Featured Artist of the Week: Nonpoint

Growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was fun. I always played in bands, networked with other musicians, and frequently attended concerts since middle school. Along my journey throughout the music scene in South Florida, I always assumed the scene was thriving (I mean, come on... I was a part of it) and becoming a prominent location for great independent bands. Looking back now, however, I realize that I was distracted and blinded by the attention that local celebrities Nonpoint was constantly receiving.

I remember my first time actually seeing Nonpoint perform live. It was back in 1998, when I was only 14 years old. Because it was early in their existence, they were headlining the local stage of the Vans Warped Tour in Pompano Beach. As if the hundreds of enthused crowdmembers didn't confirm it, the band's raw energy and unique sound, which most closely resembled Rage Against the Machine at the time, made for a major kick in the face - a performance you'd never forget.

Ten years later, Nonpoint is still doing the same thing and provoking the same reactions from crowds around the globe. The group has had five major releases (excluding their demos, EPs, and a live album). After brief stints with Jugular and MCA Records, Nonpoint finally discovered a happy marriage in a family-driven neighbor called Beiler Bros. Records. Albums like Statement, Development, and To the Pain have quickly become staples in the mainstream alternative rock scene. Several of their singles, including a cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," still see frequent airplay on rock radio.

A few weeks back, Rock for Hunger's Executive Director Chris Goyzueta met and interviewed drummer Robb Rivera before Nonpoint's headlining concert at House of Blues. After everything I have heard about the nature of the guys and from what Chris told me, Nonpoint still seems to have maintained level heads throughout their careers. They help out locally whenever they can and they truly care about the communities in Florida. It is certainly good to still see that devotion from a band of their stature.

Nonpoint will be storming through Central Florida a couple of times within the next few months. Be sure to check them out at one of their stops. Their complete tour listings are depicted below. In the meantime, give their latest record Vengeance a listen. It is filled with power and emotion.

Upcoming Schedule:

Jun 26 2008 6:00P	SummerFest (WJJO Zippo Stage)	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jun 27 2008 6:00P	Club Oasis (with Drowning Pool)	Louisville, Kentucky
Jun 28 2008 8:00P	The Whiskey Venue (With Drowning Pool)	Findley, Ohio
Jun 29 2008 6:00P	The Valarium (With Drowning Pool)	Knoxville, Tennessee
Jul 1 2008 6:00P	Bourbon Street Night Club (With Drowning Pool)	New Port Richey, Florida
Jul 2 2008 6:00P	County Line Saloon (With Drowning Pool)	Melbourne, Florida
Jul 26 2008 6:00P	Altered Skin Revolution	Saginaw
Jul 27 2008 6:00P	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	Saratoga, New York
Jul 31 2008 6:00P	Rams Head Live (With Sevendust)	Baltimore, Maryland
Aug 1 2008 6:00P	Theater Of Living Arts (with Sevendust)	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug 2 2008 8:00P	Bogarts (with Sevendust)	Cincinnati, Ohio
Aug 4 2008 8:00P	The Swamp (with Sevendust)	Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Aug 5 2008 8:00P	House Of Blues(with Sevendust)	Orlando/Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Aug 8 2008 5:00P	The House Of Blues (With Sevendust)	New Orleans, Louisiana

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music." ~~Sergei Rachmaninov

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Anti-Feeding Ordinance put to Trial

Yesterday was the first day of trial on feeding the homeless in Orlando parks. Many homeless advocates and local charities are in the Orlando courtroom to stand up for the less fortunate in our community. Pastor Brian Nichols, First Vagabond Church of God, is one of the individuals challenging the city ordinance and how it violates his constitutional freedom to feed the people that come to his service every Sunday at Langford park, because his religion requires the breaking of bread. Today Mayor Buddy Dyer is expected to testify.

We hope that this trial will unite the people and bring the community closer together, and help us come up with solutions to solve the problem of homelessness. The problem about the Anti-Feeding Ordinance is that it just pushes the problem of Homelessness in Orlando to the side, but offers no solution to the problem.

