ONLINE: The Mascot Theory

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Aaron Jankowski

The Mascot Theory (left to right): Nick Fry, Paul Metz, Erik Kjelland, Corey Mathew Hart.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to prevent large groups from gathering safely. The situation has created an ever-growing financial hardship for professional performers of all kinds, and six months in, it’s also an existential threat for the venues that host them. The National Independent Venue Association's Wisconsin chapter has started a petition drive to encourage Gov. Tony Evers to dedicate some remaining CARES act funds to shuttered performance halls. Fans of the arts can provide some direct support when possible, too, as on Sunday, when Madison folk rock quartet The Mascot Theory premieres a new concert on Facebook Live, filmed at Mineral Point Opera House. Viewers are encouraged to fill up virtual tip jars for the venue and band.

press release: As the singer/songwriter for the Madison-based band The Mascot Theory, Erik Kjelland has seen most of his band’s 2020 shows wiped off the calendar; like many in the music industry, he has had to get creative with how to keep making music safely and without large gatherings. He hopes a new concert film, to be released Aug. 30, will help keep music alive in Wisconsin, and at the same time, offer a financial benefit to one of his favorite venues, the Mineral Point Opera House.

Venues in Wisconsin such as the MPOH have been forced to cancel months, if not a year’s worth, of shows as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on large gatherings, including live music. As a result, bands and venues find themselves financially troubled and looking for ways to stay afloat.

Kjelland and representatives from the Opera House came up with a unique way to share their music while also raising funds for the venue: A filmed recording of the band playing on the historic stage to an empty theater. The performance film will debut at 7 p.m. Sunday, August 30, 2020, on the Facebook pages of The Mascot Theory and the Mineral Point Opera House. A virtual tip jar will be available during the broadcast for viewers to donate money to the venue.

The band assembled at the venue in late July to rehearse and record a set of acoustic tunes live on the Opera House stage. The small crew, headed by veteran videographer John Urban, stayed socially distant and worked sans audience. This session marked the first time the band had played together since the pandemic lockdown began in early March 2020.  The music from the film will be released as a physical CD and as a digital album on the band’s online store on Friday, August 28.

AUDIO/VIDEO CREDITS:

Songs performed by The Mascot Theory

Erik Kjelland • Corey Mathew Hart • Nick Fry • Paul Metz

Songs written by Kjelland, Velvet Mystery Publishing ©2020 ASCAP, all rights reserved.

Video recorded by John Urban of Big Dreamers United and Brad Weier of Brad Weier Gallery. Edited by Erik Kjelland of Noon Thirty Design. 

Audio recorded by Brian Liston, Clutch Sound Studios.

Audio mixed & mastered by Erik Kjelland.