Feed the Music, Feel the Medicine

Feed the Music, Feel the Medicine

(Make sure to click the CC button on the video to see all translations!)

Hello Beautiful People!

Erich Huffaker here, composer & guitarist for African Psychedelic Rock ensemble Orchestra GOLD & we’ve got exciting news: Orchestra GOLD has been selected to perform at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, TX, in March 2023!

SXSW is a highly curated annual Music festival that has helped launch the careers of many aspiring artists, now household names like John Mayor, M.I.A., and James Blunt (who got signed the night of his SXSW performance!) This SXSW showcase will give OG the opportunity to get our music in front of leading industry professionals and international media.

OUR GOAL

The estimated cost of travel, lodging, transportation, food & day wages for the band reaches upwards of $15,000. For us, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Orchestra GOLD could get signed with a record label & would no longer have to front the production costs of our albums. Or we could get linked with a manager or agent to help book OG at top venues & festivals where our music would reach an even wider audience. At SXSW the possibilities are endless!

OUR STORY

In some ways, the story of Orchestra GOLD is about the meeting of two dimensions: Mali and California. I was fortunate enough to spend almost 3 years living in that culture. Mariam and I met in 2006 in Bamako, Mali. Mariam is really the heroine of the story. Mariam has faced many challenges in relocating to Oakland from Mali to pursue her musical journey.

While our journey has been rich & rewarding. It has not been a road without sacrifice & hardship. “There’s always difficulties when you leave your culture and go to a new one,” Mariam says. “You will find the courage, the stamina, the perseverance to pass through any difficulties if you have that love for what you're doing. If you’re just doing it for money, it's a lot harder to move forward, to pass through those difficulties.”

I’ll never forget the moment when we first realized Orchestra GOLD had been selected to perform at SXSW.

I said, “Mariam! We’re playing SXSW!”

And Mariam says, “Yeah, I know. We are going to do a lot of things together. We are leaving the basement and leaving California for the first time. We are playing SXSW!”

Looking back, it feels right that our showcase at SXSW is happening at this moment. When we first started out, we were trying to recreate Malian music of the 70s. While we want to honor & acknowledge those influences, we’ve worked together to create a sound that is uniquely us. And we strongly believe there is an audience for what we’re doing at SXSW.

Orchestra GOLD has opened for Fareed Haque, Mulatu Astatke, Ebo Taylor & Toubab Krewe. And has played at Treefort Music Festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival & Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Oakland, with summer performances scheduled at Mill Valley Music Festival, SF Jazz, Gold Diggers LA, and MOAD SF. OG's newest release “Medicine,” has reached the #1 Album on the Global Charts on Seattle’s KEXP radio station.

FEED THE MUSIC, FEEL THE MEDICINE

We believe our struggles are worth their weight in GOLD. This SXSW showcase marks our opportunity to “get out of the basement” and share our unique sound with the world. With the support of our community, we believe in our collective ability to manifest this unparalleled opportunity & share our musical message of healing.

Here’s how you can help. We’ve crunched the numbers & in order for our 5 amazing muscians to arrive & thrive in Austin for the 2023 SXSW festival, we’re looking at an overhead cost upwards of $15,000. We’re including an itemized list of expenses because we believe in transparency.

Estimated Budget:

SXSW Tour Planning Labor $2,400

Fundraising Labor $2,520

Promo Flyer Printing Costs $100

Local Austin Promotion $500

Backline Fund $500

FUNDED Meal Stipend $1,000

FUNDED Band Lodging $1,600- ($400 secured by a venue guarantee) 

Band Daily Wages $2,500- $2082 left to raise! 

FUNDED Total Airfare $2,400- ( $1513 Southwest Airline points were donated by a private funder!) 

Parking Fund $150

Turo Rental $200

Contingency Fund $500

Gas $600

There is no donation too small. Please believe we understand and empathize with your struggle if you don’t have a dollar to spare. We only ask that you please share this page with friends & family. For our Austin locals, we’re open to any donation that reduces the overhead of this trip: housing, taxi service, meals…For those in a position to donate in dollars, we want you to know that your money is going to a good cause. And when you “Feed the Music,” we want you to “Feel the Medicine.”

DONATIONS

We've raised $5,318! In celebration, we are introducing a new offering… if you donate (literally any amount) you will have access to “On the Road with OG." If you want to access this footage, drop as an email or DM and we will send over a private youtube link with exclusive OG footage for the entire week in Austin. If you have already donated and want to be included in this, send us an email or DM and we will add you to the list!

COPPER - $10 USD & up

a.) Digital stream of the “Medicine” Album Release Party: “An Evening of Music & Medicine” live from Bandcamp Oakland. This includes live performances by Orchestra GOLD along with Poetry & Revolution supplied by the one & only SF Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin.

SILVER - $50 USD & up

a.) Digital stream of the “Medicine” Album Release Party

b.) Access to the Orchestra GOLD Vault. ( The Vault is your backstage pass to all things OG on demand, like exclusive interviews, unreleased tracks, music videos & more.)

GOLD - $100 USD & up

a.) Digital stream of the “Medicine” Album Release Party

b.) Access to the OG Vault

c.) Limited Edition Gold “Medicine” vinyl. (Only 200 copies pressed!!)

PLATINUM - $200 USD & up

a.) Digital stream of the “Medicine” Album Release Party

b.) Access to the OG Vault

c.) Limited Edition Gold “Medicine” vinyl. (Only 200 copies pressed!!)

d.) Backstage Pass: 1 of 2 options (Local, Long-distance)

1.) If you live in the Oakland, CA area, you’ll receive a gilded invitation to a SXSW Send off BBQ party feat. a live duet from Mariam & Erich!

2.) If you’re showing support long-distance, we’d like to offer you a virtual seat at a Zoom Listening Party live w/ Orchestra GOLD. You’ll be on the guest list to join us virtually as we spin the new “Medicine” album. From the comfort of your couch, you can join discussions on the artistic process, composition, meaning & message behind each of the tracks.

*If anyone is interested in a Tax-Deductible Sponsorship valued at $500 & up, please email us at [email redacted]

*Gift Fullment will take place once the campaign is complete at the end of March. For any questions, please email us at [email redacted] Thank you for your patience!