About this project

Who is Bowman?

Michael Guy Bowman, known for his work on the Homestuck music project and his two solo albums, Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido and Ithaca, has been selected to perform at the SXSW 2012 Music Conference in Austin, Texas this March. Along with him he's invited an all-star band including Clark "Plazmataz" Powell and Erik "Jit" Scheele (both of Homestuck fame), multi-instrumentalist Mark Nabors, and electronic musician Riki Tsuji, along with artist/musician/dancer Tavia Morra.

This is an incredible occasion for many reasons! First of all, this will be a major stage debut for all of these musicians, who are all travelling from far and wide to convene in Austin, Texas in the weeks before the concert to rehearse for the show. This will also be the first time that songs from the Homestuck soundtrack are performed for a major music audience ("Sburban Jungle", "Ocean Stars Falling", "I'm a Member of the Midnight Crew" to name a few) and the major live debut of songs from Bowman's solo albums. Plus, Bowman and his band will be hosting some free shows in Austin for those who may be unable to attend SXSW for those under age or without passes.

Why a Fundraiser?

The major catch is that we need you, the fans, to help us out! Covering the travel expenses for band members from out of town is going to be costly, and many members will have to take time off from work and school to prepare for this concert event. This doesn't even take into consideration equipment costs, food costs, and the increased electrical costs of bringing all these fancy guitars and keyboards into Bowman's tiny house.

How Can I Help?

Well, aside from telling as many people as you can about Bowman's music, you can pledge a donation to this fundraiser and receive many customizable prizes:

Songs of varying lengths based on your suggestion produced by Bowman and posted at his official music store
The opportunity to commission an EP album based on your own concept or song suggestions, also to be posted to Bowman's official music store
Videos based on your suggestion which will be uploaded to Bowman's Youtube channel
Autographed postcards and CD's with a doodle or message of your choice
One hour-long improv show based on your suggestion starring all the members of Bowman's band to be posted on his Youtube channel
A lunch date with Bowman to a burger place of his choosing

Plus, every person who donates will have their name added to the official thank you page at iambowman.com and read during a live rendition of "How Do I Live" in front of a crowd likely to be filled with hipsters and pretentious music critics!

Wow, Those Are Actually Some Cool Prizes

I know, right? So please, donate today! Whether you are capable of donating a little or a lot, there are many songs to be sung and lulz to be had. Our dream is to be able to continue performing together as a group, and with your help we can get there and bring the music of Bowman and Homestuck to places it has never gone before!

FAQ

How do I request my idea for an autograph, doodle, song, video, etc?

Request and suggestion forms for your respective prizes will be sent out to backers when the project has received sufficient funding ($3000), assuming we meet our goal by March 3 at 12:00PM EST. That means the faster we can fund this project, the faster we can get around to making cool prizes for those of you who donated.

Last updated: Thursday Jan 5, 7:58pm EST
When will you be posting your songs, uploading your videos, mailing postcards, taking me on a burger date, etc?

When the project has received sufficient funding ($3000) we'll start processing the various prizes as fast as possible, hopefully completing most of them in March and April. As mentioned previously, the faster this project is funded the faster I can get to all the sweet loot!

Last updated: Thursday Jan 5, 7:58pm EST
Is SXSW really that big of a deal?

You bet! Go on any news source or website documenting it and you'll find that Austin is basically overrun with celebrities, movers, and shakers in the worlds of music, film, and new media during those two weeks in March. It's a big deal.

Last updated: Thursday Jan 5, 7:58pm EST
When and where will you be performing?

The time and place hasn't been set yet for our official performance, but it will be sometime between March 13 and March 18 in the vicinity of downtown Austin, Texas. There will also be a free concert or two also to be scheduled.

Last updated: Thursday Jan 5, 7:58pm EST
Autographed CD of what album?

THE album. Yeah, sorry, I meant to write my solo album Ithaca there. Too late to change it now!

Last updated: Thursday Jan 5, 11:02pm EST
Are the custom songs going to actually be good, even the short ones?

I promise to pay attention to all of them and invest some time in making them fun to listen to, even if your idea is very silly or vague. It's not just going to be me sitting around and recording myself playing whatever comes off the top of my head - I'm going to take the time to make your pledge worth your while and produce these songs with the sort of care I put into my own ideas. However, if your idea is "write a song about some guy who hits other guys with a big stick" don't expect the song to be some amazing artistic statement, just well-produced.

Last updated: Friday Jan 6, 4:47pm EST

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Bowman will read your name onstage at his concert at SXSW 2012 during the bridge of "How Do I Live" to a crowd likely to be filled with hipsters and pretentious music critics. This prize also applies to larger donations.