Featured Artist of the Week: Karrigan

There are two types of success stories in the music industry. The first is based strictly on luck and great timing. These stories are usually about meeting the right person at the right time or releasing a extraordinarily catchy tune that catches fire on local radio stations. The second version is the right way; through hard work and perseverance.

The boys from Karrigan are destined for success, and it most certainly won't be via the first way. Their dedication to their art and willingness to promote their new EP, My Conscience Got the Best of Me, has taken them on the road with the Vans Warped Tour. The largest indicator of their work ethic, however, is that they aren't even playing the shows.

At every single show, Karrigan can be found walking around with headphones and CD players filled with Karrigan's joyful pop/punk sound. The objective: to sell CDs and incite as many conversations with the concert-goers as possible. After all, new friends become fans of your band by default, and that is always the easiest way to recruit.

Karrigan's hard work didn't start this summer. The band has always been known to promote their local shows since their conception. Rock for Hunger had the pleasure of having them aboard a few of our events last year. One of those events happened to be a UCF Back-to-School Bash.

While their national fanbase continues to expand nationally with the Warped Tour, their local following has yet to show any signs of slowing down. If you are in the Orlando area and have yet to experience Karrigan, check out their MySpace page by clicking here. Their first single "Summer Shadez" and the catchy "Here's to the Nights" are definitely worth a listen.

Upcoming "Tour" Schedule:

Jul 27 2008 8:00P	The Gunz Show LIVE from Warped Tour	LIVE ON THE INTERNET
Jul 27 2008 8:00P	The Gunz Show LIVE from Warped Tour	LIVE ON THE INTERNET
Jul 28 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Raceway Park (Promotion)	Englishtown, New Jersey
Jul 29 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Post Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake (Promotion)	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jul 30 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Riverbend Amphitheater (Promotion)	Cincinnati, Ohio
Jul 31 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Promotion)	Noblesville, Indiana
Aug 1 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Marcus Amphitheater (Promotion)	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Aug 2 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre (Promotion)	Tinley Park, Illinois
Aug 3 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Canterbury Park (Promotion)	Shakopee, Minnesota
Aug 8 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Idaho Center Amphitheater (Promotion)	Nampa, Idaho
Aug 9 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Gorge Amphitheater (Promotion)	George, Washington
Aug 10 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour- Columbia Meadows (Promotion)	St. Helens, Oregon
Aug 13 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour- Save Mart Center (Promotion)	Fresno, California
Aug 14 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Coors Amphitheater (Promotion)	Chula Vista, California
Aug 15 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Shoreline Amphitheater (Promotion)	Mountain View, California
Aug 16 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Sleep Train Amphitheater (Promotion)	Marysville, California
Aug 17 2008 11:00A	Warped Tour - Home Depot Center (Promotion)	Carson, California
Sep 18 2008 8:00P	(Showcasing) Atlantis Music Conference	Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 19 2008 8:00P	(Showcasing) Atlantis Music Conference	Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 20 2008 8:00P	(Showcasing) Atlantis Music Conference	Atlanta, Georgia

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"There's no ceiling on effort!" ~~~ Harvey C. Fruehauf

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Featured Artist of the Week: The Skateboard Sneakers?

So you've never heard of Skateboard Sneakers? So what? That doesn't mean that in a brief blog post I can't enlighten and convince you to become interested.

We know that you have heard of G-Ro, the elusive white rapper that doubles as a Rock for Hunger Board Member. We have featured G-Ro on this blog before. Well, Skateboard Sneakers is his new backing band. Named after his latest album, the band features some of the best local musicians around. The band consists of a multi-talented guitarist/vocalist, an experienced bassist, and an outstanding drummer. The group bleeds hip-hop grooves.

Skateboard Sneakers will be appearing at Central Station Rock Bar this Saturday night, the 26th. Expect the boys to play a lot of the tunes that you can hear on G-Ro's MySpace page, as well as some covers and special treats. No matter the concoction created, it's a guaranteed good time.

Appearing with SS will be some other stellar acts. Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, Fusebox Funk and J.Dash will be bringing their unique blend of hip-hop and funk. In addition, local celebrities Daylight District and former Featured Artist Madd Illz plan to ignite the stage as well.

Please check out all of these bands MySpaces and come out to the show on Saturday night. All of the details of the event can be found on the flyer below.

Note: I will definitely be in attendance. Please come out and say hello.

