bay area.

Co-founding member of The Contribution and resident of the Bay Area, Jeff Miller, says, “BCEF is a nonprofit that has special significance to me as my mother, Joann D. Miller, passed away in 2012 from breast cancer. My family and I found out when it was already stage 4, so we could do nothing but support her in her last months of life on this plane.”

Many people with breast cancer have inadequate or no health insurance. Most will be unable to work throughout their treatment, adding a huge financial toll to an already difficult struggle. BCEF’s fast and early intervention prevents financial deterioration and provides a sense of security during a devastating illness. BCEF helps people in need continue life-extending medical treatments, avoid utility shut-off, prevent eviction, and maintain stable housing while they battle breast cancer. BCEF is a tax-exempt non-profit organization and does not receive City, State or Federal funds. 100% of their funding is from private foundations, corporations, and individuals.

Miller continues, “The song ‘This Too Shall Pass’ was written as a reference to the cathartic idea that even in our darkest days, with a loved one passing, there is hope. In writing and recording this song, I forever have a way to remember my mom and bring her into being whenever the song is played… a true blessing.”

 

 

Tim Carbone tells Shows I Go To about how the nonprofits were selected, “I put it to the band at large and asked them, ‘What do you feel strongly about?’” Tim says, “I wrote the words to ‘This Too Shall Pass’ for our guitar player Jeff after his mother passed away from breast cancer.” He says they did some searching and found BCEF, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund in SF Bay area, to pair up with that song.

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is located nearby where Carbone is from and they do wonderful work in protecting the waterways, including the drinking water of nearly 17 Million people, throughout the entire Delaware River Watershed which includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York.

Carbone continues, “Matt Butler said we should go for the Rex Foundation. Keith wanted Conscious Alliance, who I have also worked with before. Phil suggested Rock the Earth. I thought we would go with HeadCount because I am politically motivated. They don’t choose sides, they just encourage people to register to vote. When you don’t vote, bad things happen. I think we found that out.”

LoHi Records labelmate, Jim Brooks, suggested Piedmont Land Conservatory as he has held events to raise money for them in the past to preserve natural and scenic lands, farms, and open spaces in Piedmont North Carolina. All songs were written and produced by Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, and Jeff Miller.

“This Too Shall Pass” features Carbone on electric guitar, background vocals and percussion, Miller on electric guitars and background vocal, Ferlino on Wurlitzer electric piano, Hammond organ and background vocals with Sheryl Renee on lead vocals, Keith Moseley on bass, and Duane Trucks on drums. The song was recorded at Silo Sound Studio in Denver, CO and Engineered by Todd Divel. Additional recording by Don Sternaker at Mix-o-Lydian Studios in Delaware Water Gap, PA.

Carbone says, “We feel blessed to be able to make this music and have it help people in need… and we would like to empower those who share our passion and provide a resource for them to take action with us.”

All Released Singles Available Here → www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheContribution

For more information, please visit www.TheContribution.net, www.facebook.com/TheContribution, www.twitter.com/thecontribution, and www.instagram.com/thecontribution.

 

 

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The Contribution (Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, Jeff Miller) Release 3rd Single to Benefit HeadCount

The Contribution Release New Music Throughout 2017
Singles to be released for seven months, with 100% of proceeds going to nonprofits
Rex Foundation, Conscious Alliance, HeadCount, Rock the Earth, The Delaware Riverkeeper Network, BCEF (Breast Cancer Emergency Fund in SF Bay area), and Piedmont Land Conservatory

****** ***  ******

The Contribution has been living up to their name and giving back, they released their third single from their Wilderness And Space project April 21, benefiting HeadCount. Listen to the Exclusive Stream Premiere of “Passengers of Darkness” at Live For Live Music.

Since this February, The Contribution has been releasing one single a month, as sort of a mid-month pick-me-up, partnering with a variety of nonprofits to which 100% of the profits from each single (sold as a digital download) go to a charity (hand-picked by members of the band) in perpetuity.

