CINCINNATI, OH – Each year since 2015, more than 2,000 music lovers have followed their a cappella star to a NO PROMISES Vocal Band Christmas concert. But in 2020, the pandemic has other plans.
This year, the ensemble will produce a streaming presentation of its Christmas With NO PROMISES Concert, shot at Cincinnati’s beautiful Memorial Hall. The concert will feature sacred and secular holiday favorites, as well as music from NO PROMISES’ everyday repertoire. Viewers will recognize timeless Christmas classics by Joni Mitchell, Donnie Hathaway and Judy Garland, and the premiere of new arrangements of tunes by Maroon 5, Stevie Wonder, Singers Unlimited and The Temptations.
NO PROMISES has launched a corresponding Kickstarter campaign to cover the estimated $5,250 to record and present the concert. As of October 26, the five-day-old campaign is 50% to its goal, with $2,600, and 23 days, remaining.
The ensemble is targeting a December 8 release of its streaming concert to “backers” of the fundraising campaign, who will receive immediate access to the entire performance. The concert will become available to the general public shortly before Christmas, with individual songs released in the interval.
Potential donors may learn more about the concert and the campaign on the band’s Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/184086923/no-promises-saves-christmas
The Campaign to “Save Christmas”
In a typical year, NO PROMISES would appear at neighborhood arts venues and places of worship, accepting donations and ticket sales to offset costs. The 2020 digital concert campaign turns the model on its head, seeking contributions in advance of the performance to cover expenses including venue rental, video recording and editing, audio engineering and licensing.
Pledges early in the campaign have ranged from $10 – $500. “Rewards” for contributions include:
- Exclusive early access to the entire 2020 Christmas With NO PROMISES streaming concert
- NO PROMISES custom magnets and masks
- Invitation to the concert video shoot
- Sponsorship of individual songs or of the entire concert
Should the campaign exceed its goal, excess funds will be contributed the venues where NO PROMISES might have otherwise performed in 2020, as well as to support individual singers.
The campaign will conclude on November 19, 2020. If the goal is not reached, NO PROMISES will not receive any of the pledged funding.
Christmas with NO PROMISES – An Aural History
For many, the yearly Christmas With NO PROMISES tour has become one of the most anticipated performances of the year, earning a 2019 nomination by Movers & Makers magazine as Cincinnati’s Top Chamber Music Concert. Past tours have included stops in Dayton, Columbus, Toledo and Findlay, complementing beloved local venues including The Garfield Theater, The Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, and the band’s perennial favorite, Community of the Good Shepherd. Other recent venues have included Covington’s The Carnegie, Walnut Hills’ New Thought Unity Center, Montgomery’s The Uni, New Richmond’s historic Mt. Zion-St. Paul United Church of Christ, Withamsville’s St. Thomas More.
About NO PROMISES
NO PROMISES is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and breathtaking harmonizations to popular favorites of jazz, Motown, and yacht rock. The group has entertained at festivals, concert series, conventions and concert halls throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists, theatrical talent buyers, and hairdressers with a passion for a cappella singing.
The group has released three recording projects: A No Promises Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019).
The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), Ryan Strand (North College Hill), David Baum (Montgomery), Jeff Grooms (Cold Spring, KY), Matt Croy (Findlay, OH), and Nat Comisar (Indian Hill). Current guest artists are Noah Berry (Dayton, OH), Kyle Karnes (Oakley), and Schyler Vargas (Chicago, IL).
Curious about how Broadway actor David Baum joined NO PROMISES and became a clinical psychologist, or the surprising musical background of former Maisonette owner Nat Comisar? Check out individual bios at http://www.nopromisesvocalband.com/lineup/.
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