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Featured Artist of the Week: Baron Von Bear

Tired of meat and potatoes? Looking for something different to spice up your life? Baron Von Bear is a featured artist that is unique in every possible way. By straying from any sort of commonalities, BVB has developed a strong niche fanbase that has enabled them to become a prominent force in the Central Florida music scene.


So what does BVB sound like? If you live in Orlando, I can quickly sum them up to you by stating that they are a "folk influenced indie BackBooth band - the likes of which Chris Anderson (manager of Backbooth) would adore." To some, that might make a lot of sense, but to the outsiders, you are probably rendered clueless. Basically, their sound is so unique that you have to create a description for yourself.

Check out the band's website, their MySpace, and then purchase their new music on iTunes. Their new CD was released last month and it is rather impressive. I highly recommend "Live Off the Land," which is a meaningful track that possesses the strength and wit that the band personifies. One of the most beneficial elements for BVB is that they don't take themselves too seriously. It's harder to fail that way.

If you weren't fortunate enough to catch Baron Von Bear at the 2nd annual Rock for Hunger Music Festival last November, you have a chance to redeem yourself. BVB will be playing at the Social on Thursday, June 26th for Mumpsy's CD Release show. I hope all of you will be able to attend. It should be a great event.

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." ~~ Albert Einstein

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EduPunk | DIY Education

From the second I saw the name Edupunk I had to learn more about it. Being that I wanted to write something up for Rock For Hunger today, I was even more intrigued to bring punk rock ethos into education.

First let's quote Wikipedia on EduPunk:

Edupunk is an ideology referring to teaching and learning practices that result from a do it yourself (DIY) attitude. Many instructional applications can be described as DIY education or Edupunk. It describes inventive teaching and inventive learning.

I think this is a great concept and something that I feel I embody in my daily life. I think the theory of reading bogs, communicating ideas and conversing with others on an intellectual level all tend to be in the Edupunk landscape.

What I Can't Learn in School
This theory sheds some light in to the direction that education may be heading. I'll start with my life. I am an Internet Marketer. I did not learn how to do what I do at UCF. Most professors are not up to date with all the technologies that are running wild in the tech community. Furthermore, those that do understand the concepts are not wiling to share them to others at a global level. Instead they opt to run their own businesses and disclose information through the blogosphere and in return gain credibility, free marketing and mass appeal for their business.

Now take the kids that I had the opportunity to visit at Tutors and Meals, a Rock For Hunger program, last November. Most of the kids could hardly get through a children's book, but could work their way around a Myspace page or an email inbox. Their learning will be even more consumed by technology than my generation.

My Educational Memory
I can remember Apple computer labs in elementary schools that were nothing more than word processors. I also remember that I didn't get my "own" computer till I left for college in 2001. The newer generation never knew a world without cell phones. They don't even know what a beeper is. (Yes, I did just bring up beepers) They have computer labs not only in every classroom, but also at boys and girls centers, libraries, hotels, inside iPhones and beyond.

To bring things back into focus, whether or not this is the idea of "EduPunk" or not, it does lead one to believe how institutions will keep up with the technology. It's not cheap to equip a classroom of 30 with updated computers, let alone software. Google is helping with free apps like Google Docs and more and more web based environments are popping up everyday.

The Future of Education and Information
I can see a future where a school runs a self hosted blog platform for students to perform and turn in assignments. Not only will it show the time and dates for reference but also showcase a time line of their progress.

With information so readily available for anyone with access to Google, it is possible to learn whatever you want, when you want to and take it as far as you want to. For the term "EduPunk" which it looks like was only coined a few weeks ago, there are over 9,000 search results in Google, a Wikipedia page and more commentary than you could ever want.

To wrap, how do you see education and information on demand affecting our the education of our youth?

Thanks and I'll see you soon.

-Greg Rollett
Director of Marketing for Rock For Hunger
Social Media and Millennial Marketing Blog

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Featured Artist of the Week: Joy in Tomorrow

We're going to do something a little bit different this week and choose a band that is not only from outside of Florida, but that doesn't have a Florida show coming up. I hope that the band's overwhelming talent and potential, coupled with their past performance at a Rock for Hunger concert last year, will enable you to forgive me for this minor divergence. After all, isn't this column for the most talented and benevolent bands around?

