Tea, Time and Turntables. A new frontier for The New Fun Tier!

Hello Everyone!

Hope you're all doing as well as can be.

So it's been a few months since I started here on this platform. Prior to that, I had been in discussions with Patreon for a over a year. They had approached me about starting on their platform because they thought it could be a good fit for me and the type of work I was doing. 

For a year I spent a lot of time trying to get my head around how to create a fun experience and community here.  

As you had read in the New Fun Tier description, I imagined it would be fun to get together with you all in person when we were in your cities for meet and greets, or pre/after show meals, stage visits, Q&A's, bicycle tours... the list goes on and on. I imagined I'd be doing Lens posts from digging in record stores and flea markets on my travels (one of my favorite things to do on my free time on the road). And digitally bringing you along with me! Like having my own little behind the scenes travel show of sorts... Telling stories about the gigs... Interviews with our crew and all our new friends we would meet along the way. 

But shortly after we launched (literally a week maybe?), everything changed as the world found itself in a full-blown pandemic. And a lot of those plans (although they will all happen post pandemic) have all been put on hold for now. 

Since then, my studio has morphed into a DIY TV studio in order to do the Music To Draw To live streams. To think that 4 months ago we didn't even know what was required to do a live stream at all.  "Do we need to get a lightning to ethernet cable for that?" was a real question I was asking! LOL.

I see the chats (after the fact) on the Music To Draw To streams but can't participate while they're happening because I'm "in the mix" as they say.   

But I love the fact that people are on there hanging out and connecting when they need a break from their drawing, house-cleaning etc.  

While I'm not on tour, I've given myself the goal of doing 4 story posts and 4 Music To Draw To live streams a month here on Patreon. I've been enjoying both of those activities and will continue to do them. And I still have time/bandwidth to continue working on recording albums/artwork etc. 

My goal is to keep this page continually evolving and find new ways we can all interact on the platform as a community. Basically make my Patreon page less of a "broadcast only" experience.

So I'm working on the idea of doing a monthly "hangout" of sorts. 1 hour patron only virtual get together. We'll hang out, drink some tea (or beverage of your choice... I mean you'll be in your own house anyway), maybe do a Q&A, maybe a couple turntable demos, maybe play a few clips from the new record so you can hear how it's coming along, share everyone's greatest hits quarantine food recipes! etc. But mainly just a new way for all of us to connect. 

That's the thing I miss most while not being on the tour.  The ability to facilitate a little connectivity between people.

I'll need your help to dial in the best way to make it the most fun for everyone.  I'm not sure what chat platform to use. Discord maybe? 

Let's start with the day. If I were to organize a 1 hour, once-a-month on-line patron hangout. Which of the following times would work best for you?

Let me know! keep in mind these options are in Eastern Standard Time.

It will take me a couple weeks to get this up and running but I think it'll be a good time!

E