To drum up interest during the final hours of a record presale campaign, local electronic rock band Hudson K is trying out a novel approach: streaming a variety show on Facebook Live. The band will be joined for interviews, musical performances, and antics Sunday evening in the studio of the band’s frontwoman, Christina Horn.
“I don’t think anyone has ever done a Facebook Live Telethon,” says Horn, the keyboardist, songwriter, and singer for the band. “It’s kind of a social experiment to see how people engage. Of course it kind of goes against my own personal motto, which is ‘Get the hell out of your house and go see live music.’ But it’s a Sunday and it’s a holiday, so maybe people will appreciate the break or down time. We will see!”
Hudson K’s fourth album is a self-titled, rocking electronic probe into the conflicts and convergences between nature and the technology of modern life. The band is preselling CD’s, electronic downloads and (red!) vinyl albums, along with various performance and VIP packages at pledgemusic.com, where you can also sample advance tracks. The band is still only a little over halfway to its goal as the end of the campaign nears. The official release will be July 6, when an exclusive, limited-capacity listening party is planned at Pilot Light.
Sunday’s innovative telethon promises to be an interesting social media event in itself. Horn says the lineup is rapidly evolving but so far includes musical performances by her, playing solo piano; Mike McGill, of the Barstool Romeos; Kelle Jolly, host of Jazz Jam on WUOT; Tim and Susan Lee from Bark; and roots guitarist Greg Horne. Local virtuoso Laith Keilany will play oud and cumbus, traditional Middle Eastern stringed instruments. And Sean Claire, who will act as the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra concertmaster for the symphony’s July 4 show, will come in for an interview and solo performance on violin. (Remember, Horn recently played the role of an alien as a soloist with the symphony for its final concert of the season.
Horn isn’t kidding about the “variety” part of “variety show.” Victor Agreda, the host of Morning Edition on WUOT, will perform some magic tricks or comedy. Horn will interview Paige Travis, a public information specialist for the city of Knoxville, about how her job relates to the art community, and she’ll talk with Nathan Higdon, who is running for Maryville City Council.
And for some extra-thought provoking conversation, there will be a short panel talk on what it’s like being female in Knoxville’s music scene, featuring Horn, Jolly, Susan Lee, and possibly Yasameen Hoffman-Shahin, from Electric Darling.
If you want to listen to any of this, friend Horn on Facebook and watch live on her page from 7-9 p.m. on Sunday.
S. Heather Duncan has won numerous awards for her feature writing and coverage of the environment, government, education, business and local history during her 15-year reporting career. Originally from Western North Carolina, Heather has worked for Radio Free Europe, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London, and several daily newspapers. Heather spent almost a dozen years at The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., where she spent most of her time covering the environment or writing project-investigations that provoked changes such as new laws related to day care and the protection of environmentally-sensitive lands. You can reach Heather at heather@knoxmercury.com
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