Monday, June 4, 2018

US Tour: A 10-Point Plan

I think I keep trying to explain this US tour idea in too many words, and we all encounter too many of those these days, in so many forms.  So in the name of getting to the point, here's a numbered list (hyperlinked for those seeking more info):

  1. The United States, as you are probably aware, is going to hell fast.  I'm from there -- from the same place as the president, in fact (I was born on Manhattan Island).
  2. In order for this possibly to change, we need a large, well-organized, militant social movement that is not associated with the party that delivered us Trump (the Democrats).
  3. Three essential elements of movement-building include:  networking, educating, and inspiring.
  4. I do what I can online, but I think the best way for me to try to network, educate and inspire involves the physical coming together of people which happens when I do a concert tour.
  5. For a variety of reasons, I can no longer tour in the US the way I used to and make a living at it, therefore I mainly tour in Europe these days.
  6. My current effort to deal with this reality is my US Tour 2019 project, where I sell 50 tickets in a state (at $10 a ticket, sold online) before I make plans to do a gig in that state.
  7. Important:  this is not just another way for me to solicit donations.  I'm really trying to organize a tour.  If I don't sell 50 tickets in a state by the end of 2018 and that state isn't going to be part of the 2019 tour, you are welcome to request a refund for any tickets you purchased.
  8. I have so far sold 50 tickets in the states of Washington, Kentucky, Tennessee and Massachusetts.  (I'll also be doing gigs in the fall in California and North Carolina.)
  9. There are 44 more states.  I've sold a few tickets in some of them.
  10. If you think my music can affect people in a positive way, you have the slightest bit of hope for the future, and you have $10 you can spare, please buy a ticket right now and/or tell other people about this initiative.