Intensity In Tent Cities In Ten Cities

October 14, 2010 2:29 PM

I am starting a new Kickstarter fund to record an album. Need input for ideas on where to perform.

The idea is predicated on the title "Intensity in Tent Cities in Ten Cities". Basically, I will go on a bicycle tour of homeless encampments in the nation, ten different shanty towns, and use the best ten tracks from each performance of my old time banjo music to make up a CD. I need ideas on different shanty towns to perform in. Does your city/metro area have a tent city? Let me know. Will be old school analog blogging (aka writing shit down in a comp pad) for liner notes/possible further exposure for the project (book deals, etc.. not to get my hopes up or anything..)

posted by mediocre to media & arts (5 answers total)

You'll want to consider Tent City USA in Fresno, CA. Last year it got a lot of press (NYT, Socialist Worker). Portland, OR and Seattle, WA are already relatively close to you, right? You're in PDX?

The NYT article mentions St. Petersburg, FL, which would be a nationwide bicycle ride, if you want to frame it that way and ride that far.
posted by cgc373 at 3:11 PM on October 14, 2010

WSJ article "Cities Tolerate Homeless Camps": lists Tampa, FL; Nashville, TN; Ontario, CA (40 miles east of Los Angeles); Lacey, WA (near Olympia); and Ventura, CA.
posted by cgc373 at 3:18 PM on October 14, 2010

The tent city in Olympia/Lacey WA is called Camp Quixote and this is their website, if you want more information.
posted by periscope at 4:16 PM on October 14, 2010

Any information is greatly appreciated. If this project has any chance of succeeding I need as much possible input. It's something I have always wanted to do but never thought possible till I first heard about Kickstarter..
posted by mediocre at 4:27 PM on October 14, 2010

Yeah, Seattle has at least two that I know of -- one called Nickelsville after our previous mayor, and one called Tent City 3, obviously implying at least 2 others. I'm on TC3's mailing list and can get you details about their contact person if you like; just memail me.

Post to Projects when you've got it sorted out!
posted by librarina at 9:04 PM on October 14, 2010