Celebrating 10 Years of District 97 w/The Inside The Vault Club!

[District97]

Hi everyone,

We had a blast at Progtoberfest in Chicago this weekend, and now we'd like to share a really cool program we started last week with the PE community. Believe it or not, Fall 2016 marks the 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the formation of District 97! In that time, we’ve released 3 studio albums, a live album with John Wetton, a 2-CD live set for Kickstarter backers, and a series of downloads. But, there’s actually a whole lot more that we’ve done: over this period, we’ve amassed a trove of unreleased songs, pro-shot video footage, live performances, rehearsal recordings, home demos, rough mixes and much more. We think you guys would enjoy a lot of this material, and that’s why, after 10 years, we are now inviting you INSIDE THE VAULT.

After much planning and deliberation, we are very proud to unveil our monthly subscription series, the INSIDE THE VAULT CLUB! Membership is very affordable (many of us spend more at Starbucks everyday!), and can be joined at Basic (downloads only) and Premium (downloads, physical releases, site discounts) Levels. Get all the info and STEP INSIDE THE VAULT HERE.

From now through November 14, 2016, the first month of membership will be free! The initial release from #insidethevault will be the first-ever District 97 song, the unreleased “To Catch A Predator.” You will receive the download on November 15th. If you wish to cancel within a month of signing up, you won’t be charged.

Hear a preview of To Catch A Predator HERE

The first physical release in the series will be our concert DVD LIve At Boerderij 2016, footage from which can be viewed below on our Inside The Vault Club Trailer


So, we hope you'll check it out, and please post if you have any questions!

Thanks,
Jonathan

[District97]

I also want to add that we raffling off the very last copy of our limited edition 2-CD set, Artifact, to a randomly selected person who signs up today (10/24) before 11:50 PM CST at the Keyholders (annual) level. So, there's just about 2 and a half hours left to get in on that!

[rapidfirerob]

Do you ever plan to tour the West Coast? The Bay Area has a lot of nice folks here.

[tallliman]

Jonathon,

A question I have (especially with the poor exchange rate) is how much audio/video we can expect per month? Are we talking a single song (ie 5-10mins) each time or more like half an hour plus?

[District97]

Jonathon,

A question I have (especially with the poor exchange rate) is how much audio/video we can expect per month? Are we talking a single song (ie 5-10mins) each time or more like half an hour plus?

It will be usually be one track per month, so generally in the 5-10 minute range. The first track I'll be sending out, "To Catch a Predator", is over 10 minutes. There will likely be some other long tracks that get featured like full versions of Mindscan (which is close to half an hour). There is also the chance that behind the scenes footage could be featured on some months, which could come out to half an hour or more.

The first month is free if you sign up before November 14th, so there's really no risk in trying it out and seeing if it works for you. If you're not sure, you can sign up for a monthly option and cancel any time.

[doh]

My Kickstarter money was well spent, so I'm looking at this too.

[District97]

Do you ever plan to tour the West Coast? The Bay Area has a lot of nice folks here.

Getting out to the West Coast is a bit like going to Europe for us, as we need to fly and it's quite expensive. So, without a solid "anchor gig" to build the trip around, it's not all that feasible. However, we were talking to Mike Keneally this weekend (who loved our Progtoberfest set, and vice versa) about doing a West Coast run with him in 2017, so fingers crossed that can be worked out. ALSO, the best way to help us get out there again (and it is a top priority) is to join this club and invite your fellow music lovers to as well. if it's a success, that would give us considerably more latitude to go play where we want to without necessarily needing a surefire big gig to build the trip around.

[Jefferson James]

However, we were talking to Mike Keneally this weekend (who loved our Progtoberfest set, and vice versa) about doing a West Coast run with him in 2017, so fingers crossed that can be worked out.

Crossing my fingers, toes, testicles and eyeballs to see this happen.

[District97]

Just giving this a bump as there are now less than 2 weeks to get a free one-month trial membership of the club at http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub. Everyone who joins before November 14th will receive a free download on November 15th of "To Catch A Predator," the very first thing that Patrick Mulcahy, Rob Clearfield, original guitarist Sam Krahn and I worked on back in the Fall of 2006. We spent A LOT of time honing it, and it was a staple of our sets through Fall 2008, when Sam left the band. After that, it was dropped, and never heard again. However, you can hear in the track many of the hallmarks that would be developed as the band progressed over the years, as well as some elements that were exclusive to this very early version of D97. It's really a cool track, and over 10 minutes long. We'd love all our fans to hear and own it, so we hope some PE folks will sign up for the free trial so you can enjoy this crucial part of our history. Check out the sample at https://district97.bandcamp.com/trac...tch-a-predator.

ALSO, the raffle for the sole remaining copy of our uber-rare live album, Artifact, is back on as no one qualified last week. To enter, start a free trial at http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub by Wednesday, 11/2 at 11:59 PM CST at the Keyholders (annual) level.

