Today I thought I'd post on a really cool thing going on at my campus today (and many others. I had to write an article for class on the same subject so I thought I would just share it. If you'd rather not read all my nonsense just watch the video!! I interviewed their lead guitar player below and make sure and scroll down to the end to get the FREE download.Red Bus Project is a unique charity concept that is touring universities all across the southeast. It is a double decker bus-turned-mobile thrift store that tours from college to college, spreading awareness about the needs of orphans and raising money for orphan care.
It is the brainchild of Caleb Chapman, of the band CALEB, and Chris Wheeler, director of Student Initiatives, at Show Hope Ministries. Caleb and Chris worked together wondering how students could assemble their stuff (clothes, shoes, accessories) to help support orphans. They loved the idea of mobilizing and bringing an opportunity to for college students to participate in. They eventually landed on the dream of using a double-decker bus.
The dream came alive this spring and they were able to buy a double-decker bus and have it shipped over from England. After converting it into a mobile thrift store, they were off to tour the southeast. The tour started on March 12 at Martin Methodist College and ends on April 16 at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. They will be in Murfreesboro at MTSU on April 2nd parked by the knoll.
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| Photo taken from RBP Facebok |
The Red Bus Project is unique for many reasons. The obvious being it is a big red double-decker bus turned thrift store but also the awesome opportunity. It is easy and simple for students to participate. The organization comes to them and it can cost you nothing to share and give. Redbusproject.org explains how by using the motto “Give. Buy. Show Hope.” They say to, “Donate your best clothes, buy clothes on the bus and invite all your friends to join the Red Bus Project. The funds raised by the thrift store will go toward providing forever families to orphans.”
After shopping on the bus and donating your old clothes there is a night of music from local band CALEB. CALEB consists of lead singer Caleb Chapman, drummer Will Chapman and lead guitarist Scott Mills. Caleb and Will’s dad, Steven Curtis Chapman was early involved with Show Hope ministries and their family has three adopted children from Asia. I emailed back and forth with Scott Mills and asked a few questions about the RBP.
611: What is your favorite thing about playing on the RBP?
Scott: My favorite thing about being on tour with the Red Bus Project is the perfect marriage of music and cause. We are getting to go to colleges all over the southeast (and soon other regions) playing our songs for people and at the same time encouraging people to lock arms with us and The Red Bus Project to raise awareness about the world's orphan crisis.
611: How long has Show Hope and Caleb been preparing/planning the RBP?
Scott: This tour and concept that is now the Red Bus Project has been a dream for about a year. In December we officially presented the idea to the board of directors at the non-profit Show Hope and got the tour approved. So starting at the beginning of 2012 we got a double decker bus from London, got it retro fitted into a rolling thrift store, started rehearsing and hiring a crew and hit the road on March 12.
611: What is life like on the road with RBP? Are you on the bus? Do you get to shower?
Scott: We, the band, are traveling in our van, Big Roon, for all the dates of the Red Bus Project. The staff of the RBP ride from city to city on the top floor of the Red Bus. Typically we all stay in a hotel in the city the show is in and then wake up early (5-6am) to drive to the next city and set up. The way the tour is routed right now we don't have to drive through the night so we can shower, get some rest, and make it to each campus by 9am.
611: You recently released the CALEB E.P. in November of 2011 but what’s the future for CALEB right now? New music soon?
Scott: We released our 3rd independent EP called "To The Ends Of The World" on November 22. We got to see it make it all the way up to #14 on the Alternative iTunes chart and sit between The Black Keys and Florence and the Machine for a few days. For now our plans are to stay independent and let our music grow organically. We love having the freedom to do what we feel we need to do in these early and formative days of our band. We've decided to turn down several deals with management and record companies until the right thing comes along. It may be harder in the beginning but we feel like in the end it will help us establish a real and honest fan base that listens to us because they want to not because we are the "next cool thing."
611: Lastly, for any gear techies, what is your gear setup right now?
Scott: Currently, CALEB is a 3 piece band with Caleb and I tag teaming the electric guitar and him playing acoustic and me playing bass on a given song. For our guitar set up we are using a VOX AC-30 H2L. Its got the original handwired VOX EF86 tube circuit with Alnico Blue Speakers housed inside of an all wood mahogany 2x12 cabinet. Its a 50th anniversary so there were only 500 made worldwide. As far as guitars go we love hollowbody electrics. We have two ES 335's (Cherry Red 1978 and Natural FInish 1991) we've used until we recently received an endorsement with Epiphone guitars. Caleb now plays a Sheraton II and I play a Casino. We also have a Pedal Train 3 loaded with a Boss Giga Delay, Boss RV-5 Rever, Empress Tremolo, Jekyl and Hyde overdrive from Visual Sound, Strymon Brigadier Analog Delay, AC Booster, and Keely modded Katana clear boost. That array of pedals lets us create about any sound we could ever want.
*For more information and a complete tour listing visit: http://www.redbusproject.org
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