The Music Tapes start Kickstarter to fund traveling circus tent tour because, like, of course!

The Music Tapes start Kickstarter to fund traveling circus tent tour because, like, of course!

Being both the serious devotees and the leading innovators of old-timey, experimental, freak-out circus music that they are, The Music Tapes must have slapped themselves in the forehead pretty darn hard the other day when they realized they’ve never toured the United States of America in a literal traveling circus tent. (I mean, seems like a no brainer that that’s what you’d do if you’re Julian Koster. Just saying.) But then, after they got over how much such an emphatic slap must have hurt, they probably realized that the reason they’ve never done this is simple: it’s actually pretty counter-intuitively expensive to go around pretending like you’re a rootless, roving band of fun-loving carnival folk. And if you’re a rootless, roving band of fun-loving carnival folk that’s trying to keep Kosher or eat vegan or buy organic or keep your iPhone charged so all the singing saw apps work night after night… good night, Irene!

But that’s where this futuristic, new fangled internet contraption called a “Kickstarter” comes in. See, Julian and his pals have a new album coming out September 4 via Merge called Mary’s Voice, and they figure that now’s the time to rectify that touring-circus problem. So they’ve gone ahead and started a humdinger of a jim-dandy of a dilly of a Kickstarter page to offer supporters loads of doodads in exchange for helping to fund this whole shebang, which they’ve dubbed “The Traveling Imaginary.” Check it:

The Traveling Imaginary is an invitation into The Music Tapes’ world. We will tour the United States in a circus tent, transforming spaces into cozy, dreamlike environments for evenings’ worth of music, games, stories, films, and amusements. The Traveling Imaginary is a long-dreamt-of undertaking on a grander scale than anything we have ever done. You, the audience member, will be an honored guest in The Music Tapes’ world – the one in which Julian has lived and recorded in for years.

There are historic tentmakers in England who will help us realize our designs. The goal of $5,000 will cover the cost of the tent and help us purchase a trailer to transport it. It will also contribute towards the sound system the show will require and motor vehicle repairs. All we can raise beyond that will fund the creation of the show itself! We have a great many exciting new Music Tapes amusements and contraptions envisioned for the show! We hope to build as much as we can with your donations.

Actually, as of this moment, they’ve already reached the hoped-for $5,000 goal, but there’s still 20 days left to go for this thing and some pretty handsome prizes for any donation level (starting with an exclusive, funders-only EP at the $10 level and culminating in the freakin’ BANJO Julian used on Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea for any backer who’s got enough balls growing out of his/her back to bring the ballin’ backing of $3,000), so don’t sleep on this. Besides, you heard what the man said up there. There are HISTORIC TENT MAKERS IN ENGLAND involved here, people. Let’s help them build their dream tent! They could probably use the work.

Meanwhile, check out “The Dark Is Singing Songs (Sleepy Time Down South),” the first track off Mary’s Voice, which we premiered last month:

• The Music Tapes: http://www.orbitinghumancircus.com
• Merge: http://www.mergerecords.com

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