News

The trailer is out for the 924 Gilman documentary produced by Alternative Tentacles. From Punknews.org: "The Scarred Films production has filmmaker Jack Curran taking an 86-minute look at the Berkeley, California, punk venue. The club is an all-ages, non-profit, collectively organized music and performance venue, now embarking on its 20th year of existence. Some of those interviewed include: Jello Biafra, Ian MacKaye, Lars Frederickson, Matt Freeman, Dave Scattered and Sweettooth."

Alright, so it isn't exactly news...but the poster for YACHT's upcoming all-ages shows in Portland is completely adorable. The No Swears tour started at the Crystal Ballroom last Friday and continues at the Stumpclub (they're in our directory! look 'em up!) fundraiser at Westview High School and then ends at the PDX Pop Now! CD release at Holocene. For more information than you can handle, check out:

YACHT
this article about the Music In The Schools benefit YACHT played at the Crystal Ballroom
this article about Stumpclub
Stumpclub's website
PDX Pop Now!
a few photos from PDX Pop Now!'s recent program at Parkrose Middle School

Plea for Peace, an organization dedicated through promoting the idea of peace through the power of music, has won a Myspace Impact Award for community building. Plea for Peace is most known for their national tours featuring musicians like Cursive, Denali and Saul Williams, raising awareness of social justice causes and donating the tour's proceeds to extremely worthy organizations. Currently, Plea for Peace is working to open an all-ages venue and youth center in Stockton, CA and the $10,000 from Myspace will definitely help with that project. For more information on Plea for Peace, check out their website and the Plea for Peace Center's myspace.

The Bay Area Girls Rock Camp is getting ready for its inaugural camp this July 7th-11th in Oakland, CA at the Julia Morgan School for Girls. They are currently looking for volunteers who want to work at camp!

This Sunday, May 25th they're hosting a volunteer info party and BBQ. Come down to Mosswood Park in Oakland, CA between 2pm and 4pm. Ask questions, fill out an application, and get to know other folks who are getting involved. Mosswood Park is located at 3612 Webster St. in Oakland, CA, near the Broadway and MacArthur intersection.

They are currently looking for volunteers for the following positions…

Positions Available for Female-identified Volunteers:

Band Manager (no musical experience necessary) – kind of like a camp counselor, this is the most involved and rewarding jobs at camp.
Instrument Instructor –this year we are offering instruction in Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Drums, and Vocals. No music degree or theory necessary-we'll discuss curriculum, styles, and levels of experience, and group teachers and students accordingly.
Band Coach – each camper band will have a music coach for showcase practice and preparation
Electric Youth Leader (no musical experience necessary) —lead special activities for the younger campers ages 8-10 that allows for outdoor play, and fun, music-related art projects. Childhood development experience a bonus but not required.
Morning Assembly Crew (no musical experience necessary)—lead large group warm-up activities, teach camp songs, do announcements, etc.
Drama Trauma (no musical experience necessary) –provide support and conflict resolution for campers, staff, volunteers, and interns.

Positions Open to Everyone:

Roadie (no musical experience necessary)—set up, tear down, and move equipment, assist kitchen and clean up crews.
Receptionist (no musical experience necessary) –handles Monday morning camper registration, check-in and check-out, phones, tickets sales, etc.
Kitchen crew (no musical experience necessary)—prepare camper snacks and lunches for volunteers, set up and break down of lunch areas.
Airport, Train, Bart and Bus station crew (no musical experience necessary)—Valid drivers license and good driving record required, vehicle preferred but not required.

Time Commitment:

Mandatory Volunteer Training: July 6th at campsite

Week of Camp: July 7th-July 11th

*Band Managers, Instrument Instructors, and Band Coaches need to be at camp everyday, all other positions are flexible and can be combined!

(Optional) Showcase: July 12th at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco

Cave9's new DVD, Turn Darryl Up!, is out now and you can even order it online and everything! The DVD features live Cave9 performances from Breather Resist, Lightning Bolt, Against Me!, Planes Mistaken For Stars among others. It only costs $15 and best of all, all the money goes to support Cave9 and to help them pay off their debt with the state of Alabama who recently audited them. Even if you already have a copy of the DVD, you can always donate via paypal to cave9rock@aol.com.

Rhino's Youth Media Center and All-ages Club in Bloomington, IN is getting ready to release their second compilation CD. With proceeds from sales of the new comp, Rhino's plans to fund various programs, including “Rhinoplasty,” a youth public-access show, “The Antagonist,” a monthly youth newspaper, as well as a locally broadcast radio show on WFHB and an art mural program. The CD will feature Murder By Death, Against Me! and the Unseen as well as many local Bloomington bands. For more info about the compilation and Rhino's, visit their website or check out this article in the Indiana Daily Student.

Adults cannot make comments, they can only ask questions.

That totally rad statement is one of the governing rules the young folks who run the Shop in Sonoma, California wrote into their articles of association. And that's not all they did - they set up the lightning, created a DJ booth and built a stage. Now, nine years later, the Shop, run by a board of 12 young people, is still thriving and bringing in over 1,000 people a year for their shows. You can find out more about them in their Sonoma News article or checking out the Shop's myspace.

The Kirkland Teen Union Building hosted a show this weekend to raise awareness about hearing loss. KTUB partnered with the Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic to put on "Turn It Down: an EAR-responsible Concert." This third annual event has a goal of introducing safe listening to concertgoers and musicians. The sound was turned down, free earplugs were handed out at the door, and there was a raffle for custom-molded earplugs and ear monitors. More than half of high school students surveyed in a 2006 poll reported at least one symptom of hearing loss, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association. To read more about KTUB's Turn It Down concert, click here.

YMR is releasing their fifth full-length compilation album, Free*Style, this Friday! "Free*Style" lives up to it's title by blending hip hop, rock, folk, electronic and dance styles into a contemporary celebration of freedom, funk and forward-thinking. The CD features Ise Lyfe (Hard Knock), RyanNicole (2007 BMA Spoken Word Artist), Brutha Los (Company of Prophets), M.I.A. and more.

And make sure to check out the release party this Friday, May 17th, La Pena Cultural Center (3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA). Doors open at 9 and $10 gets you in and a free CD. For more info and to hear tracks from the new CD, head on over to YMR's myspace.

Wondering how your organization or band can get involved or donate to help the relief efforts in Burma and China? Air Traffic Control has compiled a list of organizations working to aid victims of the earthquake in China and the cyclone in Burma.

Help in both China and Burma:

Americares
Red Cross
Unicef

Burma specific:

US Campaign for Burma
Foundation for the People of Burma

China specific:

MercyCorps

You could throw a benefit show, donate a percentage of ticket sales from a show you've already booked, screenprint some shirts to sell and donate the proceeds...there's countless ways to donate or get involved. For resources regarding throwing a benefit show or for more information about how bands and venues can get involved with social and political causes, visit the Air Traffic Control website.