USTORM Connects With Umphrey's McGee
by June Blazek
It comes as no surprise that USTORM would share similar values with Umphrey's McGee. Brendan Bayliss (lead guitar with Jake Cinninger) is cofounder of USTORM. His presence at USTORM keeps the music in mind and the mind on the music.
If there is a USTORM charity concert event, chances are you will hear Brendan and other members of the band on stage with the help of their friends from the music community such as Jennifer Hartswick, Mike Racky, Jeff Austin, Al Schneider, Aron Magner and many other musicians. The band has also coordinated many generous donations to USTORM including awesome raffle prizes as well as time with band members for fundraising events. As opposed to other music charities, USTORM does this uniquely because of its direct ties with the music community.
Some of these events include "Bags With Bayliss" or Ryan Stasik's "Lids For Kids" which take place at the Summercamp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois over Memorial Day Weekend.
The "Bags With Bayliss" tournament is an annual event at Summercamp with 15 teams competing against Brendan and Ryan Stasik (bassist) with all proceeds going to the kids! For "Lids For Kids," Ryan has generously donated over sixty hats he's collected over the years to personally sell to fans with all proceeds going to USTORM. Andy Farag (percussion) will generously host a barbeque at Summercamp featuring his new rub recipe "Andy's Rippin' Rub."
"I think it's cool to create a little bit of an atmosphere where it's not just a meet and greet. It's a little more relaxed, more of a social event," says a USTORM representative. These events draw a lot of fans into fun games and a little bit of R&R with the band. In turn, people gain awareness about USTORM and get in a little face time with the band members in a relaxing but interactive atmosphere outside of a concert where the band is on stage and the crowd is below.
When the musicians get fired up about it, it can be quite infectious! That's when more fans get fired up about it and things really start happening – USTORM becomes a venue for musicians to see fans give their time to a cause that feeds back into their art. In the same respect, fans get to interact with and see musicians take action and contribute as well.
Also, Umphrey's McGee's S2 Events are great ways to enjoy unique, interactive concert experiences and donate to the kids at the same time. A portion of proceeds from each S2 Event goes to USTORM! Charity raffles at events like UMBowl 2010 and the recent 30db show have raised significant funds for USTORM as well.
It's all about connecting people with the music and it's because of the connection between musicians in the community that USTORM can see supportive fans and the band get fired up for the cause together. This is a true testament to the way the guys see the fans as a community willing to give up their afternoons or evenings to the cause. Many THANKS to UM for their continuous support! Keep in touch with USTORM's future events with Umphrey's McGee by signing up for the Email news list at the USTORM website!