One day, you're all amped to write in them. Then two weeks later, you think to yourself, remember that blog I wrote about my vacation that was "Part 1"? And then I never wrote "Part 2"? Oh well.
My blogs are generally written when A. I'm bored, or B. I'm pissed. Right now, it's definitely A. But it's not just bored. It's like incomplete. I'm just malfunctioning right now on some level, and I can't find it.
I had a great day today. Disc golfed with Teresa (shot terribly, but who cares, it's fun). Had dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. Played some games (NHL 2009 on the X-Box, then some Scene It, also on the X-Box).
I don't know. I'm just not real happy. Shows have been slow (summer usually is very hit and miss). Tour booking is nearly impossible, and pretty pointless. I love Your Best Friend and Koji, and believe in them both, but I'm unable to get good shows for them. I just don't have the time it takes nor the motivation to spend hours and hours contacting 50 promoters/bands per date to nail down what's good. It's a problem, and it's going to come to a head soon.
Outside of my work life, I'm out of shape, and it's not that I feel particularly bad, but I definitely can look in a mirror and see that I'm not going to be able to be what I am now and hope to live until I'm 80. And I love apartment life, but I've lately had slight pangs of longing when I hear people talk about owning a house, having kids, etc. It's weird. It's not at all about having possessions. It's more about having a place where I belong, which is a strange thing for a 30 year old man to think about. I do belong, but it's in a world of teenagers at shows, and in a world of people who are trained to take as money from you as possible (agents and such). Neither of those are places I want to, nor should I want to, hang out.
But all in all, life is still pretty good. Roof over our head. Bills are paid (if barely). Teresa and I are content. I work when I want to work, which is becoming less often lately, which might be part of the problem. I've delegated so much of what we do at Fusion, I don't think it's done as effectively as I'd like, but I don't want to just do it myself. So we kind of sit in limbo, not selling shows very well, and just treading water. And with Irving, my business partner, basically up and leaving the business for me to deal with, I'm not sure what I'm doing next.
Financially, I'm in a tough spot at the moment. The business isn't exactly lucrative (June never is), and I'm taking too many shows that I don't need, just to "help out". I never got paid from the tours I booked in the spring (Brad, if you're reading, send me a damn check, it's not cute anymore). And the tours I'm booking now aren't lucrative enough to be worth the immense amount of time I spend on them. You have to "look to the future", and hope that they're going to pay off in the end, but let's face it, I'm not good enough at tour booking to book a band that's actually drawing big crowds. If you ask me what venues there are in St. Louis, Missouri, a market not too terribly far from here, I could name a few, but I know NOTHING about them.
Anyway, enough crabbing. I think that every 4-6 months, I have one of these days where I simply need to refocus myself on what's important. And what's important is being happy, fit, and keeping the bills paid. Happiness and fitness come from seeing friends, getting outside, getting the kayaks wet, disc golfing, camping/hiking, etc. The bills get paid by making sure Fusion Shows is a smartly run organization.
I can work on those things, and I'll get by. I'm looking into some new nutrition and diet/exercise routines, to lose some of this excess weight, which will make me feel better too. I wish I had the willpower to do the P90X like Nick Diener did. Dude is ripped all of a sudden. 90 days. Man, if only.
So yeah, I guess I should end this blog and start making progress again, eh?
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Dear diary...
Dear diary...
What do you do when your industry is dying, and there's no other industry in your area that isn't? I'm on such a rollercoaster. 4 days ago, I'm in Washington DC talking to senators. Today, I'm wrapping up a weekend where we lost a whole lot of money. "But dude, Fusion's blowing up!". Wrong. We're just doing all the things we once hated.
I don't know what to do. Hopefully "THINK LOCAL" will jar something loose in my stupid head.
EDIT: This is an example of how blogs are usually only written when someone's crabby. The industry is definitely in trouble, but Fusion, for the most part, has made the right decisions. We're just having a tough month, and I'm struggling to figure out what's next. I want to re-focus on the strong local talent in Michigan, build them a scene to be proud of, and then sprinkle some good, solid national talent here and there.
What do you do when your industry is dying, and there's no other industry in your area that isn't? I'm on such a rollercoaster. 4 days ago, I'm in Washington DC talking to senators. Today, I'm wrapping up a weekend where we lost a whole lot of money. "But dude, Fusion's blowing up!". Wrong. We're just doing all the things we once hated.
