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Camplified 2009 Artists & Bands: Part 3 of 3

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

There comes a time when all good things must come to end, such as the Camplified tour. But that does not mean the memories of great times and the sounds of amazing music cannot still live on, in us. This is the last installment of the bands that have graced the many different stages of the Camplified tour.

The first band I am going to talk about is a young group of guys, BYS.

Their music is of pop punk influence. Over the course of a few tour dates with them the Camplified crew was singing along to some pretty good songs. One of the crowd favorites was “Erased”. This is an upbeat song and sounds like a great old school punk song.

Erased by chestersgirl

This next artist is a solo artist that has opened for the Jonas Brothers and many other bands of the pop genre. He is a funny, talented and kind guy. All of those qualities come through in his music. That’s right I am talking about the one and only Phil Bensen.

Phil singing at Day In The Park Camp

Phil singing at Day In The Park Camp

While on tour he entertained us many of times by creating a song while on stage in front of the crowd just by using a name, place, color anything you can think of that was shouted to him from the crowd. It was one of many great experiences, I will never forget while being on this tour. He had so many great songs for us here at Camplified to choose from but at the end of the day we choose “Slow Down”

Slow Down by lisamsmith6 (more…)

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This Just In…

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

CAMPLIFIED PARTNERS WITH PRIMARY WAVE MUSIC

Playing In Front Of 40,000 Teens And Tweens At Over 35 Different Camps

NEW YORK, NY, August 24, 2009 —In its 8th and most successful summer, the CAMPLIFIED tour played in front of 40,000 teens and tweens at over 35 different camps. CAMPLIFIED is a nationally recognized musical endeavor, providing teens and tweens at summer camps the experience of a rock concert, complete with the VIP/backstage experience.

The brainchild of Aimee Berger and Carl Freed (of Trevanna Entertainment), CAMPLIFIED was conceived in 2001 when Berger, frustrated by the dwindling monies being set aside for artist development within the record industry, had the idea to get back to grass-roots marketing.

“I started reminiscing about the good old days at summer camp,” recalls Berger. “I wanted to put a tour together that would bring emerging artists into the camps where there’s a captive and receptive audience.”

Berger partnered with Primary Wave Music in 2008 to help expand the Camplified brand with sponsors and create a digital community, www.camplified.com for campers online. “The CAMPLIFIED event is a unique marketing vehicle for both brands and bands during the summer, but best of all, the digital community being constructed at Camplified.com will allow the bands, brands and campers to interact long after camp ends,” says Berger.

At CAMPLIFIED events, the campers are able to interact with the performers, and participate inage-appropriate sponsored activities such as a Rock Band Competition presented by MTV Rockband. This year, other sponsors included Little Brown Books, Cartoon Network, YuGiOh, Scholastic Books, Ian’s Natural Foods, HP Computers and Sonicbids.

Lisa Ickowicz of Little Brown Books says, “It’s great for the sponsoring companies because they are able to reach their target audience to promote products while also adding to the kids’ camp experiences.” Ickowicz adds that the company wanted to jump on board because CAMPLIFIED events seemed like the perfect place to merge different forms of art, “It’s a great situation for the kids because not only are they having fun at camp, but they get the added experience of seeing a great new band or meeting a favorite author”.

Doug Pierce, the owner/director of the Pierce Country Day Camp said, “CAMPLIFIED did an outstanding job involving the kids,” says Pierce. “Their artists were camper-friendly. It really became an interactive event.”

The bands/artists included Jaicko, 2AM Club, Kicking Daisies, Duke Squad, Loomis and the Lust, Lauren Frost, Jersey Kidz, Misha Williams, Lansdowne, Taylor Bright, Phil Bensen, Rick Seibold and Faces Without Names.

Press Contacts:
Primary Wave Music
Justin Shukat
212.661.6990
jshukat@primarywavemusic.com

