A concert tour organized to encourage voter turnout has taken on a new dimension in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Organizers Magic Hat Brewing Co., CEG Presents and HeadCount announced today that 100% of the net proceeds from the four-city ‘Participation Tour’ will be donated to the Red Cross and other storm relief efforts.
Anders Osborne and Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, all residents of New Orleans and no stranger to hurricanes, will headline each of the four shows. Keller Williams will make a guest appearance in Washington, and John Kadlecik of Furthur will appear in Baltimore and DC.
“Participation is about more than voting. It means being an active part of a community,” said HeadCount’s executive director Andy Bernstein. “We hope these concerts will not only encourage people to vote, but also to help out their neighbors.”
A limited edition Magic Hat guitar signed by the performers will be raffled at each show, with every dollar raised going directly to the relief efforts. To enter the raffle, fans will be asked to sign a "Pledge to Vote" and donate any amount they wish.
HeadCount is a nonpartisan organization that works with musicians to promote participation in democracy. The tour and organization have registered over 250,000 voters since its inception in 2004. HeadCount, whose board members include Bob Weir and Marc Brownstein (Disco Biscuits), operates with a huge volunteer network that registers voters at as many as 1,000 concerts a year (Phish, Wilco and the Dave Matthews Band, to name a few).
Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk
Formed in 2003, Dumpstaphunk was initially assembled by keyboardist Ivan Neville on a whim, to perform a solo slot at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Ivan tastefully selected the unique double-bass attack of both Nick Daniels and Tony Hall on bass, enlisted his own bloodlines for the scorching guitar rhythms of cousin, Ian Neville, and most recently, added the newest member to the group, heavy-hitting female protégé Nikki Glaspie on drums, replacing original powerhouse Raymond Weber. The project has since grown from a chance side-project into what is now widely considered to be one of New Orleans' most prestigious modern funk ensembles. An offspring with a direct lineage to their fathers in The Meters and The Neville Brothers, Dumpstaphunk is a recipe for creating a new standard for an entire genre.
Anders Osborne
Between the sheer force and potent lyricism of his guitar playing, the riveting depth of his songwriting and the straight-from-the-soul conviction of his vocals, New Orleans’ Anders Osborne is among the most original and visionary musicians writing and performing today. Relix says Osborne plays “hard-hitting songs” featuring his “raging, expressive guitar and soulful singing…from scorched-earth rock to sweet, tender ballads.” Offbeat magazine recently named Osborne the Crescent City’s Best Guitarist for the second straight year, and also awarded him with the Best Roots Rock Artist title. Guitar Magazine called him, “The poet laureate of Louisiana’s fertile roots music scene.”
