Robert Randolph, ?uestlove (The Roots) and Stanton Moore (Galactic) will share the stage with a diverse and surprising group of musicians at the HeadCount “Get Out and Vote Party.” The concert will be held on Election Eve, Monday, Nov. 3rd at the Highline Ballroom in New York City and streamed live on the Internet on iClips.net <http://www.iclips.net/> , spreading the “Vote” message to a limitless number of viewers.
Also appearing at this first-of-its-kind event will be some of New York City and Philadelphia’s most popular musicians: Joe Russo and Marc Benevento of The Duo, Chris Barron of The Spin Doctors, Dave Dreiwitz of Ween, Reid Genauer of Assembly of Dust, Tom Hamilton and Scott Metzger of American Babies, and Aron Magner and Marc Brownstein of The Disco Biscuits. Brownstein is HeadCount’s co-chair.
Only 500 tickets will be sold to the general public for this event, which will serve as a benefit for HeadCount’s nonpartisan voter mobilization efforts. It will mark a rare New York City appearance for the Grammy-nominated Randolph – who made the ascent from playing in churches to New York City nightclubs and then to the national spotlight.
Tickets and more information can be found at www.magichat.net/participation <../../../AppData/Local/Temp/www.magichat.net/participation , along with an entry form to win a trip for four to New York City with VIP tickets to the concert. Absentee ballot applications can also be accessed from that site, as HeadCount is reminding anyone attending the concert from out-of-town to fill out an absentee ballot in advance.
Those not able to be in New York City or procure a ticket can enjoy the music live as it unfolds on iClips.net. This marks the first time that live streaming audio and video have been used to create a national Get Out the Vote event. The aim is to touch thousands of music fans with a message that inspires participation in Democracy the very next day.
“This represents what HeadCount is all about,” said Brownstein, who helped found HeadCount nearly five years ago. “Musicians coming together with fans to spread the message that our votes count.”
The performers have all shared the stage in various combinations, from the Led Zeppelin tribute “Bustle in Your Hedgerow” (Russo, Benevento, Drewitz and Metzger), to wide-ranging side projects such as Moore’s “Garage a Trois” (now with Benevento) and “Electron” (Brownstein, Magner, Hamilton and Russo), to name just a few. Scott Metzger is serving as the Get Out and Vote Party’s musical director, charged with molding the contributions of all the musicians into one cohesive evening of entertainment. DJ ?uestlove will spin between sets, while Moore trades off with Russo as they beat the drum of Democracy.
The concert is a culmination of Magic Hat Brewing Co.’s Participation program. It includes the Participation Variety 12-Pak, a selection of brews including “Participation Lager.” Putting parchment to pavement, Magic Hat staff have also teamed up with HeadCount volunteers to take voter registration to neighborhood taverns.
Mixed Bag Productions, a diverse talent and promotions company, has contributed a variety of services to the first-of-its kind event.