The Contribution is the brainchild of Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth (violin, guitar, vocals) together with Phil Ferlino (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Miller (guitar, vocals) of New Monsoon. Keith Moseley (String Cheese Incident), has been the bass player from the band’s inception along with vocalist Sheryl Renee (The Black Swan Singers). The drum chair has been occupied by Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident), Matt Butler (Everyone Orchestra), and currently Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic). Both Matt Butler and Duane Trucks appear on the band’s new record, Wilderness And Space. Although the band is comprised of some of the scene’s heavy hitters, the first listen to their music reveals their love of 60s pop and soul coupled with their ability to flat-out shred. The full ten song album will be released on vinyl this Fall on LoHi Records.

Tim Carbone tells Shows I Go To about how the nonprofits were selected, “I put it to the band at large. What do you feel strongly about? Matt Butler said we should go for the Rex Foundation. Keith wanted Conscious Alliance, who I have also worked with before. Phil suggested Rock the Earth. I thought we would go with HeadCount because I am politically motivated. They don’t choose sides, they just encourage people to register to vote. When you don’t vote, bad things happen. I think we found that out.”

Tim says, “I wrote the words to ‘This Too Shall Pass’ for our guitar player Jeff after his mother passed away from breast cancer.” He says they did some searching and found BCEF, a Breast Cancer Emergency Fund in SF Bay area, to pair up with that song. LoHi Records labelmate, Jim Brooks, suggested Piedmont Land Conservatory as he has held events to raise money for them in the past to preserve natural and scenic lands, farms, and open spaces in Piedmont North Carolina. The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is located nearby where Carbone is from and they do wonderful work in protecting the waterways, including the drinking water of nearly 17 Million people, throughout the entire Delaware River Watershed which includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York.

The Contribution. Photo by Erin Mills

The newest single release “Passengers of Darkness” explores trauma suffered in a relationship, with two people confronting challenges to their love and trust. Carbone says, “It could also be a metaphor [in retrospect] for the trauma some people are feeling over our recent presidential election. The lack of transparency and trust in an election, as well as a relationship, can be destructive and almost always leads to chaos.”

How fitting to pair the song up with HeadCount, an organization that works with musicians to promote participation in democracy. HeadCount is best known for registering voters at concerts – having signed up 450,000 voters since its launch in 2004 – and for the Participation Row social action villages at concerts and festivals which have raised over $1 million for various nonprofit organizations.

“The Contribution is a brilliant concept and we were honored when Tim asked HeadCount to participate. Seeing Tim and The Contribution elevate and amplify the voices of so many incredible organizations is a real example of how music can change the world,” says Andy Bernstein, HeadCount’s Executive Director.

The first single “Back This Way” came out in February with proceeds going to Rex Foundation. Created in 1983 by the Grateful Dead and Family, Rex Foundation aims to help secure a healthy environment, promote individuality in the arts, provide support to critical and necessary social services, assist others less fortunate than ourselves, protect the rights of indigenous people and ensure their cultural survival, build a stronger community, and educate children and adults everywhere. Rex Foundation has granted $8.9 million to over 1,200 recipients.

“For more than 30 years, the Rex Foundation has funded organizations most people might never have heard of, but all of whom do meaningful work that we find important. I believe that these same groups need all of us now more than ever, and I doubt there could be any better way to celebrate their work than by coming together with songs in the air and spirits held high,” says Rex Foundation Executive Director Cameron Sears.

March’s release unveiled “The Great Boot” to benefit Conscious Alliance. Live Music News and Review’s Miles Hurley spoke with Conscious Alliance’s Executive Director Justin Levy about their work to help solve the hunger crisis in America since 2002. He writes, “… one of the organization’s really successful efforts in the music world has been Art That Feeds, a project that has touring bands’ artists creating posters and other art that fans can donate food to purchase. As Justin tell us, it’s the fan bases that are a fundamental part of the organization’s mission. “People do want to contribute, people do want to give back locally. It’s about making it easy and accessible, and effective for folks,” he says.

