Life is good T-shirt company kicks off its 7th year of Life is good festivals with a two day gathering at Prowse Farm in Canton, Mass. This year's line-up includes Ben Harper and the Relentless 7, Dr. Dog, Ziggy Marley, Guster, Jason Mraz, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and many more.

Life is good Co. realized their potential for charity after people flocked to their American flag t-shirts created in response to the September, 11 2001 terrorists attacks. The popularity allowed the company to make a $207,000 donation to United Way for those people affect by the attacks.

Now after seven years, the festival has entertained over 300,000 people and raised more than $4 million for the Life is good Kids Foundation. The foundation helps kids who have suffered from violence, illness, and poverty.
Earlier this year, the foundation teamed up with the grassroots, non-profit Project Joy. The project works with children affected by serious trauma. Their mission is to get these children playing again, for most children stop having fun after serious incidents. Project Joy helps children get back on the play grounds because "a playful child has unlimited potential".

The festival goes from 11AM to 9:30PM Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12. For more information on the show, visit the official webpage here.

If you would like to donate or learn more about the Life is Good Foundation and Project Joy, visit their websites.

Justin Guinn
University of Dayton

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Grassroots benefit concert, Farm Aid, celebrates twenty-five years of commitment to farmers this fall. Co-founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp began the concert in 1985 to promote, assist and thank family farmers all across America. Now in its twenty-fifth year, the benefit has raised over $37 million and has kept many farmers on their land and doing what they love.

Farm Aid works with local, regional, and national organizations to promote food from family farms. They know people need a reliable market to shop for family farmed foods, therefore Farm Aid strives to develop local and regional markets and make the food readily available to the community. Farm Aid has also taken a stand against factory farms and made farmers and eaters aware of the seriousness of growth hormones and other genetically modifying practices used by these factory farms. More than anything else, Farm Aid desires to keep hardworking American farmers alive and flourishing instead of being eaten by the corporate factory farms.
"We all see what's happening with agriculture, what's happening to our small towns. They are going out of business. That's a direct result of the farm problem. We're still doing Farm Aid because it is contributing. It's doing a job," said John Mellencamp.
Mellencamp, Nelson, and Young will headline the show along with Dave Matthews, who joined the cause in 2001. The founders will be performing alongside Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Jeff Tweedy, the BoDeans, Amos Lee, and Robert Francis. The concert is Saturday, October 2 at Milwaukee's Miller Park.

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Our friends The Delta Saints are playing a show for us next month. They will be appearing with Marcy Playground at Third and Lindsley on Sunday, August 15.

A portion of ticket sales will go to support Harmony Republic.

Hope to see you there!

Get Tickets

Cheers,
Johnny T

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Canadian rock band Arcade Fire pledged to support Haitian initiative KAPNE at the Quebec City Summer Festival on July 12. The band's first time playing in Quebec City will not only be remembered for their wonderfully spacey and soulful sound, but also for their monumental commitment to match every donation made to Haitian relief and progress initiative KANPE.The Festival also donated 25 cents for every person in attendance at the Arcade Fire show and provided KANPE with prime locations throughout the grounds to promote their cause and get their message out.

KANPE is a Haitian Creole word meaning "to stand up". Standing up is exactly what the initiative strives to achieve in the hurting towns and villages throughout Haiti. KANPE desires to make major positive changes by freeing Haiti from its detrimental cycle of poverty one village at a time. By targeting the poorest and most at risk villages and families, KANPE is working from the ground up to encourage financial independence for Haitians and provide them with the ability to live a healthy, dignified life.

KANPE's program assists village families for an 18-month period with an end goal for the family to be financially independent and self sustainable. The process is divided into six tiers; Nutrition, Health Care, Education, Agriculture, Financial Economy, and Safe Housing.

Thomonde is the first village KANPE has taken on. With 40,000 people (38% under 14 years old), little to no healthcare, 2,000 children suffering from malnutrition and starvation, and a struggling education system, Thomonde residents are fighting everyday for basic needs much of the outside world takes for granted.

The Arcade Fire pledged to match every donation made to the KANPE initiative up $1 million. Singer Win Butler told the crowd in Quebec, "Please take our money from us!". The band was then joined by members of the Haitian ensemble Ram, from Port-Au-Prince, and together they preformed a heartfelt rendition of the Arcade Fire's Haiti, off of their debut album Funeral.

To help struggling Haitians, the KANPE initiative, and make a positive change in the world we live, give $5 by texting STAND to 30333.

To learn more about KANPE visit their website here.
For more information on the Arcade Fire and their upcoming album "The Suburbs", visit www.arcadefire.com.

Justin Guinn
University of Dayton

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In a world full of record labels, iTunes, and thousands of radio stations, you'd think it would be easy for a talented singer-songwriter to put out a record of their own. But that's not the case. When it comes down to it, it's not the talent keeping artists like, Justin Branam, from putting out a record, it's the cost. Between the producer, studio time, musicians, and a slew of other important pieces that bring a record together, the process becomes quite costly.