I don't know what to do. Hopefully "THINK LOCAL" will jar something loose in my stupid head.
EDIT: This is an example of how blogs are usually only written when someone's crabby. The industry is definitely in trouble, but Fusion, for the most part, has made the right decisions. We're just having a tough month, and I'm struggling to figure out what's next. I want to re-focus on the strong local talent in Michigan, build them a scene to be proud of, and then sprinkle some good, solid national talent here and there.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Vacation: Day 1 - Howell, MI to Olean, NY
Getting an early start by our standards (noon-ish), Teresa and I set off on our week-long vacation to the east. We're on what I like to call the "no plan plan", where we just kind of have a general route in mind, but don't have anything figured out. Teresa took first shift while I used the laptop and internet card to drum up some options. We were either going to stay in a small Lake Erie town east of Cleveland called Painesville, OH, or we were going to push on to Olean, NY, a small town in the foothills of western New York. I guess you could call these mountains. Not huge, by any means, but definitely bigger than anything we have in Michigan.
We decided to keep rolling towards Olean. Cleveland was cool. We kind of jumped off the freeway on the west side and rolled through what was obviously the nicer part of town. We rounded a bend, and bang, there was downtown. And then it was over, and we got stuck in traffic in the ugly part of town on the east side. I tried to stick to the coast of Lake Erie for some scenery, but there wasn't much to be had, so I jumped back on the I-90 and made some good time through the 50 miles or so of Pennsylvania while Teresa took a nap.
Towards the end of the 9 hour drive (with many stops), I was getting sleepy, so Teresa and I played 20 questions for about the last hour of the drive, which kept me going. I kicked her ass at it. Woot.
We got into Olean, a nice enough little town. Not too much happening, but that's kind of what we're shooting for, I think. Today, we move on towards Watkins Glen, where we'll hike the gorge, do some camping, make some S'mores. Hopefully the mosquitoes won't be too bad. It's just nice to be on the road, and enjoying ourselves together.
We decided to keep rolling towards Olean. Cleveland was cool. We kind of jumped off the freeway on the west side and rolled through what was obviously the nicer part of town. We rounded a bend, and bang, there was downtown. And then it was over, and we got stuck in traffic in the ugly part of town on the east side. I tried to stick to the coast of Lake Erie for some scenery, but there wasn't much to be had, so I jumped back on the I-90 and made some good time through the 50 miles or so of Pennsylvania while Teresa took a nap.
Towards the end of the 9 hour drive (with many stops), I was getting sleepy, so Teresa and I played 20 questions for about the last hour of the drive, which kept me going. I kicked her ass at it. Woot.
We got into Olean, a nice enough little town. Not too much happening, but that's kind of what we're shooting for, I think. Today, we move on towards Watkins Glen, where we'll hike the gorge, do some camping, make some S'mores. Hopefully the mosquitoes won't be too bad. It's just nice to be on the road, and enjoying ourselves together.
Friday, June 5, 2009
I'm going to Washington DC! And I'm meeting with senators. Please help me.
Hey everyone,
It's not often that I solicit people's help for non-concert events. It feels weird to be doing this at 30 years of age, but Invisible Children is a charitable organization that has been laid on my heart. The overall idea is this. In Uganda and surrounding countries, a madman named Joseph Kony has spent the last 20-some-odd years running a rebel band of soldiers called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA rules the jungle in these countries, descending upon villages in the middle of the night and killing, burning, and pillaging, and most importantly, abducting the children of the village. He then marches them to their strongholds, where he tortures them and forces them to become the world's most violent soldiers.
This problem was brought to light by a group of filmmakers who went to Uganda to film a completely unrelated event. They were then introduced to the atrocities happening every day, and filmed some of the craziest footage you'll ever see. Since, the filmmakers began Invisible Children, whose sole goal is to bring these children home to their families, and to end the terrors by Kony and his LRA.
For more info on Invisible Children, head to www.invisiblechildren.com. To watch the video "The Rescue", head here: http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/#/watch/
Fast forward to today. On April 25th, 2009, Teresa and I joined over 10,000 people in 100 cities across the globe as part of The Rescue, one of the largest organized awareness events in the history of earth. We marched through the rain in solidarity to help raise awareness across the globe. The six-day event concluded with us marching on Oprah Winfrey's studio at 2am in Chicago. She saw the 500 or so of us surrounding her building, and came out and invited the filmmakers onto her show.
