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Louis Posen, the man behind Hopeless, Sub City and the 'Take Action Tour.'
Credit: Courtesy of Hopeless/Sub City Records
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Louis Posen knows a good cause when he sees it. Posen, president of Hopeless Records, founded a nonprofit label called Sub City Records in 1999, and launched the ninth annual "Take Action Tour" on Jan. 25 in Atlanta, Georgia.
This is more than your typical tour. Ticket sales and fan donations will benefit Driving For Donors, the brainchild of 14-year-old Patrick Pedraja, who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is on a mission to sign up people for the National Marrow Registry. The lineup features We The Kings, Mayday Parade, A Rocket To The Moon, There For Tomorrow, Call The Cops and Stereo Skyline. And ... the artists will be appearing at concerts to play their songs, in Hot Topic stores to sign autographs and in children's hospitals to meet with kids and play special acoustic shows.
What drives a guy like Posen to do what he does? Planet Green had lots of questions, and he was nice enough to provide answers. Listen for some advice on ways bands, fans and naysayers can make music that's "instrumental," even with lyrics.
Planet Green: So you're a record executive who runs a nonprofit.
Louis Posen: Yes. It's a model we think is very sustainable, for people trying to do something positive or to deal with needs and issues out there. Because there's lots of nonprofits who have trouble raising funds every year and they're only sustainable based on people's goodwill and the economy ...
Our model is based on having releases and events that people want to pay for and we're just figuring out a way to connect those things that people want to pay for with nonprofits. The fancy word for it is social entrepreneurship.
PG: What's the "Take Action Tour" about?
LP: Each year, we pick a different organization and a different cause that's important to the bands and the fans. This year, we decided to focus on a young person who was making a large impact in the world to showcase how it doesn't matter how old you are or how much money you have or many other factors, you can make a positive impact ...
On this year's tour, we're focusing on him and his cause, which is to raise awareness about the need for people to sign up for the bone marrow registry because of how many people are not able to find a match ...
Around 70 percent of people don't have a match within their family. It can save a life, or the absence of it can end a life.
PG: How did you hook up with Hot Topic?
LP: We've worked with (Hot Topic) for many, many years with Take Action. As part of their title sponsorship, we have the bands go out and do acoustic performances and meet-and-greets at stores throughout the country.
We also organized with Driving For Donors and dosomething.org. Bands go to children's hospitals and meet kids dealing with leukemia and other blood disorders ... During the day they go to a children's hospital and a Hot Topic store and at night they play a show.
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| Courtesy of Hopeless/Sub City Records |
PG: What kind of a reception are you getting so far? (The tour runs through March 2).
LP: We're getting an amazing reception. We're selling out almost every show, raising about $1,500 a show off the 10 percent of the ticket that's going to charity. We've had about 20 people a night register for the bone marrow registry.
We're also doing a "Text to Give." Text "ACTION" to 85944 and the donation is $5. Kids can do that right from the show. (Tickets to the shows average about $15 for five bands. Dates and ducats are available online.)
PG: Is there a reason you chose leukemia as a cause this year?
LP: I have had a lot of cancer in my family—brother, mother, grandmother, grandfather and now, unfortunately, my wife, currently. But we picked Pat because of who he is—impactful as such a young person.
The fans of the "Take Action" Bands tend to be young too and we want to show "You too can be a Pat. You can do something good."
PG: You're also selling "Take Action Vol. 9," a charity compilation that's available at shows, Hot Topic stores and online starting Feb. 9. It's 6 bucks for the disc, or $12 for the disc and a T-shirt.
LP: Yes, it has unreleased tracks of most of bands.
PG: Including Cobra Starship, who did the "Snakes on a Plane" song?
LP: You've got a good memory. 3OH!3 also is on there (along with Taking Back Sunday, Frank Turner, The Friday Night Boys, Anarbor and Hit the Lights.
PG: Do you have a hard time finding bands that want to do charity work?
LP: We've been doing it long enough now. Most of the bands in our world and in alternative rock know what we do. Most bands are very excited to have the opportunity to share their talent and resources with causes that are important to them.
They're still able to make a living and give at the same time.
PG: What else is on your mind?
LP: I think there's a misconception among the public and amongst us grownups that young people are just slacking off and don't want to get a real job and that's why they're into rock music and going to shows.
I think a tour like this, a kid like Pat, bands like those on the tour—that's just not reality.
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