“The idea,” Justin explains, “is to engage people in the middle of their good time, and provide them an outlet to give back locally in each city where the music plays. Tim Carbone has been a huge supporter of Conscious Alliance for many years,” Justin says. “[He] reached out to us as they were getting ready to launch, and said ‘We love Conscious Alliance, and we’d love to continue the support through this program.’”

Hurley says “The Great Boot” is “a doozy of a track, echoing both the epicness of something like ‘Terrapin Station,’ and the folky, rich tones of a Railroad Earth tune. The last few minutes launches the song into a powerful climax, fronted by some inspired fiddle playing from band leader Tim Carbone.”

“It’s a pretty special collaboration and we’re very lucky and honored to be involved,” says Levy.

Hurley writes, “Purchasing a wicked cool new track, and getting to contribute to an amazing cause while doing so? It’s a definite win-win all around.”

All songs written and produced by Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, and Jeff Miller. The songs from Wilderness And Space were recorded mainly at Silo Sound Studio in Denver, Colorado and engineered by Todd Dival with additional recordings at TRI Studios in San Rafael, California (engineered by Rick Vargas).

Carbone says, “We feel blessed to be able to make this music and have it help people in need… and we would like to empower those who share our passion and provide a resource for them to take action with us.”

Wilderness And Space Singles

2/17 — “Back This Way” benefits Rex Foundation
Listen to the Exclusive Stream Premiere at Relix Magazine

3/17 — “The Great Boot” benefits Conscious Alliance
Listen to the Exclusive Stream Premiere at Shows I Go To

4/21 — “Passengers Of Darkness” benefits HeadCount
Listen to the Exclusive Stream Premiere at Live For Live Music  

Further Release Dates:
5/19 — “Ain’t No Sin” – Rock the Earth
6/16 — “Dream Out In The Rain” – The Delaware Riverkeeper Network
7/21 —  “This Too Shall Pass” – BCEF (Bay Area Breast Cancer Emergency Fund)
8/18 — “Wilderness And Space” – Piedmont Land Conservatory

Music available to buy here → www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheContribution

For more information, please visit www.TheContribution.net, www.facebook.com/TheContribution, www.twitter.com/thecontribution, and www.instagram.com/thecontribution.

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Relix Magazine Premieres The Contribution’s “Back This Way” – Single To Benefit Rex Foundation

Relix Magazine Premieres The Contribution’s “Back This Way”
All Proceeds Donated to Rex Foundation ~ OUT TODAY February 17, 2017

The Contribution is:
Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, Jeff Miller, Keith Moseley, Sheryl Renee, Matt Butler, & Duane Trucks

On Sale Now at:
iTunes | Amazon | cdbaby.com
TheContribution.net | LoHiRecords.com | RexFoundation.org

The Contribution is pleased to release tracks from their upcoming LoHi Records album, Wilderness And Space, one song at a time over the course of seven months, with full proceeds of each single going to a different non-profit. The full ten-song album will be released on vinyl this Fall.

They kick off with the single “Back This Way” which will be available online on February 17, 2017 with all proceeds donated to Rex Foundation. This track was recorded at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios in San Rafael, CA and engineered by Rick Vargas. Head over to Relix Magazine to hear the World Premiere of “Back This Way” →  http://bit.ly/TheContributionRexPremiere_Relix.

The Contribution is the brainchild of Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth (violin, guitar, vocals) together with Phil Ferlino (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Miller (guitar, vocals) of New Monsoon. Keith Moseley (String Cheese Incident), has been the bass player from the band’s inception along with vocalist Sheryl Renee (The Black Swan Singers). The drum chair has been occupied by Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident), Matt Butler (Everyone Orchestra), and currently Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic). Both Matt Butler and Duane Trucks appear on the band’s new record, Wilderness And Space.