Check out our appearance on Oprah here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2jFISVUXxc
And check out a follow-up on CNN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5Zt1xsokns&feature=related
So why DC? Well, this is kind of the capstone of the whole process. Together with thousands like me, we're going to the Capitol, to officially meet with our senators from each state, to make them aware of our feelings on what's happening in Uganda. I will be meeting with Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, senators from Michigan, in an officially scheduled session. We will be delivering to them the hundreds of letters that were written at the Rescue by the participants, which they are legally required to read.
We will be encouraging our senators to support "The LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act", originally introduced just a few weeks ago to the Senate by US Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Sam Brownback (R-KS).
The entire bill can be viewed here: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/includes/phpbin/download_resource.php?id=72
I am driving to Washington DC on Sunday, June 21, staying in a church with hundreds of others on June 22 and 23, and making the trek home on Wednesday, June 24. To help pay for the massive costs of the event, Invisible Children has set up a way for friends and family to make donations. It is costing me $60.00 to attend the event, and I donated $30.00 extra to the cause. I set a goal of $200.00 to be raised, and I'm asking you to donate even $5.00 to help me do something that has been laid upon my heart.
To donate, head to my personal IC page at: http://invisiblechildren.kintera.org/howitends/natedorough
I'm not worried about my costs being covered. I'll worry about my gas money, and I'm staying with friends in Harrisburg, PA and then staying in a donated living space in Washington DC with the rest of the crew. The important part is that the operation itself is funded.
Want to help? Here's how.
1. Watch the movies. You will be inspired, I promise.
2. Head to my page (URL above) and donate. $5 even.
3. Write a letter to Stabenow or Levin. I will personally deliver it, along with the hundreds gathered at The Rescue.
Finally, to help raise awareness locally for this cause, I will be hosting a dual screening of the two I.C. films that I own. The first is the original Invisible Children film, and the second is The Rescue. For now, unless numbers dictate otherwise, I will plan on hosting this in my home on Tuesday, June 16 at 7pm. If numbers dictate, I'll work with my friends at the Hartland PAC to potentially move the screening across the street to the PAC.
LOCAL INVISIBLE CHILDREN FILM SCREENING
Tuesday, June 16, 7pm
My apartment. Please RSVP by emailing me at natedorough@gmail.com ONLY if you're really coming. Facebook users, you can RSVP here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=86557792841 If enough people RSVP, we'll show the movie on the big screen across the street. We'll write letters to our senators, which I will personally deliver to them on June 22 and 23.
I'm terribly sorry this is so long. Please, react how you feel necessary. You can donate, or you can delete. I understand either way, we all have our places that we put our discretionary money. This is where I put mine. Thanks for reading.
Love,
Nate Dorough
It's not often that I solicit people's help for non-concert events. It feels weird to be doing this at 30 years of age, but Invisible Children is a charitable organization that has been laid on my heart. The overall idea is this. In Uganda and surrounding countries, a madman named Joseph Kony has spent the last 20-some-odd years running a rebel band of soldiers called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA rules the jungle in these countries, descending upon villages in the middle of the night and killing, burning, and pillaging, and most importantly, abducting the children of the village. He then marches them to their strongholds, where he tortures them and forces them to become the world's most violent soldiers.
This problem was brought to light by a group of filmmakers who went to Uganda to film a completely unrelated event. They were then introduced to the atrocities happening every day, and filmed some of the craziest footage you'll ever see. Since, the filmmakers began Invisible Children, whose sole goal is to bring these children home to their families, and to end the terrors by Kony and his LRA.
For more info on Invisible Children, head to www.invisiblechildren.com. To watch the video "The Rescue", head here: http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/#/watch/
Fast forward to today. On April 25th, 2009, Teresa and I joined over 10,000 people in 100 cities across the globe as part of The Rescue, one of the largest organized awareness events in the history of earth. We marched through the rain in solidarity to help raise awareness across the globe. The six-day event concluded with us marching on Oprah Winfrey's studio at 2am in Chicago. She saw the 500 or so of us surrounding her building, and came out and invited the filmmakers onto her show.
Check out our appearance on Oprah here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2jFISVUXxc
And check out a follow-up on CNN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5Zt1xsokns&feature=related
So why DC? Well, this is kind of the capstone of the whole process. Together with thousands like me, we're going to the Capitol, to officially meet with our senators from each state, to make them aware of our feelings on what's happening in Uganda. I will be meeting with Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, senators from Michigan, in an officially scheduled session. We will be delivering to them the hundreds of letters that were written at the Rescue by the participants, which they are legally required to read.
