An eclectic FREE concert series bringing live music & original artists to new audiences young and old. Season 10 starts June 19!
Since 2002, Skyline Music (a retail music store helping people make music since 1987) has presented a series of free concerts to our Cleveland, OH area community every year. Several thousand people of all ages have enjoyed live music on our Porch for nine summers. Our goal is to offer live music in the most accessible fashion we can think of: FREE, right in the neighborhood, by talented artists performing their own material. The headliners are professional musicians drawn from a mix of genres: jazz, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, blues, bluegrass, rock, and pop. (We also give fledgling younger bands visibility as opening acts.)
Each summer, we stage 8-10 concerts on Tuesday nights (an off night on the scene that allows us access to artists otherwise heavily booked). We cordon off our section of the parking lot, set up a stage, and invite the community in to enjoy. We've had local bakeries, pizza or gelato places come with samples to cross promote. We've had visual artists display their work, done face painting for the kids, and hosted tailgaters, all in an effort to create a community scene. It's been a great run.
The Dave Sterner Quintet has appeared every season on the Porch.
But the money to pay the artists comes from Dan's pocket--there have been no grants, city funding, or bags of cash willed by arts-loving dowagers coming our way, and we're at a crossroads. We'd like to grow the audience for live music and present a bigger show--and pay our artists better in the process.
That's where the Kickstarter community can help. We're not asking for a huge amount. The $3000 will allow us to pay the artists a little better than in previous years, do some sound system upgrades, and goose the quality of our promotional materials--and still fulfill on the premiums we're offering (because we're making sure the artists get paid for their CDs, too). With the thousands of people who simply support music on Kickstarer, just a fraction giving $1 will fund us.
Brian Henke is a Front Porch and Acoustic Coffeehouse regular
On the chance we're so fortunate to be over-funded, we'll use the extra to extend the dual mission of promoting live music and supporting original artists. Video Rewards--DVDs of performance highlights, for example--are certainly something we'd offer if/as we can upgrade to HD, and we're looking into the process of live streaming of the concerts for our remote Kickstarter supporters. If we're funded beyond our initial amount, we'll be adding rewards!
But the first priority is the Front Porch Concerts themselves. We have a track record. We've shown our level of commitment by putting them on for nine years, despite the cost and energy needed. We've provided a venue for our artists, and presented some great talent to our audience.
For our 25th Anniversary and the 10th Season of the Front Porch, we'd love to give the kids, the community, and our musicians something even better.
We have also added our pledge to "Kick it Forward" and donate 5% of our post-season profits to other Kickstarter projects. There are so many great projects in all categories, it's a natural.
FAQ
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We run every Tuesday from June 19 to August 14, except July 3 (you might as well roll up the sidewalks in our neighborhood on a holiday weekend, and we didn't want any of our artists to perform for six people and their spouses on the holiday eve.). Our first update lists the concert dates and headliners, and that info is on the website as well.
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There are brand new CDs released from Patrick Woods (Gone Before Morning); Brian Henke (Seven Magic Spells) and Mary Kettering. Roger Friedman has a great jazz piano trio CD (Going My Way) that he's making available to us, and Dave, Brian and Patrick all have a back catalog of CDs to choose from. We'll post them in an update soon--and we'll likely have more to offer. But there will be at least ten CDs to choose from, at least three brand new--so their fans can get the latest stuff here, autographed!
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Soon! We're designing a "Kickstarter only" version for each, so supporters will have a limited edition of either one. We'll offer a "public" version in our Cafepress store, but yours will be SPECIAL.. The poster design s displayed in update 2, and the shirt is on deck
24
Backers
$1,075
pledged of $3,000 goal
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Funding Unsuccessful This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on June 23, 2012.