Then enters Kickstarter, a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors. Kickstarter is powered by an all-or-nothing fund raising method, allowing artists to create a budget for their project and only receive money if their project is fully funded. But Kickstarter isn't just something that helps the artist you are wanting to support, there are also incentives for those willing to give. By simply donating $5, you'll receive a digital copy of Justin's latest EP, iPhone Sessions (which is perfectly titled, since everything from the recordings to the album artwork were recorded on an iPhone.) Other incentives include handwritten lyrics, having your name listed in his album credits, and Justin is even willing to write & record a song for you. Kickstarter creates a win/win situation for all willing to donate to the cause.

So, I encourage you to check out the beautiful music that Justin is creating.
And see how you can help him raise $3,000, so he can fund his new record.

www.justinbranam.com
www.iphonesessions.com


Jamie Lokey
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green

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Blood: Water Mission, a nonprofit founded by Grammy Award-winning band, Jars of Clay, is a grassroots organization that empowers communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crisis in Africa. Blood Water's core purpose is to build community through creative social action, and Lemon:Aid is a perfect example of that. Through the project, Lemond:Aid, Blood Water is encouraging people to build a Lemon:Aid stand in their community and asking that you donate your collection to help provide clean water in their active projects in Ndola, Zambia, Marsabit, Kenya, and Lira Distric, Northern Uganda. The idea is to not only be able to quench the thirst of someone in your neighborhood, but also someone halfway around the world.

And if you aren't able to put together your own Lemon:Aid stand, you still have an opportunity to support this project. Right now it is Nashville Lemon:Aid Restaurant Week. Between July 12-17 in Nashville, some of Nashville's best local restaurants have selected and created special Lemon:Aid items to benefit Blood:Water. Below is a list of restaurants in Nashville that teamed up with Blood:Water to to make a difference. So make sure to stop by and get a tasty treat all while helping a good cause.

And for more information about Blood:Water and their Lemon:Aid project, click here.

Jamie Lokey
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green

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The world is full of people looking for a way to help others, but many of them don't know where to find people in need. Then enters Love In Stereo, a website that exists to unite people behind causes and social good by bringing art, artists, and fans together to make a global impact. The Love In Stereo website is full of stories about hardship, pain, and grief. But through all the suffering, there is hope. Love In Stereo gives you a way to help by not only supplying these stories, but by providing you with opportunities to make a difference. Their goal is to encourage everyday people to do incredible things by taking what you're passionate about and making a change.

And the brains behind Love In Stereo aren't just sitting around telling stories, they're taking action, too. After the devastation in Haiti, they had the idea to create t-shirts and a compilation CD, including 16 amazing artists, with proceeds going to the Sonlight Children's Home & Nutrition Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Love In Stereo is more than a website, it's a movement bringing people together to make good in the world. And I think they're right when they said, "It's time we pulled together to see what we're capable of."

Want to see how you can help? Visit their site and find out.

Jamie Lokey
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green

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Jennifer Heath, Louie Psihoyos, The Fray and Monica Petty Aiello. They are four unique, creative voices that call Colorado home. During the month of July, we're featuring them on Harmony Republic and spotlighting their diverse, creative work and passion for helping others.

Check out our features on Jennifer, Louie, The Fray and Monica, learn more about these amazing artists, and maybe you will be inspired to get involved and help make a difference in the world.

Cheers,
Johnny T, Jon & Justin

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For residents of Nashville, the weekend of May 1 was one to remember. It marks the time of the Nashville flood, where 13 inches of rain fell over Music City, USA. Homes were destroyed, historic landmarks throughout Nashville were flooded, and cars were seen floating down interstates. And although much travesty occurred in just a few days, the strong community in Nashville is not one to be reckoned with. Nashville stayed strong and came together to help one another. With such a strong community, it was just a matter of days before benefit concerts, telethons, and auctions were underway to raise money for the victims of the Nashville flood.

Among the many artists that came together during this time, Nashville's own, Ten out of Tenn, were some of them. Less than a month after the flood hit middle Tennessee, Ten out of Tenn released an album entitled, We Are All in This Together. The Album is a benefit compilation that includes exclusive tracks from: Andrew Belle, Katie Herzig, Trent Dabbs, Joy Williams, Tyler James, Matthew Perryman Jones, Butterfly Boucher, Griffin House, Madi Diaz, and Jeremy Lister. All proceeds from the recently released album go directly to victims of the Nashville flood.

Check out the album on iTunes, and buy it up!

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It's June, and we're celebrating Louisville!

Check out our features on musician Ben Solleee, filmmaker Coury Deeb, author Marsha Norman, and photographer Bill Luster.

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