We will be encouraging our senators to support "The LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act", originally introduced just a few weeks ago to the Senate by US Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Sam Brownback (R-KS).
The entire bill can be viewed here: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/includes/phpbin/download_resource.php?id=72
I am driving to Washington DC on Sunday, June 21, staying in a church with hundreds of others on June 22 and 23, and making the trek home on Wednesday, June 24. To help pay for the massive costs of the event, Invisible Children has set up a way for friends and family to make donations. It is costing me $60.00 to attend the event, and I donated $30.00 extra to the cause. I set a goal of $200.00 to be raised, and I'm asking you to donate even $5.00 to help me do something that has been laid upon my heart.
To donate, head to my personal IC page at: http://invisiblechildren.kintera.org/howitends/natedorough
I'm not worried about my costs being covered. I'll worry about my gas money, and I'm staying with friends in Harrisburg, PA and then staying in a donated living space in Washington DC with the rest of the crew. The important part is that the operation itself is funded.
Want to help? Here's how.
1. Watch the movies. You will be inspired, I promise.
2. Head to my page (URL above) and donate. $5 even.
3. Write a letter to Stabenow or Levin. I will personally deliver it, along with the hundreds gathered at The Rescue.
Finally, to help raise awareness locally for this cause, I will be hosting a dual screening of the two I.C. films that I own. The first is the original Invisible Children film, and the second is The Rescue. For now, unless numbers dictate otherwise, I will plan on hosting this in my home on Tuesday, June 16 at 7pm. If numbers dictate, I'll work with my friends at the Hartland PAC to potentially move the screening across the street to the PAC.
LOCAL INVISIBLE CHILDREN FILM SCREENING
Tuesday, June 16, 7pm
My apartment. Please RSVP by emailing me at natedorough@gmail.com ONLY if you're really coming. Facebook users, you can RSVP here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=86557792841 If enough people RSVP, we'll show the movie on the big screen across the street. We'll write letters to our senators, which I will personally deliver to them on June 22 and 23.
I'm terribly sorry this is so long. Please, react how you feel necessary. You can donate, or you can delete. I understand either way, we all have our places that we put our discretionary money. This is where I put mine. Thanks for reading.
Love,
Nate Dorough
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Today was blogtastic
I don't usually blog unless I'm pissed. But since I'm over it, I'm not sure how to approach this blog. I just feel like writing my ramblings until they lead me to bed. My eyes are starting to flutter, so it might not take very long.
Anyway, here's the deal. Tonight, I hated myself for booking this show full of angry gorillas whose sole goal it was to beat each other to a bloody mess. I hate hardcore music, at least what it's been morphed into. Hardcore dancing is stupid, and I'm sick of it. YOU KIDS LOOK STUPID. It's not cool. You are ruining your youthful lives, and I'm sick and tired of keeping my mouth shut about it. I'm not booking this crap anymore. I'll help some of the local bands continue to have shows, but I don't want to do this anymore. I'd rather book juggalo rap than this crap. At least there's some entertainment value in that. You guys are just stupid losers that need to find some other way to spend their time. And you Lakes Area Hardcore douchebags, you are going to die early in life, alone and pathetic. You are useless pieces of crap, and I don't advocate nor do I support your violence. I hope you get hit by cars.
Phew, now that that is off my chest, we're good. Kevin Devine this weekend was amazing, as usual. I felt like I kissed his ass a bit much, but he's a pretty inspiring dude, and it was important to me that he knew that.
This summer, I'm bringing back some of our DIY roots. We're putting out a "Think Local" concert series that's going to unite local (yes, local, as in Livingston County) bands and locally owned small businesses into one joined force to bring a positive change to our county. We're going to help some top-notch upcoming talented bands gain some footing, so look for some very diverse options in your area very soon. In the meantime, I suggest you check out Paper Mache, Farewell Flight, Lorien, and some of the other smaller bands we've booked lately. You might actually enjoy them (no you can't swing your arms to them, but you'll be OK, I promise).
My brain is swirling right now as to how to best revitalize Livingston County's music scene, and I've got some great ideas coming to a Fusion Shows website near you. Please stay tuned.