Who is Joy in Tomorrow? To me, JIT is the most delightful and tenacious group of guys I have had the pleasure of working with. Their catchy music is extraordinarily infectious and has remained a staple on my iPod for over a year now. It doesn't matter that their most recent EP, A Snapshot of Who I've Always Been, consists of only five tracks. The five tunes each have their own identity and could easily combat the best in their genre.

"The Victory" is my personal favorite tune. Right from the first second of the song, four-part pleasantries enter your ears quick and are subsequently unbearably relentless inside your head. The song sounds like a perfect bachelor for any teen drama or film. The lyrics and the vibe of the track completely embody a summer day at the beach in California. Although all of their tracks are noteworthy, two other standouts are "The Battle" and "The Science."

As aforementioned, JIT opened a Rock for Hunger concert at Backbooth last September. Each time I have caught them live, I was just as impressed as the inauguration between us. Their precision, honesty, and raw energy is proof enough to validate what should be an explosive and flourishing career in the music industry.

Unfortunately, JIT does not have anything scheduled in Florida as of right now, but I am sure they will make the trip down to Orlando again soon. They will be touring select cities throughout mid-July with Windsor Drive and Camera Can't Lie.

Check out their music at their MySpace by clicking here.
Also, be sure to pick up their EP on iTunes for only $4.95.

Upcoming Schedule:

Jul 9 2008 7:00P	@700 Bowl w/ Discover The Season for Rock-N-Bowl Concert Series	South Lyon, Michigan
Jul 11 2008 7:00P	@Rockwater w/ Windsor Drive & Camera Can’t Lie	Wausau, Wisconsin
Jul 12 2008 7:00P	TBA w/ Windsor Drive & Camera Can’t Lie	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jul 13 2008 7:00P	TBA w/ Windsor Drive & Camera Can’t Lie	Chicago, Illinois
Jul 14 2008 7:00P	@Boney Junes w/ Windsor Drive & Camera Can’t Lie	Evansville, Indiana
Jul 16 2008 7:00P	@The Masquerade w/ Windsor Drive & Camera Can’t Lie	Atlanta, Georgia
Jul 17 2008 7:00P	TBA w/ Windsor Drive & Camera Can’t Lie	TBA, Alabama
Jul 18 2008 7:00P	TBA w/ Windsor Drive & Camera Can’t Lie	TBA, Louisiana
Jul 19 2008 8:00P	@Fitzgerald’s w/ Windsor Drive & Camera Can’t Lie	Houston, Texas

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"Musical notes are more penetrating than bullets. Songs are more powerful than bombs." ~~ WPTTO

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Kicking It and the Homeless World Cup

Thanks to my love for film, I stumbled upon a film called Kicking It. Because the name created an intriguing ambiguity, my curiosity forced me to look further into it. Rather than describe it improperly, I have copied the movie's official very brief synopsis below:

"Kicking IT, the documentary about 7 players and their journey to the Cape Town 2006 Homeless World Cup is opening in USA cinemas this month. Go see."

This information sparked an all-new curiosity - "The Homeless World Cup?" I had never heard of such a thing. but it sounded amazing. From there, I visited http://www.homelessworldcup.org/and learned all about the tremendous event.

Rather than elaborate thoroughly on both the upcoming movie, slated for release on June 13th in select theaters, and the event itself, I will leave it up to you to investigate further into each.

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"People who are homeless are not special inadequates. They are people without homes." ~~ Shiela McKechnie

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Featured Artist of the Week: Cori Yarckin

Since she is such a fabulous and caring local celebrity, there is no question that this week’s featured artist deserves to be honored for a second time in this column. With an edgier new direction, a fresh batch of songs, and a more complete tour schedule, it’s difficult just keeping up with this artist these days. Fresh off of a short tour with Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, Cori Yarckin is this week’s “Featured Artist”....... again!

