the giving tree band | Cause A Scene Music

The websites PledgeMusic and Kickstarter have been receiving a lot of pub lately, and rightfully so. With many recognizable acts joining the ranks of bands and artists looking to fans to help fund their latest releases and projects, both noteworthy sites have become viable options for artists to put together enough capital to give the world their music, while also rewarding fans in the process.

At Cause A Scene, we’re all about helping out the independent artists, and with that, we bring you the first in our monthly series of posts highlighting some of our favorite artists that are currently looking to fund their latest projects. Show them some love, won’t you?

ANGEL SNOW

8% of Target Pledged | 55 Days Left

Nashville songstress Angel Snow is releasing her new album this fall, but needs some help in order to do so. Among the exclusive items available are 2 VIP tickets + meet/greet passes to a show in 2012 for $50 and the chance to introduce the band from the stage at a show for $75. What makes this project even cooler, is that Angel is donating 10% of the money raised to the American Cancer Society. Also, while you’re at it, download her 6-song Live from Eddie’s Attic EP from NoiseTrade.

THE GIVING TREE BAND

20% of Target Pledged | 34 Days Left

We recently featured The Giving Tree Band, who opened for and performing with Joe Purdy in Nashville in June. If you need convincing of why you should support this band, go back and read that review from Brad Hughes right this instant. I love the way they describe their new album, Vacilador: “it refers to an adventurer who goes on a quest for something he knows cannot be found. But what is discovered along the path proves to be more valuable than what he was searching for in the first place.” Sounds pretty spectacular to me! For $40 you can get a signed double vinyl, and if you’re feeling extra generous, how about the $500 signed kick drum head. Only 1 available!

MAGGIE ECKFORD

64% of Target Pledged | 20 Days Left

Fellow Nashvillian Maggie Eckford is looking to release her brand new second album later this year. Everything has been written and recorded, but everyone involved needs to get paid. That’s where you fine readers come in. For $125, you can get your name in the liner notes of the album, plus a signed poster, personal note and a copy of the album to boot. And if you just so happened to hit the lottery this weekend? How about $750 to be shown around Nashville by Maggie herself for an afternoon of discovering her favorite spots. Sounds like an afternoon well spent to me!

BEARS OF MANITOU

87% of Target Pledged | 9 Days Left

One of my favorite recent musical discoveries (thanks, Romi!!) has been Arizona’s indie folk band Bears of Manitou. They just strike me as people you’d really enjoy spending time with, and hearing play live, no less. They are oh so close to their goal with just over a week to go. They do an excellent job of breaking down the individual costs associated with the amount they are looking to raise. The coolest reward available? A camping trip with the band for $700, plus you get a digital download of the album, signed CD, signed limited-edition poster, t-shirt and a vinyl! Pack up your tent and get them to their goal already!

HOLY GHOST TENT REVIVAL

89% of Target Pledged | 4 Days Left

Greensboro, North Carolina’s Holy Ghost Tent Revival creates a sound all their own that has been characterized as “explosively intoxicating”, molding bluegrass, Americana, folk, gospel and rock all in to one gorgeously-textured amalgamation of goodness. They are looking to release their appropriately titled “Sweat Like the Old Days” album this year, and need your support for the next 4 days to reach their goal. Have $75 to spare? You’ll get the chance to introduce the band from stage and have VIP passes. Double your pleasure, double your fun for $150 and get to experience a personal green room performance.

Please join us in supporting independent music through funding these artists’ efforts to release their albums. If you have an artist you’d like to see featured in future months, email me at larry@causeascenemusic.com.

(I (Larry) am proud to introduce our latest contributor to Cause A Scene, Brad Hughes. As one of the very few people I know who attends as many or more concerts than I do, it’s no wonder that Brad will be handling show reviews for the blog. You can pretty much guarantee that if there isn’t an Atlanta Braves or Vanderbilt Commodores game on TV, Brad will be out seeing live music. Welcome to the team, Brad. We’re glad to have you on board!)

About halfway through Joe Purdy’s set at the Mercy Lounge on June 25th he declared that he’d “like to play a song I haven’t been able to play, like, ever. I found the right band for it.” He’d follow that statement up with an impressive rendition of “Death of a Maiden,” from his ‘Last Clock on the Wall’ release backed by an impressive 7-piece outfit, The Giving Tree Band, that can more than handle their own on stage. The group, spilling off to either side of the large posts of Mercy Lounge’s small stage, backed Joe’s gritty vocals on the elegy with energy, depth, and to the delight of the sparse – yet loyal to Purdy – crowd, a ton of talent.

Purdy’s lyrics and voice paired perfectly with The Giving Tree Band’s country bluefolk roots rock, a genre I can only hope catches on so that someone can give it a better name. The Giving Tree Band opened the show themselves shortly after 8pm playing songs from their library for about an hour. With banjos, fiddles, slide guitars, organs, and drum rhythms that sounded right off of the fields of the Battle of Nashville, the band developed quite a relationship with the crowd, pulling more and more of the attendees to the stagefront as the show progressed. Each member had standout moments throughout their set, including approximately 57% of the band taking lead vocal responsibilities on various songs, but it was lead guitarist and fiddler Phil Roach’s passionate solos that swelled within the venue and prepared us what the headlining act would deliver.

The crowd reacted with delight as The Giving Tree Band returned to the stage for Purdy’s set, lasting nearly 2 hours, covering hits and deep tracks, and once again allowing each of the band’s 7 members to strut their stuff on their respective instruments. None of this is to say that Purdy himself took a back seat to his band on this night. Instead, his vocals seemed even more energized. You could feel the passion in the lyrics that he wrote, especially apparent as the group shouted “I got you now!! Down, down down!!” during a raucous version of ‘Walking Down’ to close the set.

Purdy found ways to satisfy both his longtime fans and win over the newcomers on this night as he slowed down and played a sing-along of ‘Outlaws’ by himself on the keys during the encore after shocking some in attendance with the darkness of songs like ‘Angelina’ during his primary set. As the band would join him for a final two pieces of the encore, Joe and The Giving Tree Band had everyone rocking back and forth on ‘San Jose’ and sent the crowd out into the cool night delighted.

I can only recommend to anyone in St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus, and New York who might be reading find a way to catch Purdy and The Giving Tree Band as they ride through town in the coming weeks. Leading into ‘Brooklyn, I Called,’ Joe proclaimed to the crowd “I hope you don’t hate it,” but there was nothing to fear for Purdy on this night. Cause a Scene and the several other hundred in attendance at The Mercy Lounge loved it.

Archives For the giving tree band

Show Your Support: July Edition

Joe Purdy @ Mercy Lounge – 6/25/12