When Relix magazine announced the The Contribution’s debut record, Which Way World [2010], and called them a “jamband supergroup,” they also recognized, “the band serves the songs first and foremost.” Although the band is comprised of some of the scene’s heavy hitters, the first listen to their music reveals their love of 60s pop and soul coupled with their ability to flat-out shred. It’s what makes the band appealing to music lovers from all walks of life.

Since they are in other touring bands and cannot really get on the road together that often, they came up with this unique idea; Carbone wanted to find a way to live up to the band’s name, which in itself provided the clue as to how, and this is what they cooked up as a way to keep it going and give back in the process. Individually the members of The Contribution have been advocates and activists for various environmental and social causes. Now they have thought of a way to meld the two worlds the band holds dear. They are The Contribution, after all.

The group selected a handful of organizations to partner with and are excited to kick things off with Rex Foundation. Created in 1983 by the Grateful Dead and Family, Rex Foundation aims to help secure a healthy environment, promote individuality in the arts, provide support to critical and necessary social services, assist others less fortunate than ourselves, protect the rights of indigenous people and ensure their cultural survival, build a stronger community, and educate children and adults everywhere. Rex Foundation has granted $8.9 million to over 1,200 recipients.

“For more than 30 years, the Rex Foundation has funded organizations most people might never have heard of, but all of whom do meaningful work that we find important. I believe that these same groups need all of us now more than ever, and I doubt there could be any better way to celebrate their work than by coming together with songs in the air and spirits held high,” says Rex Foundation Executive Director Cameron Sears.

Carbone says, “We feel blessed to be able to make this music and have it help people in need… and we would like to empower those who share our passion and provide a resource for them to take action with us.”

“Back This Way” is a duet sung as a conversation between a man and a woman whose relationship is suffering because the man is always away from home. He could be a musician or a traveling salesman (kind of the same thing) or in the military. It’s an argument that somehow, through love, turns out well. Carbone and Renee take the lead on vocals, backed by Miller, Ferlino, and Mosely, with Matt Butler holding it down on the drums.

Other organizations which will be featured include Conscious Alliance and HeadCount, as well as a handful of others that support the arts, environment, and health. Wilderness And Space will be released on LoHi Records, of which Carbone is one of the partners along with Hard Working Americans’ Todd Snider and Chad Staehly (Gold Mountain Entertainment), and entrepreneur/marketing veteran Jim Brooks.

For more information and music, stay tuned to www.TheContribution.net, www.facebook.com/TheContribution, www.twitter.com/thecontribution, and www.instagram.com/thecontribution.

Hear more about the Wilderness And Space project from Tim Carbone →  https://youtu.be/_6qfJzD97Ak.

Read a great interview with Carbone at Shows I Go To →  http://showsigoto.com/the-contribution-new-music/

Listen in to a podcast interview with Carbone at Ragin’ Randy Entertainment → http://raginrandyentertainment.com/interview-tim-carbone-the-contribution/

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The Contribution (Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, Jeff Miller) Partners with Non-profits to Release New Music in 2017

The Contribution To Release New Music Throughout The Year
Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino, Jeff Miller, Keith Moseley, Sheryl Renee, Matt Butler, & Duane Trucks, Join Musical Forces To Release Their 2nd Album, Wilderness And Space, on LoHi Records

Singles to be released for seven months, with 100% of proceeds going to non-profits and the first single paired with Rex Foundation to come out February 17, 2017

When Relix magazine announced the The Contribution’s debut record, Which Way World [2010], and called them a “jamband supergroup,” they also recognized, “the band serves the songs first and foremost.” Although the band is comprised of some of the scene’s heavy hitters, the first listen to their music reveals their love of 60s pop and soul coupled with their ability to flat-out shred. It’s what makes the band appealing to music lovers from all walks of life and they are pleased to release tracks from their upcoming LoHi Records album, Wilderness And Space, one song at a time over the course of seven months, with full proceeds of each single going to a different non-profit with each track.

