Hello Everyone! It’s George Roldan and Beth Wilson, the people who bring you the Rites of Spring Festival, otherwise known as RoSfest, (North America’s premier art rock festival). As we approach RoSfest 2019 in May, we are asking for your support to help us expand our reach into the Florida market with critical ad and radio campaigns. We love Progressive Rock and would like to guarantee that RoSfest succeeds by reaching a larger audience.
About This Project:
As many of you may know, RoSfest, independently owned by Roldan Entertainment and self-financed without any concessions from the music industry, has been going strong now for 15 years and has been primarily located in the Northeast with a strong fan base. We recently moved it to the sunny state of Florida in the city of Sarasota in hopes of growing our Prog family and continuing the festival for many years to come.
We have promoted progressive rock bands both domestically and internationally. Our festival has always been about the music and the fans and we are asking for your help to contribute to our campaign and make it a success. The progressive rock community needs festivals like RoSfest to help our music and enable the artists to have a strong platform to expose their music to the world. There are only a handful of these great independent events left in the USA, let alone the world.
RoSfest, created in 2004, is now in its 16th year! We have put in countless hours of preparation which will lead up to a wonderful 3-day weekend of musical bliss for all who attend in May 2019. Spending a lot of our own money to keep RoSfest going year after year, we are now appealing to our RoSfest family to join us in support so we can expand our reach to a larger audience by using Radio and Magazines to advertise.
We appeal to you, the music lover, to help us put RoSfest and progressive rock bands into the media and into the mainstream. Our plan is to promote RoSfest through media including local radio as well as regional and national magazine ads. We will continue to use social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to help promote RoSfest, but that’s not enough to get the word out. Our goal is to raise $6,500.00 to support these efforts.
You can help in a number of ways by donating to this Indiegogo campaign. Your contribution will help RoSfest get the word out to people who have no idea that this wonderful awesome festival exists. When people listen to Progressive music, it really helps heal the soul! By donating, you will be helping the bands get the attention they deserve. Our bands this year have been very responsive by donating very special one-off items as well as signed CD’s, customized recordings, records and drum heads to support this fundraiser as well as many other perks.
Some people just can’t contribute, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help:
Other Ways You Can Help
The more people who are aware of our radio and print campaign, the better our chances of raising the necessary funds. By emailing your friends about RoSfest, posting a link to this page on Facebook, or spreading the word on Twitter, you will be giving us enormous support.
Thank you so much for joining in and becoming an active part of our RoSfest family!
Pledge! Our anticipated completion date for RoSfest Radio and Magazine Ads is November 31, 2019. Please help us raise the money we need to allow us to get the word out. All funds raised will go directly towards the media campaign which in turn helps RoSfest.
Los Angeles – Martin Barre, best-known as guitarist in Jethro Tull – one of the biggest selling prog bands of all time, releases his new solo album Roads Less Travelled on Cleopatra Records on October 12, 2018.
Barre has developed his own distinctive style within the framework of Jethro Tull, and his instantly recognizable and original sound form the basis of this album. Roads Less Travelled features 11 original tracks by Barre, which reflect the last 50 years of his esteemed musical career.
Reflecting on the tracks & recording of the album, Barre says “I’ve concentrated on improving my songwriting over the last few years and as a result, I am really pleased with this new CD. Although my playing has a lot of space in the music, I’ve worked a lot harder on the arrangements and lyrics. My goal is to have a CD that keeps the listener from beginning to end. ‘Roads Less Travelled’ reflects my belief in taking music somewhere new.”
Barre’s solo on Jethro Tull’s 1971 hit “Aqualung” has been repeatedly voted as one of the top guitar solos of all time. Barre has been cited as an important influence by many virtuoso players, including Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai & Jo Satriani and can count the likes of Mark Knopfler and Geddy Lee amongst his many fans.
Track Listing:
1. Lone Wolf
2. Out of Time
3. On My Way
4. Roads Less Travelled
5. Badcore Blues
6. Seattle
7. For No Man
8. (This Is) My Driving Song
9. You Are An Angel
10. Trinity
11. And The Band Played On
While all the songs showcase his exceptional electric guitar, acoustic guitar and mandolin playing, the Martin Barre Band also shine throughout. A long-time resident of Devon, Barre’s band features several local musicians: Dan Crisp (vocals), Alan Thomson (bass/fretless bass), Darby Todd (drums), Becca Langsford (vocals/backing vocals), Josiah J (Percussion/Hammond), Aaron Graham (drums), Alex Hart (vocals/backing vocals) Buster Cottam (“stand up” bass).
