Young Unificationist Musicians Gear Up for Tour across America
Unificationist-born musicians based in Los Angeles, New York City and Omaha are teaming up for a 12-state tour on which they will perform in a different state every night. They will begin their tour in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on August 11 and end in San Francisco on August 27.
The artists—Sail the Boat, based in NYC/New Jersey; Taking the Hourglass, based in Omaha; and Youngbok Gomez, based in Los Angeles—call themselves indie alternative groups. Because they are all Unificationists with a similar musical style, they share a lot of the same fan base across America.
Sail the Boat is a four-piece ensemble, with members Glenn Haider, Oji and Rudy Bahian, and Hyun Moraes. The band describes its sound as alternative, indie, experimental, chill music, and cites Young the Giant, Local Natives, Kings of Leon, Thrice, and Delta Spirit as its biggest influences.
Led by a female power-vocalist, Taking the Hourglass combines driving passion with melodic thought. With influences in indie rock, progressive rock, electronic and folk, Taking the Hourglass has striven to deliver a high level of thought and honesty in its lyrics. Its members are Rachel Curtin, Ilseuk Masuda, Aaron Krak and Eric Clemens.
Youngbok Gomez describes his music as “pop oriented, but varies between acoustic, ambient, alternative rock, electronic, and even orchestral.” He hopes to create very grand and epic-sounding music that infuses all these types of music. He is highly influenced by artists like Imogen Heap, 30 Seconds to Mars, One Republic, Ellie Goulding and Kings of Leon. “They are all sort of ‘pop-based,’ but they have signature, unique sounds,” he said. “That’s sort of what I’m going for.”
“This all started with a conversation I had with Rachel and Ilseuk in March,” said Hyun. “We had performed at the same shows before, at previous Blessed Culture and Sports Festivals, as well as at a benefit concert held by Women’s Federation for World Peace. Our bands seemed to be in a similar position, getting ready to promote our new albums, and it seemed like a good time for us to both be on the road. I called Youngbok and he said the same thing, he had been thinking about touring as well. So we’ve been planning this tour for months.
“We’re hoping that two things will happen through this tour,” Hyun continued. “First, that this tour will be an example to others, that if you have a goal or a dream, nothing can stop you. If you surround yourself with people with similar dreams, and you have the support of your community, then really anything is possible. Second, we want to convey messages of hope to the people we perform for. We want our music to touch our audience and communicate something deeper, to uplift, inspire, and to help them if they’re dealing with something difficult.”
To help fund their project and all the costs, the three acts have started a crowd-funding campaign, which currently is accepting donations. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” their website says. “We want to make the most of this opportunity by hitting as many of these cities as we possibly can. This is a huge venture that we’re extremely excited to offer our friends and fans, and we can’t wait. … There are many costs involved with getting three groups together to tour the country: van rental, fuel to get the van from Massachusetts to California and back, tolls along the way, food for ten people, and the venue fees for the actual shows.”
In gratitude for donors’ support, the bands will be offering tickets to shows in each city, CDs, T-shirts, posters, and many other tokens of thanks.
For a complete list of the tour dates and venues, and to donate, visit indiegogo.com. The last day to donate will be July 22.