NOW FUNDING: Truth & Magic

NYC’s “finest funky disco kids” the Gentleman Brawlers are spinning up a 90-minute interactive concert experience dubbed Truth & Magic, which is slated to debut at Culture Lab LIC this December:

TRUTH & MAGIC is a live concert experience centered on generating collective joy by blurring the lines between audiences and performers. A multi-sensory experience, this 90-minute interactive production will explore ways to recapture a kind of intimate connection between artists and concertgoers, transporting audiences to where music, dance, play, and nostalgia intertwine.

Think: Fuerza Bruta energy + Meow Wolf visuals + American Utopia concert = TRUTH & MAGIC

Before the funk can start there’s the little matter of raising the production cash. Which is why this is a NOW FUNDING feature. The campaign has reached $3500 with a goal of $20K as of the latest info available at press time.

We checked in with Becca Fox co-leader of the Gentleman Brawlers about the campaign which runs through the top of December for the show which aims to open Dec. 13th.

This is No Proscenium’s NOW FUNDING, a look at immersive experiences & events currently crowdfunding. To learn more about how your event could be considered for the feature check out How To Get Covered By NoPro.

NO PROSCENIUM: Tell us a little bit about this planned experience. What’s it about? What makes it immersive?

Becca Fox: Think back to when you attended your first live concert experience. How old were you? What do you remember — the colors, the sounds, the smells? Who were you with? How did it feel to experience music through your entire body? With every sense? When was the last time you felt that indescribable, yet magical feeling in a room full of strangers sharing one musical pulse?

By entering this ~90 min immersive concert experience, Truth & Magic will take you on an amorphous, nostalgic journey where audiences are free to test, play, and expand the human senses communally through JOY. Filled with experiential activities, games, and live musical interactions, concertgoers and performers will be challenged to ask, who we are, where we’re going, and how we can savor life on our own terms.

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Tap into your inner child, just say yes, and join us through the trippy haze of shared joy, leading up to a Gentleman Brawlers’ blastoff concert experience. Truth is what you sense, magic is what you create.

NP: What is the inspiration for your upcoming experience?

BF: Truth & Magic started as an idea I had back in 2019 in response to a live music scene that felt more and more voyeuristic to me, and less experiential. Being in the “here and now” where audience members interact with each other in real time from start to finish feels rare, precious, and elusive. By generating collective joy and blurring the lines between audiences and performers, we hope through Truth & Magic to recapture that kind of intimate connection.

Artistically speaking, our collective Gentleman Brawlers focuses on building communal audience experiences by encouraging joy and freedom of self-expression no matter a person’s age, skill level, or ability. This lets audiences connect, discover, and participate in fun and unexpected ways. Above all, we want to advocate for real play and joy in our everyday lives. That’s it!

NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this upcoming experience?

BF: This experience will be a great bridge — bringing together people who primarily seek out either concerts or immersive shows and welcome them into a new hybrid experience. For immersive fans, they will not only step INSIDE a concert to watch it, but to MAKE it happen which is truly exciting. Truth & Magic aims to break the 4th wall between concert audiences and performers, enabling everyone to collaborate within a multi-sensory space to unlock more and more magic as they work together. Ultimately, we hope to create a new genre for concerts that starts from the moment someone steps inside the world of Truth & Magic and continues well beyond our after party.

NP: Have you crowdfunded before? If so, is there anything different about your experience (or expectations) this time?

BF: No, but excited to do so! Self-producing work is both rewarding and scary — crowdfunding is no different. With each approach to potential new donors, our idea feels more and more tangible, while simultaneously building a community around our core idea and goals we’re passionate about. Not only is our fanbase growing with the more exposure we receive, but our creative team is as well which is truly amazing.

NP: What are some of the perks on offer for backers?

BF: We’re offering advanced notice to our backers for ticket sales and shout outs throughout the fundraising process in addition to donor credits on our programs. We are also offering higher billing for donors of $1k or more, as well as VIP entry in advance of general admission.

Discover the latest immersive events, festivals, workshops, and more at our new site EVERYTHING IMMERSIVE, home of NoPro’s show listings.

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