Alternative rock trio MAE is currently in the midst of a social movement called “12 Songs, 12 Months, 1 Goal: Make a Difference.” The band, composed of Dave Elkins (lead vocals/guitars), Jacob Marshall (drums), and Zach Gehring (guitar), is releasing (physically and digitally) three separate collections of music: (M)ORNING, (A)FTERNOON, and (E)VENING. Partnering with charitable and humanitarian organizations, they will be touring to support this venture and will be in Fargo at the Aquarium on Monday, October 26 with Jenny Owen Youngs and Deas Vail.

Without a proper record label, the Norfolk VA group is releasing these music collections on their own imprint, Cell Records, now in partnership with Tooth & Nail Records for distribution. After a limited edition printing that sold out this spring, (M)ORNING was released to stores September 22, including the original eight songs plus a special DVD documentary portraying how the group developed the campaign and is achieving its goals. Only 2500 copies of a limited edition version of (A)FTERNOON will be made available during this upcoming fall tour, featuring 8 new songs including the current single “The Fight Song (Crash and Burn).” Individual songs for both discs are also available for download with a minimum donation of $1 through the band’s official website www.whatismae.com.

So far, MAE has raised $50,299.50 this year. The first charity the group partnered with was their local Habitat for Humanity in Newport News VA and helped build a home for a family in need. For (A)FTERNOON, the band has aligned with Donors Choose (www.donorschoose.org) to help teachers across the country directly get the supplies they are lacking for their classrooms.

In addition to donating proceeds from their music sales, MAE will also donate their time at every stop of this fall tour. Before each show, the band and local fans known as the “Maeteamers” will volunteer at local community soup kitchens, homeless shelters, clothing and food drivers, etc.

After each show, MAE will perform an acoustic set for donations, all of which will go directly to the local chapter of Donors Choose. Their mission is to impact a school in every state in the country.

Aside from just the music, MAE also likes to provide their fans with something more to cultivate growth and welcome possibility: A Multisensory Aesthetic Experience, as embodied in the band’s name. For this tour, the trio will now incorporate the sensory stimulation of touch into their shows in addition to their stunning 3D projection visuals and “rub and smell” scented CDs, which first debuted on the Spring tour. The combination of these elements will create a unique experience allowing fans to a unique musical experience.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 2:39 pm and is filed under Issues, October 2009. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.