Although I've been coming to Dailykos daily since 2006, I've mostly read and rarely posted. Not for a lack of a burning desire to participate but because most of my energy has been dedicated to another project bringing all kinds of people together into a positive progressive scene in New York City. And today, this project is the Featured Project in Music on Kickstarter. We're talking about years slowly building a scene in New York's underground bringing together hundreds of artists from rock, hip hop and soul to our open free showcases and now getting the chance to record a one-of-a-kind live album and concert movie of soul rock music with a legendary sound engineer who's recorded Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, The Ramones, Blondie and even Alabama Shakes. The short video on the Kickstarter page will do a better job telling the story than I can. But follow me below the fold if you want to read more.
Kickstarter Featured Project - Rise Together! Live!
Alienation is not just a problem in the political sphere. Many people out there feel very disconnected from the cultural "mainstream" on commercial radio, TV and corporate streaming sites. We -The Band Called FUSE- have fans (we prefer to call them fam) from all places and all ages (whether of African, Latin American, European or Asian descent) who share one thing in common: they are turned off by today's commercial music which does not speak to them and they are even more turned off by the pre-fab, lip-synched corporate events that most of today's "concerts" have turned into. Many of them are working single mothers who don't see their lives, struggles or dreams embodied in any of today's mainstream music.
For years, we committed ourselves to original live band music fusing multiple genres and styles. We committed to building a positive, welcoming scene where women and men, LGBT and straight, young and old, of all origins, could come together and groove to engaging, moving, interesting, challenging live music. Our band invited hundreds of musicians, singers and MCs to our free music showcases in the heart of New York City. We gathered a growing tribe of music-lovers and created a new music we call soul rock with them. A music for the people, of the people and by the people. And whenever it was called for, we made room for important progressive messages to shine through whether for Mike Brown, gay marriage or at election time.
If this resonates with you, please share and support. It will make a difference. And I will be ever grateful to you for giving us one more chance to continue to do our modest part to build a better world. With music.
One love.
ProgNet (I'm the one with the guitar)