As a cool little promotion for their new double album, Served Live, Saskachewan folk-bluegrass act The Dead South is putting on an online charity bingo game Feb. 20 to help support music venues shuttered by the pandemic and give away prizes. The fun begins on YouTube at 10 p.m. PT., 1 p.m. EST and 6 p.m. GMT. and the band members will be calling out the venue names on the squares (instead of numbers).
Served Live Venue Bingo will give back to three music venue organizations, via the purchase of a bingo card for USD $10 (up to five cards). "Each one features a unique set of venues we played during our Served Live touring the last couple of years, as well as all of the shows on the tour that are still yet to come," it says on the landing page.
The band recorded the new album in these iconic venues in the U.S., Canada and UK on a tour that was postponed due to COVID-19. In the liner notes The Dead South thank their road crew, including tour manager, sound tech, merch team and drivers.
Now the optimistic outfit, which has put out three studio albums since 2014, has a tour booked overseas for an entire year from June 11 in Stockholm, Sweden to April 25, 2022 in Bilbao, Estonia (see itinerary below).
"We figure it would be a great way to help make sure we have some venues to go back to when we can get out on tour again," The Dead South says on the landing page for the bingo fundraiser, adding, "Prizes include a signed custom BINGO card + a hot new piece of merch (for a line) and a grand prize superpack merch bundle of random shit we found in the BINGO hall Lost & Found, a copy of our new live album and dinner with us at any show of your choice in 2021 or 2022."
The NIVA group, representing around 3000 independent live music venues, is lobbying for targeted legislation and pandemic-era govenment assistance to help live venue operators and promoters survive. "We are the first to close. We will be the last to open," #SaveOurStages says on its website.
The Dead South fundraiser is also supporting Music Venue Trust's #SaveOurVenues, which represents around 400 grassroots live music venues. Besides also seeking government supports amid the COVID-19 crisis, the MVT also launched the Grassroots Music Venue Crisis Fund to raise funds from corporate and wealthy backers. "This money has been essential in giving venues the human and financial support they need to ride out this crisis until such time that the sector can reopen," the MVT says on its website.
The third campaign is the CIVC's #SupportCanadianVenues to help save concert venues in Canada, which face an uncertain and potential lengthy timeline until they can reopen their doors.
"Every independent venue in Canada was silenced by COVID-19 and over 90% will not survive unless they get the Government support that they need. Your favourite artists perform in these rooms seven nights a week. Without them, the very foundation and lifeblood of the entire music industry will collapse," the CIVC says on its website.
SERVED COLD WORLD TOUR 2021-2022
STOCKHOLM, SE: STHLM Americana Fest, June 11
OSLO, NO: OSLO Americana Fest, June 12
COPENHAGEN, DK: CPH Americana Fest, June 13
AARHUS, DK: Fonden Voxhall, June 15
SAARBRUCKEN, DE: Garage, June 17
SCHEESSEL, DE: Hurricane Festival, June 18
NEUHAUSEN OB ECK, DE: Southside Festival, June 19
TUNBRIDGE WELLS, UK: Black Deer Festival, June 20
CAMBRIDGE, UK: Cambridge Junction, June 22
COVENTRY, UK: Empire Coventry, June 23
CARDIFF, UK: Tramshed Cardiff, June 24
LILLE, FR: L’Aéronef, June 27
AARAU, CH: Kiff, June 29
SANKT GALLEN, CH: Kulturfestival, June 30
CAMROSE, AB: Big Valley Jamboree, Jul 31
SEATTLE, WA: Showbox SODO, Aug 3
SPOKANE, WA: Knitting Factory, Aug 5
MISSOULA, MT: Big Sky Brewing Co, Aug 7
SALT LAKE CITY, UT: The Depot, Aug 9
GRAND JUNCTION, CO: The Amphitheatre at Los Colonias Park, Aug 10
DENVER, CO: Denver Botanic Gardens, Aug 11
KANSAS CITY, MO: Grinders Crossroads, Aug 13
MINNEAPOLIS, MN: The Fillmore, Aug 15
MILWAUKEE, WI: Pabst Theatre, Aug 16
FORT WAYNE, IN: The Clyde Theatre, Aug 18
COLUMBUS, OH: Newport Music Hall, Aug 20
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK: Tower Theatre, Sept 12
AUSTIN, TX: Scoot Inn, Sept 13
SAN ANTONIO, TX: Aztex Theatre, Sept 14
HOUSTON, TX: House of Blues, Sept 15
NEW ORLEANS, LA: House of Blues, Sept 17
HUNTSVILLE, AL: Mars Music Hall, Sept 18
KNOXVILLE, TN: The Mill & Mine, Sept 19
BIRMINGHAM, AL: Iron City Bham, Sept 20
DES MOINES, IA: Brenton Skating Plaza, Sept 26
MADISON, WI: The Sylvee, Sept 27
CHICAGO, IL: House of Blues, Sept 29
DETROIT, MI: The Fillmore, Sept 30
INDIANAPOLIS, IN: Old National Centre, Oct 1
PELHAM, TN: The Cavners, Oct 2 + Oct 3
WIESBADEN, DE: Kulturzentrum Schlachthof, Nov 2
AMSTERDAM, NL: Melkweg, Nov 3
DÜSSELDORF, DE: Zakk, Nov 4
HAMBURG, DE: Docks, Nov 7
STUTTGART, DE: LKA Longhorn, Nov 8
NURNBERG, DE: Hirsch, Nov 9
BERLIN, DE: Columbiahalle, Nov 10
KRAKÓW, PL: Klub Studio, Nov 12
WARSAW, PL: Palladium, Nov 13
GDAŃSK, PL: Stary Maneż, Nov 14
DRESDEN, DE: Alter Schlachthof, Nov 15
WROCŁAW, PL: Center Concert, Nov 16
BUDAPEST, HU: Akvárium Klub, Nov 18
BRATISLAVA, SK: Majestic Music Club, Nov 19
KARLÍN, CZ: Forum Karlín, Nov 20
GRAZ, AT: PPC, Nov 21
UTRECHT, NL: Tivoli Vrendenburg, Mar 2
ANTWERP, BE: De Roma, Mar 3
COPENHAGEN, DK: Amager Bio, Mar 5
STOCKHOLM, SE: Debaser Hornstulls Strand, Mar 6
OLSO, NO: Sentrum Scene, Mar 7
HANOVER, DE: Capitol Hannover, Mar 9