Tiffany Bakker
tiffanybakker@y7mail.com

About Primary Wave Music Publishing and Marketing

Primary Wave is one of the largest music publishers and music marketers in the United States. It is a global music company that markets its unique repertoire, which includes an interest in the Beatles songs written by John Lennon, the catalogs of Kurt Cobain/Nirvana, Steven Tyler/Aerosmith, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Robert Lamm, Jimmy Pankow, and Lee Loughnane of the band Chicago, Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire), Steve Earle, Lamont Dozier, Daniel Johnston, Bo Diddley, Holly Knight, Sara and Janna Allen, Justin Furstenfeld/Blue October, Six Degrees, Marvin Hamlisch, The Matrix music production team, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and approximately 3,000 titles from a major film music publishing catalog as well as a 50% interest in the original music company Think Music.net, a joint venture with Pulse Music. In addition, Primary Wave has co-publishing deals with The Airborne Toxic Event, Anberlin, Saving Abel, Shwayze, Albert Hammond Jr, New Boyz, John Forte, The Boxer Rebellion, Matt Serletic and Emblem Music Group, Saxon Shore, Steve Morales, Taddy Porter, and The HitterZz as well as marketing and administration agreements with Graham Parker, Katrina and The Waves, Reveille, Evolution Entertainment/Twisted Pictures, QED, Team Baby Entertainment, Andy Razaf, Reggie Watts, Ray J, and Gregg Allman. Primary Wave is based in New York with offices in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.

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Camplified ’09 pulls through Oakland to visit Camp Matoaka!

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

Our time in Oakland, ME continued today as we visited Camp Manitou’s all-girls sister camp. The girls involved in today’s Camplified tour stop ranged in ages from 7 – 16 – and they were ALL excited. It was a great environment to walk in to! There were some talented musicians-in-the-making who taught us some tricks on MTV’s Rockband. A few of our own Camplified musicians were playing some tricks of their own with our sponsor HP’s MediaSmart Software.

Oh no, they're multiplying!

Oh no, they're multiplying!

Next up, we had autograph and signing sessions with all of the musicians. Each musician visited with each camper who came by – it was pretty special to see the artist-fan interaction. Here, Taylor Bright takes a goofy picture with some happy fans.

Everyone say cheese!

Everyone say cheese!

Today’s afternoon concert was pretty exciting. The girls were already super fans of Taylor and Misha Williams – they walked around camp singing the songs!

Misha started the show and got all the girls out of their seats

Misha started the show and got all the girls out of their seats

Taylor sings her heart out - and the crowd loves it

Taylor sings her heart out - and the crowd loves it

Duke Squad took the stage and were greeted by hundreds of screaming fans. These girls were ready to rock!

Phil from Duke Squad greets some very happy fans

Phil from Duke Squad greets some very happy fans

The concert was a huge success! Combined with the autograph sessions and the activities, the concert just topped off the amazing day that we had with the campers and staff at Camp Matoaka. It was a great few days in Oakland, ME – see you guys next year!

Posted by Jess Fontaine, Crew Member

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Oakland, ME welcomes Camplified!

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Camplified ’09 visited Camp Manitou in Oakland, ME today. The all-boys camp was a real treat as the campers took part in MTV’s Rockband activities and played some Yu-Gi-Oh! with our experts.

The campers get into MTV's Rockband

The campers get into MTV's Rockband

Yu-Gi-Oh! expert Robert goes through some rules and tricks with campers

Yu-Gi-Oh! expert Robert goes through some rules and tricks with campers

Tonight’s concert featured sets from Taylor Bright, Misha Williams, and Duke Squad. The camp was ready for us – for the last few weeks, they’d been listening to the music of tonight’s artists daily. They were pumped for tonight’s show!

The evening started out with Taylor Bright’s set. You would think a teenage girl would be intimidated playing to a room of a few hundred teenage boys…but Taylor is no average teenage girl. She had them all in the palm of her hand in no time – and they came to visit her to say hello later, too.

Taylor puts on another great show for the campers at Camp Manitou

Taylor puts on another great show for the campers at Camp Manitou

Next up was Misha Williams. Misha plays a great set filled with dance songs and some slower acoustic numbers. She has an amazing voice so even when she slows the show down a bit, the campers are still completely mesmerized with her and her performance.

Misha entertains the masses

Misha entertains the masses

Last up was Duke Squad. The Duke Squad boys are super high energy and always have a great time on stage. So, playing to a room of teenage boys gets pretty rowdy. The boys are jumping around and having a wild time within minutes – it’s crazy!

the Duke Squad boys are ready to rock

the Duke Squad boys are ready to rock

At the end of the night the artists sat and met with the campers – everyone connected through email or Facebook or whatnot, and all the kids left happily knowing they’d get updates on when they could see these musicians perform again.

Taylor Brights meets and signs some posters for some very excited campers

Taylor Brights meets and signs some posters for some very excited campers

Camp Manitou laid out a great day for the Camplified crew and artists. We had a wonderful time setting up the tour at camp – thanks Camp Manitou!

Posted by Jess Fontaine, Crew Member

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Camplified visits Camp Southwoods and the Adirondacks!

