Elijah has been diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma, which is a really crappy childhood cancer most common in children under 5. There is so much to treating this cancer which includes much time away from home, long nights and days at the hospital and difficult decisions for the family.
The Cincinnati music community has rallied and will be rocking your socks off Friday at The Southgate House Revival. Don't forget your pocketbook as there will also be a silent auction. All proceeds go to sweet Eli and his family.
Can't make it to the event but still want to donate? Go do it HERE.
We sat down with Tony Hall of Blue Caboose prior to the show for some background on the band and why they were prompted to help little Eli out.
Give us some background on Blue Caboose…
Blue Caboose began with three songwriters, who had a knack for harmonies, coming together in 2010 in order to give an outlet to the original songs that they had all been writing. At the beginning, there was a lot of experimenting with instrumentation, song styles, and even a couple of other musicians, but as time went along, a solid concept began to form. acoustic Guitar, mandolin and accordion, 3 part harmony, and songwriting that ranges from the Appalachian Mountain ranges to the San Francisco bay, and back, circling through the southern states along the way.
Within one year, They had played a handful of small festivals in Cincinnati, Kentucky and Indiana, as well as become a favorite at many farmer's markets and local clubs. By Dec. 2012, their first album Modern Limited was well underway.
The summer of 2012 brought a great number of small festivals, more Farmer's Markets and more clubs, nearly tripling the number of shows from the previous year. In August of 2012, Modern Limited, their freshman album, was released at MVP in Silverton, and within the first 2 weeks over 200 albums were sold.
2013 proved to be a good year, as they were asked to not only play a large number of small festivals, but were able to claim headliner status on a few of them as well, including The Metamora Old Timey Music Festival, and The CanoeGrass Music Festival in Tipp City, Ohio.
Looking forward to 2014, plans are being made for the second album, and many more shows out of town.
What prompted you to play the benefit, "A Concert for Eli"?
We have all been friends with Adam for a number of years. Upon learning about Eli getting sick, that old feeling of helplessness just eats away at you until the opportunity to help presents itself, so when it does, there is no decision, no thought, or reason... you just do it.
Tell us a bit about your writing style...what inspires your songs…do you set time aside for writing or write when the mood strikes?
Our song writing comes from a wide variety of pools, from Old Timey and Country Blues, to Ragtime, to Rock N Roll, and even modern pop, and just about everything else in between. It's sort of a Sheppard's Pie of music. Inspiration comes from our daily lives... Trips to the Smoky Mountains, down rivers, and out on the highways... Loved ones, and sometimes, just general observances about the awkward existence of humanity.
What is next for Blue Caboose? Shows, releases etc…
We are headlining a few different festivals this summer, including Metamora Old Timey Music Festival, and CanoeGrass in Tipp City, we will be on Red Barn Radio in Lexington in March, and we are reaching out to more surrounding city's as well, so we should expect to see more shows in Louisville, Lexington, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton... pretty much anywhere within a 5 hour driving radius.
A CONCERT FOR ELI FEATURING JOSH EAGLE
w/ Shoot Out The Lights, The Mitchells, Blue Caboose, The Peace, School of Rock
The Southgate House Revival
Friday January 31st
6p Doors / 7p Show
$10 Advance / $12 DOS