The Contribution is the brainchild of Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth (violin, guitar, vocals) together with Phil Ferlino (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Miller (guitar, vocals) of New Monsoon. Keith Moseley (String Cheese Incident), has been the bass player from the band’s inception along with vocalist Sheryl Renee (The Black Swan Singers). The drum chair has been occupied by Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident), Matt Butler (Everyone Orchestra), and currently Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic). Both Matt Butler and Duane Trucks appear on the band’s new record, Wilderness And Space.

The first song will be released on February 17, 2017 and all proceeds will be donated to Rex Foundation. Consecutive songs will come out each month, each paired with it’s own art and a different non-profit partner. Others taking part include Conscious Alliance, HeadCount, and a handful of other organizations that support the arts, environment, and health. The full ten song album will be released on vinyl this Fall.

Releasing records and touring is a cycle that is connected and a part of each member’s individual careers. Initially conceived as a studio project that would play select live shows, the emphasis for The Contribution was always on writing and recording. Rather than releasing a full record with expectations of touring to support it, Carbone wanted to find a way to live up to the band’s name, which in itself provided the clue as to how, and this is what they cooked up as a way to keep it going and give back in the process.

How could the creation of music be leveraged best for the betterment of the world at large? A lofty goal. The band has never been about personal profit and individually the members have been advocates and activists for various environmental and social causes. Now they have thought of a way to meld the two worlds the band holds dear. They are The Contribution, after all.

Carbone says, “We feel blessed to be able to make this music and have it help people in need… and we would like to empower those who share our passion and provide a resource for them to take action with us.”

All songs written and produced by Tim Carbone, Phil Ferlino and Jeff Miller. The songs from Wilderness And Space were recorded mainly at Silo Sound Studio in Denver, Colorado and engineered by Todd Dival with additional recordings at TRI Studios in San Rafael, CA, (engineered by Rick Vargas). The full ten-song album will come out on vinyl in the Fall of 2017.

Wilderness And Space will be released on LoHi Records, of which Carbone is one of the partners along with singer/songwriter and record producer Todd Snider, Hard Working Americans’ Chad Staehly, who is also with Gold Mountain Entertainment in Nashville, and entrepreneur and marketing veteran Jim Brooks.

Hear more about the Wilderness And Space project from Tim Carbone →

For more information, please visit www.TheContribution.net, www.facebook.com/TheContribution, www.twitter.com/thecontribution, and www.instagram.com/thecontribution.

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Hard Working Americans, Moonalice, Dead Winter Carpenters Play Butte Fire Benefit “HUMANITY RISING” Sat 12/19 at Calaveras County Fairgrounds

Hard Working Americans, Moonalice, Dead Winter Carpenters Play HUMANITY RISING — A Butte Fire Benefit on Sat, Dec 19, 2015 at Calaveras County Fairgrounds, Angels Camp, CA

HUMANITY RISING Share The Spirit
Family Friendly, 3 stages in 3 buildings, Dinner and Silent Auction
1pm to Midnight

Tickets are $25 in advance through Eventbrite or the Sierra Nevada Adventure Company stores in Murphys, Sonora, and Arnold, as well as Outer Aisle in Murphys & The Pickle Patch in San Andreas
$35 at the door. Kids under 12 free. Ages 13-16 $10
101 Frogtown Rd, Angels Camp, CA 95222

RSVP on Facebook and find out more here→
www.facebook.com/HUMANITYRISINGSHARETHESPIRIT

HOMER, AK– The Blue Mountain Community Renewal Council, a 501C3- non-profit, is partnering with HUMANITY RISING – Share the Spirit, A Butte Fire Benefit on December 19th at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds.