Anyway, here's the deal. Tonight, I hated myself for booking this show full of angry gorillas whose sole goal it was to beat each other to a bloody mess. I hate hardcore music, at least what it's been morphed into. Hardcore dancing is stupid, and I'm sick of it. YOU KIDS LOOK STUPID. It's not cool. You are ruining your youthful lives, and I'm sick and tired of keeping my mouth shut about it. I'm not booking this crap anymore. I'll help some of the local bands continue to have shows, but I don't want to do this anymore. I'd rather book juggalo rap than this crap. At least there's some entertainment value in that. You guys are just stupid losers that need to find some other way to spend their time. And you Lakes Area Hardcore douchebags, you are going to die early in life, alone and pathetic. You are useless pieces of crap, and I don't advocate nor do I support your violence. I hope you get hit by cars.
Phew, now that that is off my chest, we're good. Kevin Devine this weekend was amazing, as usual. I felt like I kissed his ass a bit much, but he's a pretty inspiring dude, and it was important to me that he knew that.
This summer, I'm bringing back some of our DIY roots. We're putting out a "Think Local" concert series that's going to unite local (yes, local, as in Livingston County) bands and locally owned small businesses into one joined force to bring a positive change to our county. We're going to help some top-notch upcoming talented bands gain some footing, so look for some very diverse options in your area very soon. In the meantime, I suggest you check out Paper Mache, Farewell Flight, Lorien, and some of the other smaller bands we've booked lately. You might actually enjoy them (no you can't swing your arms to them, but you'll be OK, I promise).
My brain is swirling right now as to how to best revitalize Livingston County's music scene, and I've got some great ideas coming to a Fusion Shows website near you. Please stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Refreshing end to a terrible day
Today was one of those days. Got up on the wrong side of the bed. Whatever you want to call it. Here's a review:
* Got up early to go tech some dance classes. My back started spasming randomly.
* Came home, got offered a really exciting show that I can't tell you about yet.
* Loaded the car (back hurts more), stopped to get water.
* Got to the show, realized that it wasn't going to do as well as I thought, lost money again. Sucks that we'll kill with a show like Danger Radio tomorrow, but we lost $500 on the two Forgive Durden shows. Someday we'll make money on good music. Someday, good musicians will make money.
* Got in fight with an agent about a stupid deposit. I was being childish, for the most part, but it's a stupid rule.
Then Forgive Durden went on. It's so refreshing to see a band doing something original, thoughtful, and just overall using their talent to create something and not just regurgitate a formula they've seen their favorite bands use in the past.
I'm kind of down on the Michigan music scene right now. There are certainly some good bands, but not many that I've seen. Here's the thing, local bands. Strive to be good! You should want to blow people's minds. You shouldn't be touring if you're not that good. There's maybe 15 bands I've seen in Michigan that should be trying to tour and "make it". None of the others are good enough. You have to be able to set yourself apart, and make people happy with your music. A great live performance, PLUS a great record, PLUS a special sort of charisma and the right attitude. If you don't have those things, please stay home, you're just fucking it up for everyone else.
Durden just kind of reminded me what music can be. It was needed, because it's been a long day, and I was a major crab-ass. I apologize for anyone in my path. I had to go for a walk for a bit during the show to re-center myself. I'm not sure if I've done it yet, but I think I can go to bed soon and sleep well.
* Got up early to go tech some dance classes. My back started spasming randomly.
* Came home, got offered a really exciting show that I can't tell you about yet.
* Loaded the car (back hurts more), stopped to get water.
* Got to the show, realized that it wasn't going to do as well as I thought, lost money again. Sucks that we'll kill with a show like Danger Radio tomorrow, but we lost $500 on the two Forgive Durden shows. Someday we'll make money on good music. Someday, good musicians will make money.
* Got in fight with an agent about a stupid deposit. I was being childish, for the most part, but it's a stupid rule.
Then Forgive Durden went on. It's so refreshing to see a band doing something original, thoughtful, and just overall using their talent to create something and not just regurgitate a formula they've seen their favorite bands use in the past.
I'm kind of down on the Michigan music scene right now. There are certainly some good bands, but not many that I've seen. Here's the thing, local bands. Strive to be good! You should want to blow people's minds. You shouldn't be touring if you're not that good. There's maybe 15 bands I've seen in Michigan that should be trying to tour and "make it". None of the others are good enough. You have to be able to set yourself apart, and make people happy with your music. A great live performance, PLUS a great record, PLUS a special sort of charisma and the right attitude. If you don't have those things, please stay home, you're just fucking it up for everyone else.
