Tony Furtado Kickstarter Campaign

It is my pleasure this morning to raise awareness of a new Kickstarter campaign for my friend, Tony Furtado.

I have known Tony for over 20 years, and always admired his talent. His instrumental skills are off the chart, and I’ve just discovered some more skills I didn’t know he possessed after watching the videos that accompany this project.

Tony is two-time winner of the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship, a sought-after studio session musician, a singer-songwriter with 15 albums to his credit, a sculptor, and annihilator of countless cupcakes the world over.

He has wandered through genres and styles, never growing static and always evolving musically. Touring tirelessly for over two decades, he has garnered respect from his peers, and has recorded with, opened for, and toured with acts such as Greg Allman, Susan Tedeschi, Alison Krauss, Taj Mahal, Leftover Salmon, Eric Johnson, Sonny Landreth, Keith Richards, David Lindley, Derek Trucks, Norah Jones, among many others.

Like his vast catalog of recordings, a Tony Furtado show has something to offer everyone. His music has taken him all over the country and into the hearts of many a music lover. Performing with a band, or recording as a solo artist, his playing, considerable skills as a multi-instrumentalist, and his strong songwriting have led to him to be embraced on record and on stage.

On November 25th, Tony will be recording a live CD and companion DVD in Portland OR with his new band. He is using Kickstarter to ask his many fans and friends to consider making an investment in the project. There are some banjo-related premiums for everyone who joins in, including books, lessons, free digital downloads, tickets to the live performance and lots of other goodies, depending on your level of participation.

Here, Tony explains a little bit more about the project…

… and here’s an excerpt from his Kickstarter page:

“I love to play live.  I LOVE to play live!  I love the interactions between the musicians on stage, the interactions between the musicians and the audience; I love the feedback that you get, the energy, the banter, the flirting.  Everything, it’s all there, it’s FUN!  It’s electric, a jolt to my system – I live for it, I thrive on it.

I think some of my best recordings throughout the years have actually been by bootleggers recording my band, or me solo, because in that moment, I’m just not thinking about it.  All my energy is focused on the love of playing music.  It’s all focused on rolling with the moment.  It’s a give and take from the audience to the stage, and back to the audience.  And as a result of that exchange, the music that is created is something that otherwise might not occur without that flow.

And that’s why I’ve always wanted to shoot a live DVD.  I’ve done live albums before, and those are great – they capture the music well and it’s fun to listen to, but you never quite get the experience of seeing the band interacting with each other, and the band interacting with the crowd.  You don’t get the full sensory and visual experience.

In 23 years of playing and touring with different musicians there’s been so many versions of my band, and each permutation has been wonderful!  But those awesome, spontaneous moments that have happened during shows have been fleeting, and not too many have been captured on live albums.  But I’ve got this cool moment right now where I’ve got a GREAT version of the band, exciting, fun, just great guys, awesome players.  And I’d LOVE to get it recorded, I’d love to get it on video.  And I’d love to put it out into the world so you can see it and experience it like you’re at the show.  And not just like you’re at the show in the audience, but like you’re at the show ON STAGE!

So that’s why I’ve created this Kickstarter campaign, and with your help, I’ll be working with a crew of local independent filmmaker friends to shoot and record a live concert experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen in my hometown of Portland, Oregon at one of my favorite venues – Mississippi Studios – the day after Thanksgiving. Thank you SO much for your help in making this a reality.”

Lastly, there is one more video that showcases the talents of the band that will be recording with Tony in November. Man, what a talented bunch of guys!

I’m so excited to see the outcome of this project, because I know whatever Tony has his hands on will end up great! Please go check him out, and click here to help him raise the necessary capital if you can.

You can also keep up with Tony and his other performances at his website or on his facebook page. Good luck Tony!

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About the Author

Gena Britt

Gena Britt is a multi instrumentalist/vocalist who has been in the music business for over 20 years. She is currently perfoming with the Skip Cherryholmes Quintet on banjo & vocals. Gena has been a member of several critically acclaimed award-winning bands, has traveled worldwide, and is a sought after studio musician. She now makes her home in eastern North Carolina with her two beautiful daughters, Jalyn & Dalsyn.