T h i c aFriday, October 12, 2012 - 7

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com


PERFORMANCE PREVIEW
Folk-Rock- O-Rama to
drum up support

BY ALICIA ADAMCZYK
Daily Arts Writer
A folk music concert may not
be the first image to crop up
in someone's
mind when he Folk-Rock-
or she thinks
of President O-Rala
Barack Obama. for Barack
On Friday, the Obam
Kerrytown
Concert House Friday at
and local musi- 8 p.m.
cian Joe Reilly
are hoping folk Kerrytawn
fans will make Concert House
the connection Free
when they host
a concert to raise funds for the
incumbent's re-election.
Folk-Rock-O-Rama for Barack
Obama is a collaboration of art-
ists from the Ann Arbor area. It
will feature folk, jazz, hip-hop
and spoken word performances.
Prizes, including signed concert
posters, will also be raffled off.
There is a minimum $12 dona-
tion per person at the door. Dona-
tions of $25 or more will receive
Obama swag and a copy of Reil-
ly's latest CD. All proceeds will
benefit the Obama campaign.
Reilly - a singer and song-
writer invested in environmental
education and graduate student
in the School of Social Work -
organized a concert of the same
name in 2008 and said his rea-
sons for organizing this election
year's event haven't changed
from four years ago.
"I feel very strongly that
President Obama embodies the

democratic values that are most "We will not only be raising
important to me: Diversity, jus- money for Obama, but will be
tice, equality and the pursuit of generating the collective energies
happiness," Reilly said. of love and joy through a diversity
Reilly said Obama's prog- of musical styles," Reilly said of
ress in ensuring everyone has the variety of performers.
an equal opportunity to achieve He said the 2008 concert was
the American Dream is another a success, garnering more than
reason he supports the president $1,000 for then-Senator Obama
and his re-election campaign. and inspiring support among the
"Making health insurance attendees. He said one of the best
more accessible and affordable is outcomes of concerts such as this
a real concern for many Ameri- is that they bring communities
cans, including many musicians, together.
including myself," he said. "I "We will connect with our
want to add my voice, and the love forthe earth and our natural
voices of others, in support of his environment, our desire to help
re-election." those in need, our longing for
equality for all no matter race,
gender or sexual orientation
The event and our intent to build inclusive
and sustainable communities in
hopes to match Michigan and across the coun-
try," Reilly said.
2008 success. Folk music has played an
important role in labor and civil
rights along with environmen-
tal movements, the singer said.
In addition to Reilly, singer- He hopes that the Folk-Rock-O-
songwriters Billy King, Markita Rama will continue the legacy
Moore and Lesley-Anne Stone, by breaking down barriers and
pianist Allison Radell, poet/MC placing all of folk music into one
William Copeland, a.k.a. Will category.
See and percussionist Mark Reilly said music reaches peo-
Stone will share original compo- ple in an emotionally powerful
sitions. way, and he hopes the concert
The concert hopes to bring will bringa positive boost to the
positivity and warmth to the Obama campaign.
2012 election cycle, aspects Reil- "These artists are all very
ly believes have been distinctly talented at doing this and will
absent as Nov. 6 approaches. do so in the spirit of democracy
Instead of addressing negative and justice, inspiring listeners to
talking points and partisan bick- think beyond the realms of self
ering, the concert will focus on and embrace an ethic of caring
diversity, peace and democracy. for the common good," he said.
FOLLOW @MICH DAILY ARTS

Cole's latest album is beiot fuoded through a Kickstarter campaign.
Paula Cole to bring
']Raven to TheArk

Grammy award-
winning artist
returns to A2
By MAX RADWIN
For theDaily
Ann Arbor is a town constantly
undergoing change and trans-
formation. Each year graduated
seniors take
their leave from Paula Cole
Ann Arbor as
a new class of Sunday at
freshmen settles 7Jp.m.
into residence The Ark
halls. It is a cul-
ture that is ever From $25
adjusting and
ever evolving.
Paula Cole, who hasn't per-
formed in Ann Arbor since play-
ing at The Ark's 21st Annual "Folk
Festival" in 1998, will be returning
with some changes herself.
The seven-time Grammy nomi-
nee, who has sold over three mil-
lion albums in her 18-year career,
will be performing Sunday at The
Ark.
Cole is on tour to promote her
upcoming album, Raven, which is
set to release spring of 2013.
Cole said her previous album
Ithaca, with songs written mostly
during and about her 2007 divorce
from Hassan Hakmoun, was "very
much a grief outpouring." But fans
can expect something a little dif-

ferent this time around.
"I'm in a good place right now
in life," Cole said. "(I'm) happy,
and I find that when I am happy,
I am more productive and there's
more music flowing out of me."
Cole has grown from her
divorce and childhood struggles,
as evidenced by the title of her
upcoming album, Raven. Cole said
the title partly drew from Native
American culture, where ravens
are viewed not only as symbols of
wisdom, but also as "highly intel-
ligentbirds of transformation."
. Transformation has been a
recurring theme throughout
Cole's career. The artist is now in
her mid-forties, and finds spend-
ing time at home with family
increasingly important.
"I am a mother so I play week-
ends and extended weekends,"
Cole said. "I don't tour like I used
to. I don'tgo on a bus and say good-
bye to my family like I used to. I'm
constantly coming home."
The music industry changed
during the course of Cole's career,
and it continues to do so. Cole's lis-
teners are divided by a generation
gap, which forced her to reevalu-
ate how she markets to her fan
base. It also created moral issues
surrounding digital media.
"I have two very distinct
careers: one pre- and post-Inter-
net," Cole said. "The generation
below tends to not feel morally
compelled toopay for music, where-
as Generation X and above do

feel morally compelled to pay for
music digitally."
Even so, Cole welcomes the
music industry's transformation.
The failure of huge music labels
opens doors for musicians and
provides new ways of marketing
totheir fan base.
"We can exercise our entrepre-
neurial muscles and gather our
fans and go directly tothem," Cole
said. "I think there's more artis-
tic freedom in that. And I like not
going through management chan-
nels. I embrace it."
Cole has certainly embraced
the change in preparation for
Raven's release. It will be Cole's
fourth independently produced
album, which she is funding
through a Kickstarter cam-
paign. Listeners can download
and sponsor the album online,
with rewards going to generous
donors. A $15 dollar pledge or
more gives listeners a download-
able bonus track.
Cole is also utilizing social net-
working sites to get Raven out to
fans.
"This is kind of my first time
going entrepreneurial that way
- through fan funding and going
direct to social media," Cole said.
"(I'm) choosing not to go to
a major label now. I'm choos-
ing to use whatever fan base and
platform I have at this point and
spread my message directly," Cole
said. "It's just me and I'm excited
about it."


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