Camp Revival

Tomorrow night (4/14) I’m going to see Jamie Stewart perform solo at the Vera Project in Seattle (plan on checking in on Wednesday for video). This tour has been really exciting to follow. Jamie Stewart along with David Horvitz have come up with a smattering of viral marketing tactics to promote the tour as well as some noble causes. Each idea is a little more outrageous than the last, but all of them entirely effective.

Example #1
Jamie Stewart will be photographing every person at every show. Every person? Yes every person; even the Custodian. All photos will be posted on Xiu Xiu’s blog and the top 300 (chosen by Jamie) will be published in a book. Worried about your hair? Don’t! Attendees will be provided with combs to freshen up; fun.

Example #2

Jamie is donating all money made from this tour to the non profit organization: FREE THE SLAVES. His label, Kill Rock Stars, is going to match his donation. To pull in some extra scratch for the npo David Horvitz is asking people to donate $2 on this site. $1 will be used to purchase a lotto ticket. If that lotto ticket wins, the prize money will be donated in full to FREE THE SLAVES. The remaining $1 will be used to mail back the losing lotto ticket or a note that documents how much you won for the cause. But hey, postage is only $0.42; what you got on my $0.58 David!?! Eh, I assume that will be donated as well.

Curious about the tour? The Xiu Xiu blog is constantly being amended with video / written updates. Seattleites, it looks like the three piece (Caralee, David and Jamie) are going to be at Thai Tom tomorrow. You are all invited to dinner. For time of arrival, turn your eyes to Twitter.

Damnit, these guys can craft a song. The second I heard “We Sing In Time” by The Lonely Forest I was hooked. It has been a while since I have been so immediately attracted to a song. I blame it on Braydn Krueger, the band’s drummer. His quick tempos and and consistent fills don’t provide the listener the chance to turn away. The Lonely Forest are releasing a new full-length on April 21st, 2009 titled: “The Body Electric”. You can sample the album here. I really hope a single as good as “We Sing In Time” doesn’t overshadow the rest of the album and turn the band into a one hit wonder; time will tell. All I know is leading up to April 21st I will listen to “We Sing In Time” about 50,000,000,000 more times.

We Sing In Time

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If you are eager to catch the band live they are having a CD release party at the Vera Project in Seattle on April 24th. If you are extra eager to catch this band the lead singer Jon Van Deusen will be playing after The Nine Tailors this Saturday at the Fremont Abbey.