Shortly after New Year’s I found myself on the beach in San Diego, also the home of Music Without Labels & Beat-Play! I’d been working with MWL from NYC and had continued to do so when I decided to start traveling late last year. When I arrived in California a few months into 2o12 opportunities and ideas to start a video project for the site quickly presented themselves. MWL photographer Shane Suski and I went to film school together in NYC and with the help of all the guys that run the site we were able to team up and launch MWL Live. Everything began falling into place. I didn’t know then what amazing things MWL Live would be able to do!
MWL Live is a video program dedicated to providing fans with the support and coverage they need to stay on top of today’s independent music scene. MWL Live is where you can find exclusive video interviews and live video coverage of the best shows around. The program is new and we need to get the word out about what we’re doing! What better way to reach the fans and get coverage of bands than to tour like one! The MWL Live team is headed out on a cross-country tour and I am determined to make you a dedicated viewer!
The tour has been a ton of work! Directions, accommodations, calculations, scheduling interviews, shooting, budgeting, editing videos, press credentials, t-shirts, spreadsheets, equipment, consent forms, millions of emails! Thank god for Google Docs, seriously… I was gonna say thank the universe, because that’s more my style but I think Google might actually be the universe. Anyway, when we had the idea of touring like an independent band I had no idea how much work it really is running an entire tour by yourself! We were ready to abandon our possessions and take on the task but we needed funds! We ran a Kickstarter campaign and thanks to all of our backers, and social networking, we reached our goal and the MWL Live Tour was official!
A very special thanks to Kickstarter backers Kaitlyn Suski, Dana Pscolkoski, Kevin Grimes, Amanda White, Britt Freeman, Janna Kelley, Rebecca Illowiecki, Joseph Szala, Amanda Scott, Jamie Joong and Florence Valente!
We are traveling over 11,000 miles in approximately 112 days! We are headed to some of the summer’s hottest summer shows and festivals. We have packed the car, mapped out the route and are working around the clock to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible! We will be posting tons of videos this summer and you can be there with us everywhere we go! Join Shane and myself as we drive from state to state camping, interviewing bands, going to festivals, visiting friends, exploring and going to tons of shows and events!
May through September we’ll be everywhere from San Diego to Portland, Seattle to Denver, Houston to New Orleans, Charlotte to Philly, New York to Rapid City and we will be uploading videos almost everyday! Travel with us documentary style as we leave sunny California venture up the west coast, camp with us in the Redwoods, drive through the Rocky Mountains through Amarillo to fish in the Gulf of Mexico. You can ride bikes with us through New York City, see our countries founders at Mount Rushmore and get exclusive concert footage and video interviews every step of the way! Click the map for more details!
We’re still waiting on confirmations from some festivals and shows that are happening a little further into the future but the tour can’t wait! We’re starting the tour here in San Diego bringing you interviews with Vintage Trouble, Carina Round, Turbo Fruits, Waters and more! We arrive in LA just in time to see Washed Out then we continue up the coast and on the tour goes! More artists and locations will be announced soon! You can visit the MWL Live Blog for a sneak peak at interviews to come, previews, festival coverage and more! Add the MWL Live Facebook and stay posted! We’ve all got a lot to look forward to!
In the meantime check out some of the videos we’ve done so far and let us know if you’re on the route! Be a part of the tour! Know great bands along that deserve to be heard? We’d love to visit you while we’re on the road! There will be opportunities for you to interact, to get sweet gear [stickers, USB's full of behind the scenes footage and limited edition tour t-shirts], and to have your questions asked on MWL Live! Get involved now and guarantee yourself a summer full of entertainment!
By: Katie McVeay| Spokesperson |Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC | crookedsunshine
