#amplifying education

[travelingmatt]

So much love for Dispatch. More bands need to be like them. Hell, more people need to be like them!

[takeparttv-blog]

8 lucky Dispatch fans joined their US tour, helping communities at each stop along the way.

[takeparttv-blog]

We're hanging with Dispatch LIVE at 1 PM PST/4 PM EST! Tune in and watch Dispatch: Turning the Tide, only on TakePartTV.

[shirtsmaketheguy]

June 7, 2012 - Beauty Like That

Fun Fact: J is the tenth letter of the alphabet. Size: XL | Fabric: 100% Cotton | Made by / in: Sportiqe Apparel Co. / U.S.A. Had Since: 6/7/2011 | Price: $30? | Times Worn: ~4? Fun Fact: Last year, on this date, Skylar, Blake and I saw Dispatch from Row J...the tenth row.  It was fantastic. We started listening to Dispatch back in high school, and before we got the chance to go see them live...they broke up.  There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth.  And then, to our amazement, they came back!  They put out a great little EP and hit the road, and we bought tickets to see them in Chicago.  We were incredibly excited, we drove up and ate Italian Beef before the show, we took books and donated to Amplifying Education (because Dispatch are good kids like that) - we were set for a great night.  And then Skylar took it up a notch. Skylar is a great many things I am not - sociable, pioneering, inquisitive (among others) - and when we got to our seats at the show (after hitting the merch table, duh.) Skylar was less than satisfied with the tickets I had been able to obtain.  We were on the side of the arena, in tiny seats, about halfway back.  I thought they were Excellent seats.  Uncomfortable, yes, but excellent because I was about to see Dispatch from them.  But Skylar thought we could do better.  He announced to a puzzled Blake and me, "I'm gonna try to get us closer!" and away he went.  Blake and I laughed, shrugged, made some comment about how crazy that kid is, then went back to being slightly uncomfortable in our seats and watching the other people in the arena. A few minutes pass, when suddenly Skylar reappears, his eyes wide with excitement and wildly gesturing for us to follow him.  I suppose we shrugged again, but got up and followed our friend out of curiosity.  On the way back out to the front gate he was pointing at our tickets and trying to explain to us, over the din of sooooo many happy fans, that we were trading our tickets for something better, he didn't know where, he didn't know for what price, he couldn't tell us How, just come on come on come on!  Sure enough, he walked up to the box office, greeted an attractive young lady that recognized him, and surrendered our tickets. "Oh good...now we've lost our tickets...what has Skylar done to us?"  A pessimistic person thought that...spoiler alert: it was me.  But soon and very soon the attractive young lady returned to the window with tickets in hand ("Good, we're getting our tickets back.") and passed them out to Skylar.  She then explained that these were our New tickets, that nobody bought them earlier, and that she was upgrading us to them for no charge.  We gasped as we saw where they were - on the floor, Row J, in the middle.  My jaw had never been so far away from my moustache as we looked at those tickets, then at her, then back at the tickets, then at each other, and we all enthusiastically thanked her and proceeded to high-five each other.  Skylar had taken initiative, and through whatever magic he's capable had found us Much Better seats, at no extra cost...and that's when Blake and I knew we never ever wanted to go Anywhere, concert or otherwise, without Skylar.  That boy's methods are a mystery to us, and we thank him for making a Great night into an Awesome night. We found our New seats (amidst fist-bumps and "OMG!"s), had enough time to blink thrice (no more, no less), and then the concert began - Incredible.  We were so close...the band was "Right There!"..."I can see the head of the bass drum moving!"  The concert was divine, the crowd got excited for the old tunes and the new tunes alike, and it is easily one of my favorite memories of all time.  Truly a tremendous night, and worth the decade wait.  Sky nabbed the sign I'm holding in the picture on our way out, then promptly gave it to me with the sentiment that I would "take better care of it."  It's still pristine after one year, and I hope I'm starting to earn such a high honor, such a special gift, and such a compliment from such a friend.

This shirt is awesome.  The band did specialized shirts for each of the cities they stopped in, all very different in design and all specific to the area.  They had shirts and merch that was available for the entire tour, naturally, but this really was the obvious choice, and I'm so glad I have it to help bring my memories of that night alive.  It's super-soft and comfortable, fits like a dream, and has that "faded" look that all the kids are talking about these days.  The back has an eleven - the year of the tour, silly - and was designed like the numbers on a basketball jersey for Some Reason.

We're all so happy that Dispatch is back and making new music (new album, Circles Around The Sun, coming soon - I pre-ordered mine this week!), and glad we got to experience their live show after years of thinking we would never get the chance.  They're coming through Chicago again later this year, to support the new album, but the shows are on work nights so I'm probably not going to attend.  I'm supremely happy with the show we Did get to see, last year, and glad I could share the story with you today.  I wore the shirt to work today, instead of after work, because I got to play a concert this evening (and it was a joy!) - the second of a three-concerts-in-a-row week for me.  It makes work that much harder, yes yes, but playing music is so wonderful that I have no trouble saying that it's "Worth It."

[zonermusec-blog]

While Dispatch is known for their songs like the General and Elias, you may not know the band is also dedicated to improving education in America. Inspired by the research presented at the United Way Education Townhall on March 31, 2011, Dispatch reached out to United Way to ask how they could join the effort to make a difference. From this, a unique partnership emerged where Dispatch will be “Amplifying Education” with United Way during its highly anticipated summer tour.

 “Amplifying Education,” is Dispatch’s multi-platform campaign aiming to inspire and encourage fans to take action. Engagement opportunities with United Way include: education community conversations, volunteer opportunities, and the opportunity to pledge to become a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor. Here’s the scoop… 

In honor of Dispatch's partnership with the United Way, we at the zone would like to showcase the movie Waiting for Superman. A film recently released that showcased the poor state that the American Educational system is in.