Set to perform, and graciously donating their time, are Hard Working Americans (a recently formed ‘Super group’ consisting of Todd Snider, Dave Schools, Neal Casal, Duane Trucks, Chad Staehly, and Jesse Aycock), Moonalice out of San Fransisco, Dead Winter Carpenters from the Tahoe area, Edge of the West from Santa Cruz, Grateful Bluegrass Boys and Dusty Greenbones Band from Mendicino, and many more! Plus the best MC of our time, Wavy Gravy and a psychedelic light show by Liquid Lights.

It’s a family friendly event with three stages in three buildings, dinner, and silent auction and runs from 1pm through Midnight. HUMANITY RISING is looking for donations and volunteers to help make this event as impactful as possible. Proceeds will be distributed promptly and equitably to the most needy families and individuals promptly in order to help provide some degree of holiday comfort.

“Our first show ever was a benefit show for flood victims in Colorado. We understand how these giant natural disasters put hard-working Americans’ backs up against the wall.” say The Hard Working Americans. “We’re in a position to help so let’s all join together and make a difference. It takes a village.”

The Butte Fire started in early September 2015 in the Sierra Nevada Foothills of California and was one of the among the worst in the State’s history, with over 70,000 acres burned, as well as an estimated 500 plus homes.

“If you are thinking the Butte Fire is over, stop assuming someone else is doing the work that needs to be done.” Long time Tuolumne and Calaveras county resident, promoter, philanthropist, and co-producer of Humanity Rising Jim Stearns says, “There’s some perception or rationalization that there is enormous help coming in. It’s the proverbial ‘somebody else is taking care of it’ problem. If those who are still warm, dry and relatively wealthy that live within 25 miles of the devastation would give 10 percent of their time and/or resources the problem would largely be handled already. Unfortunately many are buying useless crap for Christmas, taking vacations and ignoring the tragedy their neighbors are facing right over the hill.”

The mission of this event will be to provide grants to those that have had their homes and lives destroyed by the Butte Fire. Those that are uninsured, well underinsured and haven’t or haven’t the ability to secure major funding from other agencies such as Red Cross and FEMA will be given the highest priority.

Wendy Cox, a “boots on the ground” type of person, posted a comprehensive and accurate write-up about the situation entitled, “Why Is help still needed?.” “Hundreds (if not more than 1,000) of displaced people (more than 500 residences were lost to the fire) are living in inadequate conditions. They are confounded by their situation, and at a loss for what they are going to do. Many do not have potable water, if they have water at all. They are toileting in the sticks that used to be forest. They are sleeping on the bare ground if they are not fortunate to have a tarp. They do not enjoy a hot meal. They are waking up to frost and constant dampness that sleeping outdoors will bring (seniors are especially vulnerable to health problems in this environment.) Basic needs remain unmet.

When a disaster strikes there is an outpour of support which quickly turns to a trickle. Some of the temporary fixes and help have left… Because it has been two months and recovery will take 10-15 years.  Because there are victims still waiting for basic needs to be met.  Because victims are being swallowed by bureaucracy. Because people still feel lost, and confused.  Because it is the right thing to do.

The producers of the Humanity Rising benefit concert are Jim and Alisa Stearns, Linda Sanchez, and Emily West. Jim was owner and operator of Avery Ranch from 1974 until 2011. Alisa was born and raised in Sonora and has partnered with Jim on countless fundraising endeavors. Linda Sanchez, a long time Calaveras activist, was a Butte Fire victim, (lost everything) and Emily is a long time resident of the county as well. Blue Mountain Community Renewal Council is the 501C3 that will be the steward of the event and for providing this administrative service as well as providing insurance, this organization will take 3% of the revenue. BMCRC, located in San Andreas, is listed by the Sierra Health Foundation as one of the five recipients of their community grants as an organization working for the relief of Butte Fire victims.