Durden just kind of reminded me what music can be. It was needed, because it's been a long day, and I was a major crab-ass. I apologize for anyone in my path. I had to go for a walk for a bit during the show to re-center myself. I'm not sure if I've done it yet, but I think I can go to bed soon and sleep well.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Seeking 1-2 interns
Hey guys,
Since leaving Artistic Services Group, I've started my own tour booking company, called Get in the Van Touring. So far, I'm just booking tours for Your Best Friend and Koji. More will be added as I'm ready.
YOUR BEST FRIEND
www.myspace.com/yourbestfriend
KOJI
www.myspace.com/kojisaysaloha
I'm currently seeking 1-2 interns who are interested in helping me get things rolling again here. This is an unpaid position. Perks include lots of free tickets to Fusion Shows events, invaluable experience, the ability to use this for college credit and resume material, and the potential that if this goes well, I might be able to hire an assistant by the fall!
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Lots of data entry! Our first major task is to gather all of my booking contacts into one, easy-to-use format.
2. Creating band itineraries and tour books.
3. Researching area promotional opportunities surrounding our shows.
4. Other administrative and promotional tasks as needed.
JOB SKILLS NEEDED
1. A killer work ethic.
2. Attention to even the smallest detail.
3. Internet skills, including basic HTML, understanding of email communication, and ability to use MySpace and Facebook to promote.
4. Top-notch grammar and spelling.
5. Must be 18 or older.
6. Would prefer Michigan residents, but will consider the right candidate from out of town.
7. Some experience in the live touring industry desired, but not 100% necessary for a sharp, bright individual.
This is something that I would expect would take you 10-20 hours per week, throughout the summer. In the fall, my goal is to hire a full-time assistant based out of Howell, but we'll start here!
If you are interested in learning more about the touring industry, and doing a ton of networking, please email me at natedorough@gmail.com, and attach a resume.
Thanks!
Nate
Since leaving Artistic Services Group, I've started my own tour booking company, called Get in the Van Touring. So far, I'm just booking tours for Your Best Friend and Koji. More will be added as I'm ready.
YOUR BEST FRIEND
www.myspace.com/yourbestfriend
KOJI
www.myspace.com/kojisaysaloha
I'm currently seeking 1-2 interns who are interested in helping me get things rolling again here. This is an unpaid position. Perks include lots of free tickets to Fusion Shows events, invaluable experience, the ability to use this for college credit and resume material, and the potential that if this goes well, I might be able to hire an assistant by the fall!
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Lots of data entry! Our first major task is to gather all of my booking contacts into one, easy-to-use format.
2. Creating band itineraries and tour books.
3. Researching area promotional opportunities surrounding our shows.
4. Other administrative and promotional tasks as needed.
JOB SKILLS NEEDED
1. A killer work ethic.
2. Attention to even the smallest detail.
3. Internet skills, including basic HTML, understanding of email communication, and ability to use MySpace and Facebook to promote.
4. Top-notch grammar and spelling.
5. Must be 18 or older.
6. Would prefer Michigan residents, but will consider the right candidate from out of town.
7. Some experience in the live touring industry desired, but not 100% necessary for a sharp, bright individual.
This is something that I would expect would take you 10-20 hours per week, throughout the summer. In the fall, my goal is to hire a full-time assistant based out of Howell, but we'll start here!
If you are interested in learning more about the touring industry, and doing a ton of networking, please email me at natedorough@gmail.com, and attach a resume.
Thanks!
Nate
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Rescue follow-up
Hey everyone,
Those of you that have been following my Rescue efforts with Invisible Children, here's some great places to check out what all happened.
COVERAGE OF THE EVENT
Tons of great photos from Chicago Rescue event
OPRAH RESCUING US
US BEING HAPPY
WHAT'S NEXT
This has been pretty cool. I'm pretty sure I'm going to Washington DC in June for this. If you'd like to join me, let me know ASAP.
Those of you that have been following my Rescue efforts with Invisible Children, here's some great places to check out what all happened.
COVERAGE OF THE EVENT
Tons of great photos from Chicago Rescue event
OPRAH RESCUING US
US BEING HAPPY
WHAT'S NEXT
This has been pretty cool. I'm pretty sure I'm going to Washington DC in June for this. If you'd like to join me, let me know ASAP.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Going to see Oprah!
I guess in like an hour or two here, we're mobilizing and heading to Chicago to go see Oprah. The Invisible Children team here in Chicago is getting bigger and bigger. It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out!