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

We rolled into Paradox, NY today to visit the campers at Camp Southwoods. We set up our show in the camp’s beautiful theatre and our Camplified Sound Crew got to work. Today’s concert featured Misha Williams, Kicking Daisies, and Duke Squad. We had an afternoon show, which was interesting for us, but the campers’ energy was infectious. Between the young campers and the older counselors – the residents at Camp Southwoods were ready to rock!

Misha and her guitar entertain the campers!

Misha and her guitar entertain the campers!

Duke Squad gets the crowd up and dancing

Duke Squad gets the crowd up and dancing

Ben and Duran (of Kicking Daisies) share some energy with the Camp Southwoods campers

Ben and Duran (of Kicking Daisies) share some energy with the Camp Southwoods campers

After the show, the musicians visited with the campers for some Meet & Greet time and some autographs. Also, we were able to share the Scholastic-love with the Camp Southwoods campers – everyone gets a book!!

Scholastic books were on hand for all campers!

Scholastic books were on hand for all campers!

At this point in the tour, our artists have become friends and it adds a special element to each event. Today was no exception as the musicians visited before and after their sets.

Misha, Duke Squad, and Kicking Daisies pose for a group shot to celebrate their day at Camp Southwoods!

Misha, Duke Squad, and Kicking Daisies pose for a group shot to celebrate their day at Camp Southwoods!

Between the rowdy concert, the great autograph session, and the Scholastic books, Camp Southwoods treated Camplified ’09 right! We had a great time – it was a fantastic day in Paradox, NY. Thank you Camp Southwoods!

Posted by Jess Fontaine, Crew Member

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We Camplified Weequahic!!

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Spending the day at Weequahic was a blast and an extremely unique experience!

Not only did our activities go off without a hitch, but we were honored to help break their color war! It was amazing! Most of the Camplified crew had never seen such a thing, including myself, so we were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm and excitement that soaked the camp.

Color War !!!!

Color War !!!!

We threw a Rockband competition earlier in the day so the winners could grace the Camplified stage and play for their fellow campers. Little did they know that their prize would be COLOR WAR!!! All of our artists on the bill that day participated in the fun!

One of the finalists!!

One of the finalists!!


Duke Squad closing out the exciting night for Weequahic!

Duke Squad closing out the exciting night for Weequahic!

All in all, Weequahic was a unique experience for everyone. Camplified broke a color war and it couldn’t have been better!!!! Thanks for letting us help you begin your color war, teams Army and Navy!!!!

Posted by Alicia Pettine

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Weequahic teaches Camplified some color war tricks!

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Camplified visited Camp Weequahic in Lakewood, PA today. Weequahic is in the same area as a recent camp we visited, so we were happy to return to the part of NY where we’ve already made some great memories. Camp Weequahic has been around for a few decades – and the grounds are amazing! The directors were so welcoming and accommodating to us today – between all of our great activities and the amazing freebies we leave in our wake, sometimes we can be quite a handful! But the minute we pulled on to Weequahic’s grounds we knew we were in for a special day.

We got started with MTV’s Rockband, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Cartoon Network in their beautiful rec center. It’s an incredible space and offered more than enough room for our crew and equipment, and the many visitors we received throughout the day. You can always count on MTV’s Rockband to get the party started early – today’s big hit was Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger.” Interestingly enough, it happens to be the camp’s fight song. It was perfect! Across the hall was the Cartoon Network station where kids got caught up playing FusionFall and watching some great videos.

Lisa, our FusionFall expert, helps some campers get acquainted with the game

Lisa, our FusionFall expert, helps some campers get acquainted with the game


And just a few steps away our Yu-Gi-Oh! experts were teaching campers all about the game and tricks they can use to get better on their own.
Our Yu-Gi-Oh! expert Robert teaches a camper some new tricks

Our Yu-Gi-Oh! expert Robert teaches a camper some new tricks


The dull roar coming from inside the rec center was pretty crazy – lots of busy, happy campers!

Tonight’s concert featured sets from Misha Williams, Kicking Daisies, and Duke Squad. Misha started the night off right with some great dance music, and some beautiful guitar work. Kicking Daisies were up next and they were a huge hit. KD does a great cover of GNR’s “Hot For Teacher” – every single time the campers go wild! It’s great!

Kicking Daisies gets the crowd into it

Kicking Daisies gets the crowd into it

Finally, Duke Squad hit the stage to round out the evening. The boys from Montreal always keep the party going and they get the party poopers up on their feet and dancing. It’s definitely their feel-good music, but also just the pure energy from the band members that make you want to dance. They obviously enjoy what they do – and they’re really good at it!