Upcoming Schedule:

Jul 26 2008 10:00P

G-Ro and the Skateboard Sneakers with Fusebox Funk, Madd Illz and Daylight District

Orlando, Florida

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music." ~~ George Eliot

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Featured Artist of the Week: X:144 and SPS

When it comes to Orlando hip-hop, it doesn't get much better than X:144 and SPS. As members of the Nonsense Records, their respectability and professionalism is above par, while their entertaining blend of talents serve as complements to their energetic live shows.

The group is comprised of two members - MC X:144 and DJ SPS (Who would have thought?). For starters, X:144 is one of the most intelligent and focused rhyme-sayers around. Aside from his psychotic live show (yes, I used the word "psychotic"), his quick pace of flow can be extremely difficult to keep up with. Honestly, I haven't seen someone rap as fast as him in a long time, at least not in a live concert setting.

In the other hand, you have DJ SPS - a remarkable turntablist that has won multiple awards for his skills. Not to sound too repetitive, but I have not seen a DJ move their hands as quickly as he can since a popular DJ battle several years ago (a battle that SPS may have won...?). He may seem like the quiet guy in the back of the stage, but there is no question that he is a prevalent and important factor in the group's equation.

All of their music can be heard on their MySpace page. Simply click here to check out some tunes.

This Saturday, July 19th, X:144 and SPS will be performing live at the Social as part of "The Return of the Anti-Surface Showcase." The event will feature some of the hottest names in Orlando hip-hop, including Kap, Madd Illz, Grey Matter, and many more. Please refer to the flyer below for more information on the show.

Hope to see you all there!

Upcoming Schedule:

Jul 19 2008 10:00P

The Return of THE ANTI-SURFACE SHOWCASE!!!

Orlando, Florida

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." ~~ Alduos Huxley

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Day 1 of Warped Tour 2008 - Orlando, FL

Warped Tour mania this week in the Rock for Hunger camp. Today we spend our first day at Warped Tour 2008 in Orlando, FL. This was my first time ever at Warped Tour. Can you believe that? There were so many stages, bands, great vendors and more. It was amazing. A lot of people learned about Rock for Hunger, and signed up to support our mission of brining the community together in peace, and helping serve those in need. Music can make a difference, and we will one by one change the world. Thank you Sumner and the warped tour crew for showing so much love to the nonprofits that were there spreading their message of making a difference. Respect!

Enjoy some videos below from day 1, and more on youtube.com/rockforhunger.



Best of Warped Tour Orlando = Cobra Starship



Rock for Hunger performer SKIP tearing it up!

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Featured Artist of the Week: Warped Tour

It's the summertime again, and that means the relentless Florida heat, sporadic torrential downpours, and unforgettable music festivals. When you think about summer music festivals, one of the first that come to mind should be the Warped Tour. Since 1995, the Vans Warped Tour has been storming through the country with some of the biggest and best names in punk and indie music (the music genres have diversified immensely since its conception).

Alongside the hundreds of tremendous musical acts that take part in the tour, many other elements and activities travel as well to contribute to its overall appeal. These come in the form of sponsors, food vendors, and non-profit organizations. Dubbing the charity section of tents as the "Take Action" sector, the Warped Tour selects only a handful of companies to promote themselves with merely a tent and a mission.

Rock for Hunger has been given the opportunity to take part in the festivities by joining the Warped Tour for all of their Florida dates. The stops begin tomorrow in Orlando, Friday in St. Petersburg, Saturday in Miami, and Sunday in Elkton. The goal is to promote Rock for Hunger and lose as much sleep as possible while attempting to keep up with such a youthful and nonstop musical event.

The Warped Tour has been chosen as this week's Featured Artist because of its impressive lineup. Bands like The Academy Is, Gym Class Heroes (pictured below), Cobra Starship (pictured below), Reel Big Fish (pictured below), Against Me!, and many many others will grace the many stages that are featured throughout the day-long shows. One of the coolest aspects of the festival is that all bands are created equal by being limited to a half-hour set length and performing on a randomized time schedule that fluctuates everyday.



We hope to see everyone at each of the stops. Feel free to come by and help spread the word about Rock for Hunger. We hope to leave a major impression in each of the cities this weekend.