About Martin Barre
Barre was the guitarist for rock band Jethro Tull from 1969 – 2012. Jethro Tull have sold an estimated 60 million albums worldwide, with 11 gold and 5 platinum albums among them and were described by Rolling Stone as “one of the most commercially successful progressive rock bands.” Barre appeared on all but their debut album during his 33 year stint with Tull and is the longest-serving member after Ian Anderson.
For four decades, Barre’s career focused on Jethro Tull but in the 1990s Barre began to perform as a solo artist and has since released 7 solo studio albums. On these recordings, Barre combined rock and guitar-oriented fusion in his sound.
Martin’s guitar playing has earned him a high level of respect and recognition; he was voted 25th best solo ever in the USA and 20th best solo ever in the UK for his playing on “Aqualung.” His playing on the album Crest of a Knave earned him a Grammy award in 1988.
In addition to his Jethro Tull and solo work, Martin has worked live with many other artists including: Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Jo Bonamassa and Chris Thompson and has shared a stage with such legends as Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
Mile Marker Zero is the final band signed for RoSfest 2019. They’re a very talented Progressive Rock group from New Haven, CT USA!
Mile Marker Zero isn’t a band that the average progressive rock fan will be all that much aware of, but they have been around in one guise or another for 15 years by now – or 13 years if you refer to the band’s official biography. They released their self-titled debut album back in 2009, and along with their 2006 EP “The Haunted” they did get quite a bit of attention in those earlier days. Being the first unsigned band to have their music featured in the video game series RockBand among the proud moments from that phase of their career.
In later years the band has released a second EP, “Young Rust” (2014), and in March 2018 the band launched their second album “The Fifth Row“. The quality of the latter was so impressive that we just had to book this band, even if we didn’t really have any free slots left – we’ll get back to how that detail will be sorted when we release the official schedule for RoSfest 2019.
For those not already aware of Mile Marker Zero, progressive metal with clear references to the foundations of the genre established “back in the day” by good old Rush is a fitting and appropriate manner in which to describe what this band is all about. We love it, and we are certain that many others will as well – especially after having seen them perform their material live on the stage of course.
RoSfest 2019 will take place on May 3rd through 5th, 2019 at the Sarasota Opera House, Florida. Scheduled bands to play: Friday- Cryptic Vision and Von Hertzen Brothers. Saturday- Entransient, Mile Marker Zero, Karmamoi, Phideaux and Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Tour with Martin Barre, Clive Bunker and Jonathan Noyce. Sunday- Edge of Reality, Traverser, Flor De Loto, and Riverside. The complete schedule with times will be posted shortly on the RoSfest website.
We love this 2019 lineup and think that you will too! Hope to see everyone in Sarasota next May!
Platinum seat tickets on sale September 4th, 2018 Gold seat tickets on sale October 5th, 2018 Regular seat tickets on sale December 7th, 2018
Finnish progressive rock band, Von Hertzen Brothers, makes a welcome return to RoSfest in 2019, this time as the Friday night headliners.
It’s been almost ten years since this fine Finnish band was booked for RoSfest first time around. At that time, the announcement of them signed to the festival was met with a few puzzled faces and question marks. Those who were aware of the band at that time, mainly due to their fantastic third album “Love Remains the Same” from 2008, knew what they were in for obviously, but many had quite the pleasant experience when they heard what the band delivered at RoSfest back in 2010.
We are bringing them back for the headliner slot in 2019. It is a good pairing with Cryptic Vision for starters, as both of them are returning bands that haven’t played for us for a number of years. In addition, Von Hertzen Brothers have continued being an active live and recording band all along, with four additional studio albums to their name, all of them strong, quality productions, and the band’s reputation as a potent and high quality live act have continued to grow too. The reports coming in from the band’s recently concluded 10 year celebration tour for “Love Remains the Same” are glowing brighter than the sun itself.
Van Hertzen Brothers have been gaining attention. It is this sonic exploration that has seen them blaze a trail across Europe since 2006, leading them to play with artists from Foo Fighters, 30 Seconds to Mars, Neil Young, Biffy Clyro, The Wildhearts and ZZ Top to Anathema and Opeth. With seven stunning studio albums to their credit, VHB have developed into a fantastic live band. This band is the perfect fit for the RoSfest lineup and its audience.