[District97]

Here's an article Prog Magazine posted today on the club: http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-11-...scription-site. This is the biggest news today, right? ;-)

Also, there's less than a week now to get the first month of club membership free. If you're interested, it's a great time to sign up at http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub

[District97]

Just wanna let everyone know today is the last day to sign up for a free month of the club at http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub. The edition will be emailed to club members tomorrow. The response so far has been great! A big thanks to everyone who's joined so far.

As a special bonus sneak peek at the kind of content on offer in the club, here are my complete notes/reflections on "To Catch A Predator". which will be featured in Edition #1.

Inside The Vault Club Edition #1
Song Title: To Catch A Predator (hear a preview here)
Composers: Schang/Clearfield
D97 Lineup: Rob Clearfield-Keyboards, Sam Krahn-Guitar, Patrick Mulcahy-Bass, Jonathan Schang-Drums, Recorder
Recorded August 27th, 2008 at Silvie’s Lounge, Chicago, IL

Hello, and welcome to the first-edition of the INSIDE THE VAULT CLUB! We're so happy you could join us as we begin unearthing the nooks and crannies of the D97 archives. For this first edition, we have a very special artifact for you: our first song, “To Catch A Predator”. Just to set the scene a bit, District 97 formed out of a long, on-again off-again musical partnership that I had with Patrick Mulcahy and Rob Clearfield. Patrick and I formed our first “band”, The Firebird Rockets, when we were 5th graders at Beye Elementary School in Oak Park, IL in 1995 (for you trivia buffs, Beye is located in………District 97). Patrick sang, I played a snare drum, and our friend John Nichols (a great composer these days, check him out at http://johnnicholsiii.com/) played trombone. Once high school arrived, Patrick picked up the bass to join Alliance, a band I had formed with John. Once our guitarist left, Rob stepped in on guitar and secondary keyboards. We took the band pretty seriously for a bunch of high schoolers, but eventually college came calling and that was effectively the end of Alliance. However, the way things eventually worked out was that all 4 members of Alliance ended up at Chicago College of Performing Arts in Fall 2003. So, we frequently played together in school jazz ensembles, and by the time Fall 2006 came around, Pat, Rob and I agreed it was time to try playing some proggier, rock-oriented music together again. We recruited a fellow CCPA student, Sam Krahn, on guitar. As Sam left before we recorded Hybrid Child, he’s a bit of an unsung hero in the history of D97. Sam was/is a great guy and composer (check him out at http://www.samkrahn.com/), and played a vital part in helping to form the sonic stew that would define the band in later years. So, we had our band members; the question then was, what do we play?

At this time, I had been listening to a lot of Planet X (Virgil Donati’s instrumental prog-fusion group), and that was what I initially had in mind for us. Sam brought a more overt metal sensibility, and Rob and Patrick brought some jazz and avant-garde influences. All of this can be heard in our first collaboration, “To Catch A Predator.” The piece was formed over a rather lengthy period of time; every week or two, the four of us would get together at Patrick’s and my apartment and add a bit more to what had been my initial idea (roughly the first 2 minutes). The version presented here was actually a bit different from how it initially took shape: it was originally even more sprawling at around 14-minutes, with more improv and lengthier sections. That initial version was debuted at our first performance at Patrick’s Senior Recital in February 2007 (and may very well end up being excavated from the vault at a future date), but this version was recorded 18 months later, at Sam’s penultimate show with the band. The sound quality isn’t pristine, but it captures the energy this early version of the band had pretty well. This also happened to be Leslie’s second show with the band (we debuted “I Can’t Take you With Me” and played “Mindscan” for the second time, and again, you may hear those tracks at a future date). This show also generated our very first bit of press, and it was QUITE an introduction to music criticism. You can read it at http://intoxikatie.blogspot.com/2008...es-lounge.html.

One highlight from ‘Predator” is the only time I ever played recorder on a District 97 song, which you can hear in the somewhat contemplative middle section that begins around 4:15. I had been hanging onto this thing since the 3rd grade, and I was determined to put it to use! Also, the bass/bass drum pattern Patrick and I play around the 9:16 mark (and a couple other places) would later pop up in slightly altered form under the guitar solo in “Read Your Mind” from a few years later. My favorite moment of all though would be when the band erupts back in at 9:04 after having dropped down to just bass/bass drum. I might have to use that effect in a new song!

After we’d finished writing the song, all 4 of us were pretty excited about it and the possibilities of what we could do together. Although in my intro to the song I say it was “inspired” by the NBC show of the same name, I think we just chose to call it that as a joke, as at least Pat, Rob and I were pretty obsessed with that trainwreck of a series. “Predator” evokes a lot of good memories for me, and it’s a thrill to be able to share it with people after it’s sat around gathering dust for nearly a decade! I look forward to you joining us as we explore further next month!

[doh]

Hi Jonathan, that critic was hilarious. I'm sure he felt very important and proud of himself. Your response was perfect and it was good to see him come back a little more maturely. I'm still trying to figure out if calling Leslie "television-pretty" is supposed to be a compliment. It would have been one of the more positive things he said.