“We do our best to live up to the mantra: Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the places you can. In all the ways you can. To all the people you can. At all the times you can, for as long as you can.” Jim Stearns says “We have a deep connection to the land and the people that were devastated by the fire. We believe that if people just do what they can to help, in the relief of their neighbors and friends, then we together we can make a huge impact. Maybe it’s a day of work. Maybe it’s five bucks or maybe it’s a hundred. Maybe it’s taking somebody in, loaning somebody your RV or making food.  We all have something we can offer. For us, we happen to be good at bringing people together for a good time as well as a good cause. Like everybody else, we’re just offering to help in the way we know best.”

“We are in the process of contacting individuals and organizations who are working tirelessly on the ground for recommendations and nominations for possible recipients of these funds.” Alisa Stearn says, “We are acutely aware that misuse, misdirection and administrative costs often decimate the effectiveness of these endeavors and remain deeply committed to making sure that this event will be as transparent and efficient as humanly possible.”

More Information and to get involved, please contact Jim Stearns, jim@salmonfestalaska.org or Alisa Mooy alisa@salmonfestalaska.org.

Humanity Rising – A Butte Fire Benefit:
Hard Working Americans
Moonalice
Dead Winter Carpenters
Edge of West
Grateful Bluegrass Boys
Dusty Greenbones Band
Folk Goddess Diane Patterson
Nedra & Julio
Thick Soup
Big Joe Daddy
Felicity Oceansong
Nicole Sass
MC Wavy Gravy
Plus a Psychedelic Light show by Liquid Lights
More tba!

Ticket link → www.eventbrite.com/e/humanity-rising-share-the-spirit-butte-fire-benefit-concert-tickets-19321362716?aff=efbbt

RSVP on Facebook and find out more here→
www.facebook.com/HUMANITYRISINGSHARETHESPIRIT

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New Orleans Mojo Revival: Duane Trucks & Flannel Church Tour the Southeast

New Orleans Mojo Revival: Duane Trucks & Flannel Church Embark On Inaugural TourDuane Trucks, Kevin Scott & Gregory “Wolf” Hodges announce all-star jam trio
featuring Roosevelt Collier of the Lee Boys and Shane Pruitt on select dates; on tour this January

Church is in session, and it’s a sweaty, slide-driven soul-saving affair. Duane Trucks and Kevin Scott of Col. Bruce Hampton & the Pharaoh Gummit have joined forces with New Orleans guitarist and vocalist Gregory “Wolf” Hodges to form a funky new blues trio, Flannel Church. Collectively, the group offers a raw, infectious sound that draws from swampy New Orleans funk, old school gospel and traditional rhythm and blues.

Flannel Church is also the side project of Lee Boys pedal steel phenom Roosevelt Collier and South Carolina blues guitarist Shane Pruitt, who bring the sit-in magic of a festival jam session to the group’s live show.

The trio debuted on Trucks’ 23rd birthday in Jacksonville, FL Dec. 28, 2011 following the Tedeschi Trucks Band concert at the Florida Theater. Playing across the street from his brother at Burro Bar, Flannel Church and Collier introduced the hometown crowd to their energetic live show as they jammed late into the night.

The band is currently on the road with Pruitt for their inaugural two week tour, playing intimate venues throughout the Southeast:

January 2012 Tour Dates:
1/2/2012: Nu-Way Restaurant & Lounge in Spartanburg, SC
1/4/2012: Chicora Alley in Greenville, SC
1/5/2012: Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta, GA
1/6/2012: Marty’s in Birmingham, AL
1/7/2012: Barley’s Taproom in Knoxville, TN
1/8/2012: One Stop Deli & Bar in Asheville, NC
1/9/2012: Nu-Way Restaurant & Lounge in Spartanburg, SC
1/10/2012: Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC
1/11/2012: Home Team BBQ (Sullivan’s Island) in Charleston, SC
1/12/2012: Surf Bar in Folly Beach, SC
1/13/2012: Dog Star Tavern “Gregg Allman After Party” in Fernandina Beach, Fl
1/14/2012: The District in Dothan, AL

***

www.facebook.com/flannelchurch
www.reverbnation.com/flannelchurch

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