The boys from Duke Squad celebrate their set with some help from the campers

The boys from Duke Squad celebrate their set with some help from the campers

We had an unusual end to the evening…..Camplified broke Campe Weequahic’s color war! It was huuuuuge. The campers had been asking us about the top-secret event all day and the Camplified crew was having a really hard time – we’re not that great at being mischievous! But once the news broke after Duke Squad’s set, there was no stopping the energy. As the campers made their way to their starting positions for the next few days of intense activities, we discussed Scholastic Books and Ian’s cookies with the directors. Although we couldn’t give them to the kids directly (they were already off and running with their color war) we knew they would be super excited when they received them from their counselors the next day. Although it was a bit disappointing that we didn’t get to see their faces when they received them, just remembering the reactions from the kids at the other camps – and knowing how excited Camp Weequahic’s campers would be was good enough for us.

After all was said and done, Camp Weequahic was an amazing stop on the Camplified ’09 tour. We had some very excited campers who got pumped over MTV’s Rockband, learned Yu-Gi-Oh! and some new Yu-Gi-Oh! tricks, and got to play some CN FusionFall. And if that wasn’t enough, they were then treated to some rock from Misha, Kicking Daisies, and Duke Squad. It was an amazing day – even the crew couldn’t help but have a great time at camp today! Thanks Camp Weequahic – hope to see you next year!

Posted by Jess Fontaine, Crew Member

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Camplified brings the rock to Camp Kenwal

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Camp Kenwal, in Melville, NY welcomed the Camplified tour onto their campus today. Kenwal is a great day camp with kids of all shapes and sizes – we don’t see many really young kids on this tour, so today’s visit to Camp Kenwal was fun from the minute we rolled into their parking lot.

We were very lucky with a beautiful day today and we set up to Cartoon Network and MTV Rockband activities outside on their tennis courts. This proved to be a very smart idea as we had so many kids that wanted to be involved – it was hard to get them all close enough to the activities! First up was Cartoon Network where FusionFall was set up. We had five HP laptops running the game while different groups of boys and girls alternated turns. We had some campers that were familiar with the game and had played in at home, while others were just hearing about it – and getting to play it! – for the first time.

MTV’s Rockband was also set up on the tennis courts. Between two stations Camp Kenwal campers drummed, sang, and strummed their hearts out. The rock “anthems” still reign supreme when kids are selecting songs, but that’s ok with us. Rockband’s got a great selection!

Later that day we had some music. Today’s concert featured Taylor Bright, Misha Williams and Duke Squad. Taylor had made some friends at camp who joined her onstage, while Misha brought up a few campers to help her dance it out to a song. Both girls were great today.

Taylor brings their campers to their feet

Taylor brings their campers to their feet

the kids loved Misha!

the kids loved Misha!

Duke Squad closed the show with a rowdy set – full of rock and pop and lots of jumping around. Although the stage is was set up in the cafeteria-area, the kids were out of their seats and dancing through most of the show. It was a great show!

Phil from Duke Squad makes some fans very happy

Phil from Duke Squad makes some fans very happy

Thanks again, Camp Kenwal. We had a great time playing with you guys, and enjoying some rock music – hope you did too! As these camps get better and better, I find myself not being able to wait until tomorrow. See you guys at Camp Weequahic on Wednesday!

Posted by Jess Fontaine, Crew Member

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Camplifed + Golden Sipper

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Camplified was welcomed to Stroudsburg, PA today by the Golden Slipper summer camp. The Camplified crew arrived to the camp just in time for lunch and was greeted by hundreds of screaming and chanting campers! The three bands on the bill today – Taylor Bright, Misha Williams, and Duke Squad all prepared the camp with recorded music. The kids had been listening to it for days (maybe weeks!) and were ready for tonight’s show! The crew was greeted with cheers of “Tay-lor Bright, Tay-lor Bright,” but that quickly quieted down once our group of 20-somethings and sound guys entered the room. We definitely weren’t Taylor Bright!

Taylor opened tonight’s show – she gets along really well with the campers and is such a pro onstage. She brought up a few campers to help her throughout the show and everyone had a great time.

The crowd loooooves Taylor at Golden Slipper!

The crowd loooooves Taylor at Golden Slipper!

Next up was Misha Williams who has only played a few dates with the tour thus far. She sang a bit, danced a bit, and played a bit of guitar. She had some crowd participation too – the crowd loved it!

Misha had a great set - and the kids loved it!

Misha had a great set - and the kids loved it!