I still haven't joined yet the club yet. If I join now, will I still get the benefit of the first month?

I'm also still very much hoping to catch you guys on the Cruise. But it's largely dependent on some family situations and I can't figure out what is best yet.

[chalkpie]

Crossing my...toes, testicles.....

What about 'yer tits?

[District97]

Hi Jonathan, that critic was hilarious. I'm sure he felt very important and proud of himself. Your response was perfect and it was good to see him come back a little more maturely. I'm still trying to figure out if calling Leslie "television-pretty" is supposed to be a compliment. It would have been one of the more positive things he said.

I still haven't joined yet the club yet. If I join now, will I still get the benefit of the first month?

I'm also still very much hoping to catch you guys on the Cruise. But it's largely dependent on some family situations and I can't figure out what is best yet.

Woops, sorry it took so long to reply to this! I hope you can make the cruise! The free month promo for the club is over, but it's still very affordable and you'll get all the same content. Here's a preview of what the 2nd issue of the IVC has in store for subscribers. The next club email goes out December 15th, so now is a great time to join up:

[District97]

Just wanna let you all know that we're offering 15% off anything in our Online Store though 11:59 PM CST on Wednesday, Dec. 14th. If you're a Premium Member of the Inside The Vault Club or become one before the deadline, you can take 25% off! The next edition of the Inside The Vault Club will be emailed on December 15th, so sign up now to get your first exclusive D97 track this Thursday.

To get the discount, order as usual (the prices listed DO NOT reflect the sale price). We will then issue you a refund in the amount of 15% or 25% off. The discount will not apply to any shipping costs for international customers. We will do our best to get everything to you before December 25th, but let us know in the order notes if that's paramount for you.

[doh]

I finally got into the club, Jonathan. Cruise is still up in the air. Who knew that having kids would be freedom-limiting?

[District97]

I finally got into the club, Jonathan. Cruise is still up in the air. Who knew that having kids would be freedom-limiting?

Awesome! Welcome to the club . The next release will be emailed Thursday!

[JKL2000]

I finally got into the club, Jonathan. Cruise is still up in the air. Who knew that having kids would be freedom-limiting?

They're not freedom-limiting if they're not on the ship with you...

[doh]

Hi Jonathan, I haven't seen any e-mails about the club. Can you check my account?

On a side note, I'm in for the cruise. Super-excited to see you and the rest of the band.

[District97]

Giving this thread an epic bump as we just dropped the second physical release exclusive to the Inside The Vault Club at http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub.



AVAILABLE NOW FROM http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub
SEPTENNIAL: RETURN TO ROSFEST DVD/HD DOWNLOAD
LIMITED TO 250 COPIES

*Join as a Keyholder on the yearly plan by 3/15, and you'll also get DECENNIAL, the exclusive live album we made for Cruise to the Edge, as a free bonus with the Septennial DVD. Only 16 copies of 100 remain so act quickly!* Tracklist is HERE

Septennial Playlist

Forest Fire
Snow Country
Blueprint
The Actual Color
Sea I Provide
Sheep
A Lottery
Ghost Girl
I Can't Take You With Me
Bread & Yarn
The Unreality Star*
Who Cares?
After Orbit Mission
Shapeshifter
Termites

*Exclusive song only available on this DVD

Filmed May 4th, 2018 at The Majestic Theater, Gettysburg, PA.

Documentary Featurette: Behind The Screens (26 minutes)

Running time-117 Min

This is really the ideal time to join the IVC, so I hope we get some more PE folks jumping in! The IVC is a huge part of keeping the band a viable entity, and it's also just a whole lot of fun (for us and subscribers). If anyone has any questions, please post and I'll do my best to answer. If you're already a member, let's hear your thoughts on the IVC so far!

[District97]

Here's The Actual Color From Septennial. What do you think?



Only 11 copies of Decennial are left, so join up soon at http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub if you want that too.

[District97]

There are just over 5 hours left to join up at http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub and get DECENNIAL as a free bonus. Here are some new videos we released from Septennial/Behind The Screens (the doc of us making the new album)

[doh]

I hope this is taken as the compliment it is meant to be, but I enjoyed the "Behind the Screens" mini-doc even more than the concert. It was SUPER interesting to see how that cake got baked and see how all the different members added their own flavor.

[District97]

I hope this is taken as the compliment it is meant to be, but I enjoyed the "Behind the Screens" mini-doc even more than the concert. It was SUPER interesting to see how that cake got baked and see how all the different members added their own flavor.

Thank you! That doc was VERY time-consuming to put together (combing through lots of footage to find the best parts), so I'm glad you're enjoying it.

[District97]

Here's some of a new song called Blueprint, one of EIGHT NEW SONGS on the Septennial: Return to RoSfest DVD/HD Download. Only 34 of 250 remain up for grabs, so head to http://www.district97.net/insidethevaultclub if you'd like one.