RoSfest 2019 will take place on May 3rd through 5th, 2019 at the Sarasota Opera House, Florida. The final line-up and schedule for the festival are Cryptic Vision, Entransient, Karmamoi, Phideaux, Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary tour with official members Martin Barre, Clive Bunker and Jonathan Noyce. Edge of Reality, Traverser, Flor de Loto and Riverside.
UK composer and musician Martin Barre is best known for being a vital member of legendary progressive rock band Jethro Tull being their guitarist for more than four decades and performing on all their classic albums. His sound and contributions to the band have been a major factor in their success. Album sales have exceeded 60 million units and they continue to be played worldwide, representing an important part of progressive rock history.
Martin’s guitar playing has earned him a high level of respect and recognition; he was voted 25th best solo ever in the USA and 20th best solo ever in the UK for his playing on ‘Aqualung’. His playing on the album ‘Crest of a Knave’ earned him a Grammy award in 1988. As well as numerous Jethro Tull albums, Martin has worked with many other artists including Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa and Chris Thompson and has shared a stage with such legends as Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. While he is now firmly established as a solo artist, he is not a stranger to his past, and that past will be a vital part of the headliner show that will be presented at ROSfest, 2019.
Clive Bunker Clive was born on the 12th of December, 1946. He took up the drums as a serious occupation with his friend and compatriot, Mick Abrahams in the group “McGregor’s Engine” in 1967. Based in Luton, England, the band played in the general locality with Clive mustering an extraordinary non-matching drum kit, comprised of bits and pieces of various manufacturers’ equipment. It was as a drummer of “mix and match” description that he joined the fledgling Jethro Tull at the end of ’67 to accompany Ian Anderson, Mick and Glenn Cornick in the early, heady days of the post-blues-boom years of Brit-rock.
Never the self-professed technical drummer, Clive made his impact, based on his throbbing, gritty engagement with the essence of blues and rock and roll, moved by the work of Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell et al.
Later, Clive was to become firm friends of Corky Laing of “Mountain” and the many other drummers from the bands with which the early Tull found themselves appearing on the first US tours in 1969 and 1970. After the album “Aqualung”, Clive felt that Tull was entering a more complex musical phase, not so much in keeping with his own earthier roots, and volunteered to take early retirement to the different world of marriage, dog kennel management, and a venture in light engineering which had been his previous profession. Tull continued with the employment of Barrie Barlow, an old chum of Ian’s and John’s from schooldays in Blackpool.
In 1974, Clive joined the band “Blodwyn Pig” which Mick Abrahams had formed on his departure from Tull in 1969.
Today, Clive still remains a sought-after session musician, with many, many credits to his name amongst the world of old and not-so-old music groups.
Jonathan Noyce
A native of England, Jonathan Noyce was born in 1971. After trying his hand at many different instruments, Noyce eventually settled on the bass. He did his time at the Royal Academy of Music, beginning in 1990. It was during this time that he first hooked up with David Palmer. In 1995, Noyce met Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, who eventually recommended him as a possible bassist for Ian Anderson’s solo tour. He got the gig and did that tour. Shortly after, he went on to become the bass player for Jethro Tull following the departure of Dave Pegg in 1995. He has been with that group ever since, although he still finds time to do other projects.
This show will celebrate 50 years of Jethro Tull in the United States. The show will revolve around a music history of Jethro Tull with Barre and two other former members of Jethro Tull.Clive Bunker, who was their drummer from 1967 to 1971, and Jonathan Noyce, Tull’s bassist from 1995 to 2007.In addition to the three aforementioned members, Martin Barre will be joined by members of his solo band on tour. They are vocalist Dan Crisp, bassist Alan Thompson, and drummer Darby Todd.
This performance will be 2, 60-minute sets with a 15-minute intermission. This is a world class performance delivered by one of the world’s best, most renowned guitarists.
Apart from Ian Anderson’s own solo concerts, this will be the closest thing you can get to experiencing a Jethro Tull concert in 2019, consisting of former members of Jethro Tull performed by seasoned musicians of which several were a part of the band itself and hence know this material intimately. It doesn’t get much better than that. If you like “Sitting on a Park Bench” there are several across the street from the Sarasota Opera House or you can come inside in the air-conditioned theater and enjoy the bliss with Martin Barre performing Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Tour!
RoFest 2019 will take place on May 3rd through 5th, 2019 at the Sarasota Opera House, Florida. The final line-up and schedule for the festival are still TBA. Confirmed bands to appear so far are Headliner – Riverside, Karmamoi, Traverser, Entransient, and Edge of Reality.
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