In the midst of all this festival planning, we also managed to put out a full length album and produce the video below. It’s been a fun ride so far, and the band will begin playing live after we recover from the festival! So, after purchasing Fareveller tickets, check out the video by Matt Weatherly or download our album. Both are free.
Lost by Fast Planet – [HQ Video] from Fast Planet on Vimeo.
As we finalize planning for this year’s festival, I am reminded of the first article I did last year with Rachel Hurley of The Vinyl District. She asked me 9 simple questions. Most were information seeking and pretty typical. Two of them though required a bit more thought. They were, “Why should people be excited about this?” and “Anything else you want to tell us?”
Reading back over those answers helps to put this thing in perspective. Why SHOULD people be excited about this?
Call me a dreamer, but I believe that in the end, this festival is about more than just indie music. Bike lanes, food trucks, the hopeful rebirth of Overton Square, the list goes on and on. These past couple of years have been great in terms of moving Memphis in the direction we know it should go. Look at the South Main district! Look at Broad Street! Everyone has played a role. Whether it’s booking better artists at the Hi-Tone, dunking a basketball or faithfully blogging, people are coming out of the woodwork to make living here better. So we’re 10 years behind Austin or Portland or even Nashville. We’re at least moving in the right direction.
All of us are here for all different reasons. But all of us have chosen to live here, so let’s make the best of it. I hope Fareveller has the opportunity to play a role. I believe it’s something the community wants. As a festival, we’re not where we want to be, but our goal is long term. This year is going to be a blast. The line up is really strong and our sponsors are ensuring that everyone has a great time. Fareveller isn’t trying to singlehandedly transform the community. We just want to play our part.
So now for my request. We are operating again this year on the world’s tightest budget. We need all the help we can get to promote this thing. Whatever the word “grassroots” means to you, we need it. Tell your friends. Blog about it. Hang up posters. Write your local Senator. Come to the festival even if it’s just for one night.
As I said in that original article, I don’t think Fareveller will change your life, but I do think it will change the weekend of March 22-24 for the better. That, I can guarantee.
- Brandon
Nashville’s evil queens of eyeliner (no, not Lady Antebellum), The Black Belles, are generating quite a bit of buzz lately.
The Third Man Records garage rockers burst out of the gates last year with their self-titled debut LP. Last week they received a glowing review of their live show from Consequence of Sound, and you can read an interview with drummer Shelby Lynne at The Silver Tongue.
They also made an appearance on The Colbert Report, and they released “Charlene II (I’m Over You)” single with the faux conservative pundit on vocals. To top it all off, their ghoulish stomper “What Can I Do?” is the theme song to Elvira’s Movie Macabre.
As the just-released Fareveller schedule states, the Black Belles are playing Friday, March 23, at the Young Ave. Deli.