That's all I've got for today, I suppose. It's 2:39 Michigan time, which is 1:39 here time.
Keep your eyes on the news. Today might be the day.
That's all I've got for today, I suppose. It's 2:39 Michigan time, which is 1:39 here time.
Keep your eyes on the news. Today might be the day.
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Rescue
I'd say my part in this is done, but somewhere deep inside, I'm not 100% sure on that. But let's show you all what happened at "The Rescue" in Grand Rapids on Saturday. A pictorial, if you will.
First, we gathered in Ah-Nab Awen Park, on the banks of the Grand River. There, we waited as more and more people showed up. We were probably some 400 strong when we marched out of there.
From the park, we walked together about a mile through downtown Grand Rapids, joined together in groups holding onto ropes, to signify how these children are forcefully led out of town once abducted.
We ended at Rosa Parks Circle, where fortunately, we only had to wait for about an hour and a half before one of our "moguls", Hank Meijer (part of the family that owns your favorite grocery store), showed up, read the creed of Invisible Children aloud over the public address system, and "rescued" us.
This is us, being joyous.
We were just the 2nd city in the United States to be rescued. Some to this hour still have not been. Some of the Grand Rapids people jumped in cars and joined the "Rescue Riders" to Chicago, where they still await a rescue. Those of us who remained had a few things left to do before we could deem our site a success. We donated $5 per person (which adds up!), we got the local media involved (TV 3 from Grand Rapids covered the walk), some of us signed up to deliver our message to Washington DC in June (more on that later), and we were asked to write two letters each to our senators, letting them know that we want these children who have been abducted to be brought home!
Here's our photo on the wall, with our faces circled and labeled as being "abducted!"
Though Grand Rapids was rescued rather early in the evening, some decided to stay the night anyway, to prove a point to the community, to let them know that they were not going home until every city was "rescued".
Teresa was cute as always, even when soaked through to the bone and shivering. She was a trooper, and I was proud of her for dealing with my "save the world" stuff. I think she's really getting into this cause. You can thank Koji for that. He's got that way of showing you the meaning behind something. I can't get enough now. Anyway, Teresa's cute...
And I'm not...
So I'm home now, having gone back to work today. I'm torn. I almost got in the car tonight and drove to Harrisburg, where Koji's at, holding it down, waiting still to be rescued, after 48 hours. I talked to him for about 40 minutes on the way home from Grand Rapids tonight, and he's got such a calm about him. He's not worried that his troops are wearing thin. He's got about 40 people left in Harrisburg, including some Rescue Riders from Boston and New York City. He says that his senators that they've targeted for moguls will be coming to the Capitol building tomorrow (where they are camped out) for another important issue, and he's hoping that they'll "rescue" the group of haggard folks on the front steps before going about their business for the day. He's so proud of his group, and I almost envy that he got the opportunity to struggle.
Don't get me wrong, it sucked walking through the rain. My feet are still messed up. And we suffered. I don't think it's about suffering though, this time around. It's about coming together, and we in Grand Rapids were there for such a short time, there really wasn't time for camaraderie. We did get the attention of the media, complete our goals, and were a part of the bigger picture. But Andrew, in his way, is leading the way out there in Harrisburg. To him, it's not a race to see who can have the most Twitter comments. He really wants to see political change. Harrisburg could have been considered "rescued", as one of the Wainwright family (think music) came and gave a speech. But those in Harrisburg, rallied by Koji and his supporters, decided that only a politician on their original list could truly "rescue" his crew. And so they sit, as one, waiting for help to come.
And as soon as they are, they're jumping in cars and heading for cities that don't have quite the same resolve. Baltimore at last check was down to just 3 people. Huntington, WV has similar issues. I very well may meet Koji and his team in Huntington tomorrow, to help bring awareness to what's going on.
For those of you that I've spoken with, that don't understand what's going on, or are upset because you wanted to help, you still can! There are still 11 cities remaining to be rescued. The only way that will happen is if the public, at large, cries out for the moguls in those cities to get to the rescue sites. Chicago, Harrisburg, Huntington, Baltimore, Spokane, Charleston, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Austin, and Wichita remain.
To follow what's happening, and find out more (and possibly give support), log onto the Invisible Children's Rescue website at http://nightof.therescue.invisiblechildren.com.
To watch the video that gives the whole thing perspective, go here. http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/#/watch/
Please give it some time. I don't write all of this because I want you to see me doing it. I'm writing it all, doing it all, because I believe I can help, and because I believe that I can use my position to get some of you aware, and involved. That's the only way that this horrible war in Uganda is ever going to end.