Last up was Duke Squad. After the two ladies, the crowd was ready to party with these boys! Jake, Phil, Devin and Jim are all so high energy – right away they get the kids up and dancing and having a good time. The end of their sets are always great because when the lights come up the place is full of tired, happy kids. It’s always a fun time.

the Duke Squad boys brought the house down!

the Duke Squad boys brought the house down!

After the show we had an autograph sessions in which campers got to meet the bands. Taylor and Misha were each swamped at their tables, while the Duke Squad boys were able to spread out the crazy fans between the four members. After the kids jump around and rock out during the concert I would think they’d be too tired for autographs – but I was wrong! They love meeting the band members and talking them up. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day because everyone gets so excited. The artists love meeting fans and the campers are always so enthusiastic when they get to talk to the bands. I guess it’s the “rock star” thing…
golden slipper autograph

Also down the way was the Scholastic book giveaway. Scholastic donated enough books so that each camper who attends a Camplified concert gets a book. It’s awesome! The kids line up and take a quick look – and there’s always a lot of chatter as they discuss who’s trading what when they’re finished. After some good old-fashioned rock show fun, it’s nice to see the campers get pumped about reading as well.

thanks to Scholastic, Camplified was able to pass along books to some very excited Golden Slipper readers!

thanks to Scholastic, Camplified was able to pass along books to some very excited Golden Slipper readers!

Golden Slipper were great hosts to Camplified and the artists, today. It was a day like no other on the Camplified tour – and with all the fun days we’ve had, that’s saying a lot!

Posted by Jess Fontaine, Crew Member

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Camplified has its first ever free show at Garden Sk8 Skatepark in Pine Brook, NJ!

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

Camplified brought the tour inside today as we visited the gracious hosts at Garden Sk8 skatepark. The interior of Garden Sk8 is covered in hand-painted original art and is breathtaking. It acted as the perfect backdrop for our activities and bands today. It was a super fun vibe.

We set up Cartoon Network in the main office area and the kids started coming up to us even before everything was plugged in. It was a tough environment for activities – kids would come by and get excited about what was there but would already have their minds made up about heading in to skate. We had a lot of people coming through and promising to come back. So, later in the afternoon as people were heading out, the Cartoon Network station got really crowded! Luckily, we were able to keep all the kids happy with a lot of help from Lisa (Lisa is Camplified’s own FusionFall pro). We came across some kids with existing accounts but, for the most part, the Garden Sk8 kids were FusionFall rookies. It’s awesome how into the game these kids get – and right away! It was a happy day over at the CN station.

Dylan (5 yrs. old) really got into FusionFall!

Dylan (5 yrs. old) really got into FusionFall!

Rockband was set up across the lobby and the musical selection was diverse today. Where we usually hear a lot of Paramore, today was a lot of Bon Jovi and Metallica. We love the regular selections, but the music choices today were a great change to our everyday routine. The skater kids had a great time rocking out.

Rocking out to Rockband

Rocking out to Rockband

The concert was a full bill today – we had four bands on the schedule. First up was Kicking Daisies – they were great. Always full of energy and enthusiasm, Kicking Daisies were a great start to the show.

Duran, Ben, Carly and Caitlin bring the rawwwk

Duran, Ben, Carly and Caitlin of Kicking Daisies bring the rawwwk

Next up was BYS. We haven’t had them on the tour for the last few dates so it was really nice to see them again. Camplified ’09 isn’t the same without them! They’re a great band to work with and they always bring so much energy to their sets.

skater kids enjoying BYS's return to Camplified

skater kids enjoying BYS's return to Camplified

Next up was Duke Squad, a band out of Montreal. The band usually plays originals, but they switched it up today and introduced some covers into their set. Their regular fare is pretty great – super catchy feel-good rock pop, but seeing them take on the music of others was a treat too.

Duke Squad rocks out at Garden Sk8

Duke Squad rocks out at Garden Sk8

Lastly, Misha Williams took the stage with her guitar. She was joined at the end of her set by some Camplified staff and the boys of Duke Squad. They all had a great time and as an audience member, it was really fun to watch.

Misha Williams get some help from Duke Squad....and other audience members!

Misha Williams get some help from Duke Squad....and other audience members!

Garden Sk8 skatepark was a new venue style for Camplified. In addition to the great space and our incredible hosts the bands seemed to really enjoy the event. The skater kids were really excited about our activities as well. Over all, it was a great day in Pine Brook, NJ. Thanks Garden Sk8!

Posted by Jess Fontaine, Crew Member

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