Funding period
May 24, 2012 -
Jun 23, 2012
(30 days)
- First created · 1 backed
- Has not connected Facebook
- Website: skylinemusic.com
Pledge $1 or more
0 backers
Folks, we'll take anything to move this to the next level! Whether you want to support live music, original music, or the genres we present, pledge as little as a buck! We'll list every contributor, even the $1 participants, on the Front Porch section of our website with a full presentation of the Kickstarter campaign. PLEASE ring the bell for us by forwarding, liking, or going door-to-door to get the word out.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $5 or more
1 backer
For $5, we'll also list you on a special banner displayed at all the summer concerts, where your largesse can inspire--or shame--attendees into greater support of live music.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $10 or more
1 backer
Recognition (on the banner and the website) in the special category of "Porch Supports", since this is our 10th season.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $20 or more
0 backers Limited (25 of 25 left)
EARLY ADOPTERS SPECIAL: If you're one of the first 25 supporters at this level, you can get the $25 reward for $20! (See below for reward details.)
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $25 or more
2 backers
Recognition in the special category of "Anniversary Supporters" (this is also our 25th anniversary), plus your choice of one autographed CD from either Dave Sterner, Roger Friedman (jazz) Brian Henke, Patrick Woods (acoustic fingerstyle guitar) or Mary Kettering (Bluegrass). As we add artists to the 2012 schedule, additional CDs may be available. Once the drive is complete, pledges for CD rewards will receive an order form to select their CD(s) from available Front Porch Artists.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $30 or more
1 backer
Anniversary supporter status plus the 16 X 20 series poster.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $30 or more
0 backers Limited (15 of 15 left)
DATE NIGHT SPECIAL: We've always talked about a Front Porch night as the cheapest date in town (free show, parking, etc.) but if you choose the Date Night, we'll goose your status with "concierge" cafe seating, a free pizza from our friends and supporters at Romeos, plus a photo op for you and your date with the artist that night. Guys--want to pop the question? We'll give you stage time, no extra charge! (the ring is on you).
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $40 or more
0 backers Limited (15 of 15 left)
EARLY ADOPTER SPECIAL: Your choice of any one of the $50 reward tier premium packages. (You'll be able to specify which one when funding is completed.)
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $50 or more
1 backer
Anniversary Supporter, plus the special "Kickstarter Supported" edition of the Front Porch Season 10 T-shirt
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $50 or more
1 backer
Anniversary Supporter, TWO autographed CDs
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $100 or more
1 backer
Anniversary supporter, autographed CD, Special Front Porch "Kickstarter supporter" t-shirt (only available here), and the poster.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $100 or more
4 backers
Anniversary supporter, your choice of any FOUR (4) CDs from the selection offered by our artists (several have multiple titles to choose from)--all autographed, and the poster.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $250 or more
0 backers Limited (6 of 6 left)
Your own personal (sorry, non-alcoholic) tailgate party for up to ten people at one of the concerts, catered by Dan, (and we're not talkin' plain ol' burgers--he loves to cook!) with a chance to meet the artists of the evening who will dedicate a number to you. One available for each concert from July through the end of the season--earliest supporters get the biggest choice of dates! (July through mid-August--allow two weeks ahead of your date to finalize details.) There will be menu options, and road-trippers will want to reserve their date ASAP. Dates will be awarded on a first-pledged, first-choice basis.
Estimated delivery: Jul 2012Pledge $1,600 or more
0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)
2012 Season venue naming rights! (C'mon Donald, you KNOW you'd love the phrase "Trump Front Porch"!) It will adorn the stage and all publicity materials used this season. (Plus you get all the other spiffs, including a tailgate party, and we'll set up a special "hospitality box" for you and your entourage any time you attend one of the concerts--plus, of course, we'll acknowledge you from the stage to thunderous applause every week whether you're there or not. YOUR poster will be signed by all the artists, too. NOTE: No, we're not so mercenary that we'll let you name it the "I. P. Freeley Front Porch", or attach a political or controversial social cause slogan to it. If it wouldn't fly with the good folks at Kickstarter, it wouldn't fly with us--so anyone opting in at this level should have the name ready for approval as you make your generous pledge. Corporate America, here's your chance--where else can you get naming rights this cheap?
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