By now, you should have been exposed to her extremely catchy new songs such as “One Day Too Late” and “Sucks to Be You,” just to name a few. If not, you truly are missing out on infectious earworms that just won’t stop running through your head. Her tougher and more mature sound and image has given her more of an overall appeal to the Orlando hard rock scene, where she seems to faring very well at the moment.

Last month, Cori was invited to perform on MTV’s TRL. She was selected as one of the artists dubbed “Under the Radar” and had the privilege of performing a half of a song in front of millions of viewers on national television. Not too many musicians have the opportunity to bask in such an honor like that and we are very proud of Cori for taking advantage of such a monumental event.

Cori will continue to tear up the stage this Friday night, June 6th at House of Blues Orlando. She will be appearing with the local phenomenon that is Between the Trees and national touring act Rookie of the Year. This should be quite an amazing show. Please come out to House of Blues to show your support to some of the best homegrown music to ever hit Central Florida.

Hope to see you all there.

Upcoming Schedule:

Jun 6 2008 8:00P	House of Blues W/ Between the Trees/Rookie of the Year	Orlando, Florida
Jun 13 2008 8:30P	9th and Main - ALL AGES!!!	Jacksonville, Florida
Jul 1 2008 7:00P	Crue Fest - Cruzan Ampitheatre	West Palm Beach, Florida
Jul 12 2008 6:00P	Downtown Live w/ ALTERBRIDGE!!!	Raleigh, North Carolina
Jul 13 2008 8:00P	Rider’s Lounge	Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
“Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances." ~~ Mahatma Gandhi

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Conversation with Chris Goyzueta

No famous celebrity interview this week for you L However! We do have a conversation with the Executive Director of Rock for Hunger, Chris Goyzueta. The interviewer in this interview is Aretha Olivarez, author of “Best Guide for Nonprofits.” If you need help with starting a nonprofit organization, there is no one better in town to help you out. Check out the interview of Chris Goyzueta on the interview on the Aretha Olivarez Blog Talk Radio.

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the Week in Rock for Hunger (6/2/2008)

We hope everyone had a great weekend, and is getting ready for a great summer! June is here, and we have a great week to kick things off full of volunteer events, and some great shows by Rock for Hunger supporters. So here we go:

MONDAY – Food Preparation for Food Sharing
Join Angela and Tee as they prepare the meals for this weeks food sharing in Downtown Orlando. They will be cooking from 4:30pm-6:30pm. For more info e-mail Angela at angelagriner@gmail.com or e-mail Chris to get in touch with you at info@rockforhunger.org.

MONDAY – Food Sharing
Our weekly Food Sharing takes place as always at 6:45pm meeting in the parking lot on the corner of Magnolia and WashingtonJefferson in Downtown Orlando. For more info e-mail Chris at info@rockforhunger.org. Here is a GOOGLE MAP of where we meet.

MONDAY – Band Marino at the Social
Rock for Hunger Fest 2 performing artist Band Marino is rocking out the Social for an All Ages show. The Social is located at 54 N. Orange Ave Orlando, Fl 32801.

WEDNESDAY – Job Training
Join our Job Training program which takes place every 1st and 2nd Wednesday of each month. Come to help write resumes, set-up e-mail accounts, career builder accounts, and more for those in need. Do you need help finding a job or getting a resume? Well get yourself over here, and get it done. This program is available for everyone in need. This takes place at the Downtown Orlando Library. To find out where in the Library we will be meeting this week, please contact us at info@rockforhunger.org.

THURSDAY – The Fling at Backbooth
The Fling is performing at Backbooth. The Fling was part of Rock for Hunger's 2008 Spring Concert, and their front man Justin has performed many times at our Monday Night Food Sharing. You can check out the Fling at www.myspace.com/theflingpage .

FRIDAY – Cori Yarckin at House of Blues
One of the three artists that has performed at every Rock for Hunger fest this far, Cori Yarckin, is performing at House of Blues with Between the Trees. Check out this amazing performance with one amazing local band that recently signed to Universal/Motown Records.

SATURDAY – The Fling at Underground Bluz
Can’t catch the Fling at Backbooth? You get another chance to see them at Underground Bluz by UCF.

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