Take some of your precious time (and I know, it's precious these days), and give it a look. That's all I ask. Thanks for reading.
First, we gathered in Ah-Nab Awen Park, on the banks of the Grand River. There, we waited as more and more people showed up. We were probably some 400 strong when we marched out of there.
From the park, we walked together about a mile through downtown Grand Rapids, joined together in groups holding onto ropes, to signify how these children are forcefully led out of town once abducted.
We ended at Rosa Parks Circle, where fortunately, we only had to wait for about an hour and a half before one of our "moguls", Hank Meijer (part of the family that owns your favorite grocery store), showed up, read the creed of Invisible Children aloud over the public address system, and "rescued" us.
This is us, being joyous.
We were just the 2nd city in the United States to be rescued. Some to this hour still have not been. Some of the Grand Rapids people jumped in cars and joined the "Rescue Riders" to Chicago, where they still await a rescue. Those of us who remained had a few things left to do before we could deem our site a success. We donated $5 per person (which adds up!), we got the local media involved (TV 3 from Grand Rapids covered the walk), some of us signed up to deliver our message to Washington DC in June (more on that later), and we were asked to write two letters each to our senators, letting them know that we want these children who have been abducted to be brought home!
Here's our photo on the wall, with our faces circled and labeled as being "abducted!"
Though Grand Rapids was rescued rather early in the evening, some decided to stay the night anyway, to prove a point to the community, to let them know that they were not going home until every city was "rescued".
Teresa was cute as always, even when soaked through to the bone and shivering. She was a trooper, and I was proud of her for dealing with my "save the world" stuff. I think she's really getting into this cause. You can thank Koji for that. He's got that way of showing you the meaning behind something. I can't get enough now. Anyway, Teresa's cute...
And I'm not...
So I'm home now, having gone back to work today. I'm torn. I almost got in the car tonight and drove to Harrisburg, where Koji's at, holding it down, waiting still to be rescued, after 48 hours. I talked to him for about 40 minutes on the way home from Grand Rapids tonight, and he's got such a calm about him. He's not worried that his troops are wearing thin. He's got about 40 people left in Harrisburg, including some Rescue Riders from Boston and New York City. He says that his senators that they've targeted for moguls will be coming to the Capitol building tomorrow (where they are camped out) for another important issue, and he's hoping that they'll "rescue" the group of haggard folks on the front steps before going about their business for the day. He's so proud of his group, and I almost envy that he got the opportunity to struggle.
Don't get me wrong, it sucked walking through the rain. My feet are still messed up. And we suffered. I don't think it's about suffering though, this time around. It's about coming together, and we in Grand Rapids were there for such a short time, there really wasn't time for camaraderie. We did get the attention of the media, complete our goals, and were a part of the bigger picture. But Andrew, in his way, is leading the way out there in Harrisburg. To him, it's not a race to see who can have the most Twitter comments. He really wants to see political change. Harrisburg could have been considered "rescued", as one of the Wainwright family (think music) came and gave a speech. But those in Harrisburg, rallied by Koji and his supporters, decided that only a politician on their original list could truly "rescue" his crew. And so they sit, as one, waiting for help to come.
And as soon as they are, they're jumping in cars and heading for cities that don't have quite the same resolve. Baltimore at last check was down to just 3 people. Huntington, WV has similar issues. I very well may meet Koji and his team in Huntington tomorrow, to help bring awareness to what's going on.
For those of you that I've spoken with, that don't understand what's going on, or are upset because you wanted to help, you still can! There are still 11 cities remaining to be rescued. The only way that will happen is if the public, at large, cries out for the moguls in those cities to get to the rescue sites. Chicago, Harrisburg, Huntington, Baltimore, Spokane, Charleston, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Austin, and Wichita remain.
To follow what's happening, and find out more (and possibly give support), log onto the Invisible Children's Rescue website at http://nightof.therescue.invisiblechildren.com.
To watch the video that gives the whole thing perspective, go here. http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/#/watch/
Please give it some time. I don't write all of this because I want you to see me doing it. I'm writing it all, doing it all, because I believe I can help, and because I believe that I can use my position to get some of you aware, and involved. That's the only way that this horrible war in Uganda is ever going to end.
Take some of your precious time (and I know, it's precious these days), and give it a look. That's all I ask. Thanks for reading.
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