Rock for Hunger's Warped Tour Schedule:

Thursday July 10th Orlando, FL
Friday July 11th St. Petersburg, FL
Saturday July 12th Miami, FL
Sunday July 13th Elkton, FL

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"Music is harmony, harmony is perfection, perfection is our dream, and our dream is heaven." ~~ Henri Frederic Amiel

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Rock for Hunger traveling on Warpd Tour

Rock for Hunger is going on Warped Tour for the next few days!!! If you are at any of the following dates stop by our booth at the Take Action section:

Thursday July 10th Orlando, FL
Friday July 11th St. Petersburg, FL
Saturday July 12th Miami, FL
Sunday July 13th Elkton, FL

We will have lots of free music, cool buttons just for Warped Tour, and the world famous Rock for Hunger T-shirt. If you want to Volunteer at the booth in St. Petersburg, we still have one more spot open. get a free ticket to the show!

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Monday Night Food Sharing Review

Today we hit 70 weeks in a row of weekly Rock for Hunger food sharing’s without skipping a single week. I had the privilege to prepare the meal for the evening with my mom. We had rice with sweat peas and hot dogs, along with many snacks. The crowd we served was our regulars of 100+ people. John & Val from UCF Pre-Med AMSA brought many new volunteers, and tons of clothes to give away. Awesome as always! Adam held the fort down until I got there with the hot food. Tonight was a great smooth week. It seems like we have our food sharing finally under control, and even have our own dishes now. I bought a pot in a Chinese restaurant supply store in the middle of the hood and the workers in the store only spoke Chinese. It was a great opportunity to practice my skills. If I only had some! Maybe next time? Looking forward to Angela cooking next week. She always does an awesome job!

Come out and join us serve a meal to someone in need on a Monday night, or come out to our job training this Wednesday at the Panera Bread on the corner of Eola Drive and Robinson St. by Lake Eola at 6:30pm. Help write a resume, create an e-mail account, search for jobs and more for someone in need.
Peace,

Chris G.

"It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it." - Albert Einstein

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Featured Artist of the Week: K-G and the Band

"Peace. Love. Rock for Hunger."

Hearing these words in K-G's own unique rhythmic form last November at the R4H Festival took me to a place I had never gone before. A state of mind that I had yet to experience in my lifetime. A musical form of euphoria.

It wasn't just the passion that was depicted through his attractive and intriguing Kenyan accented voice, nor his tight and relentless grasp of the microphone. Nor was it his one-of-a-kind style of wardrobe, fully equipped with one of his signature fedora hats; something you rarely to never see him without. Although each of these aspects are what makes K-G and the Band performances such incredible experiences, none were the catalysts of my orchestral euphoria. Instead, it was the infectious rhythms of the band, and the untarnished purity in the music. This ignited the elusive experience of being whisked away to an African village - A place of wonder and enlightenment.

K-G and the band isn't a good band. They are a great band. A band that offers more than just a tasty treat of instrumental licks and impeccable feel. Their blend of tribal, Afro-Beat, funk, jazz, and even raggae act as a gift-wrapped souvenir to be cherished and hung up to be a token of remembrance. You just don't find musical fusion like this anymore in this nation.

July 5th marks the epic return to Orlando for K-G and his extremely talented band of musicians. With him comes national touring artist Laura Reed and special guest Rock for Hunger Featured Artist - G-Ro. The show is July 5th at the Social. The details are listed on the flyer below.

Upcoming Schedule:

Jul 5 2008 9:00P
The Social w/ Laura Reed + G-RO Orlando, Florida
Jul 18 2008 8:00P
Dunedin Brewery w/ The Human Condition Dunedin, Florida
Aug 16 2008 9:00P
Market on 7th Tampa, Florida
Aug 30 2008 8:00P
Skipper’s Smokehouse w/ The Legendary JC’s Tampa, Florida
Aug 31 2008 10:00P
Orlando World Center Resort w/ Krukid(ANTIHEROZ) Orlando, Florida

- Logan Lenz; Treasurer/ Event Coordinator, Rock For Hunger
"Peace is its own reward." ~~Mahatma Gandhi

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"Skid Row" a film by Pras Michel of the Fugees

Last year Pras Michel from the Fugees released a powerful documentary about homelessness in America called “Skid Row.” This is a powerful must see film to open your eyes about homelessness in America. Pras lived on the streets of Skid Row in Los Angeles, CA for nine consecutive days and had a hidden camera team document his experience. I had the privilege to meet Pras and co-producer Rob Wisdom at the 2008 Florida Music Festival. After making this film Pras grew a passion of brining awareness to the film and homelessness in the United States. Check out the preview of “Skid Row” and an interview with Pras below.

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