Two local bands are uniting this summer in a joint effort to help those in need.
Kill Ketura and Madison Apart, both Northern Virginia-based alternative-rock groups, will participate in the Cancerfall Tour this summer and will donate a portion of their proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The bands have eight scheduled stops in Maryland, Pennsylvania and along the East Coast starting July 7.
"When we planned the Cancerfall Tour, we knew that we wanted to do something like this," Ketura guitarist Derek Stapleton said. Stapleton, also the group’s tour manager and booking agent, said that he knew St. Jude — a Memphis-based children’s hospital that specializes in disease research and cancer prevention — was the perfect institution for their help.
"A lot of us have grown up with St. Jude and wanted to help once we had the opportunity," he added. "They do a lot of good things for kids and we believe that they're a charity worth supporting."
ACCORDING DEREK'S BROTHER, Daniel, the lead singer for Kill Ketura, the idea for a benefit tour for St. Jude arose when the group began writing a song for a close friend who died of cancer.
"Once the tour was planned and all the dates were set up, we knew we wanted to help out someone in some way," Daniel Stapleton said. "Once we figured that out, St. Jude was the first name that came to mind."
The four-member Ketura group along with the five-member Madison Apart will begin at the Fishhead Cantina in Arbutus, Md., on July 7. From there, they’ll travel up and down the East Coast, with shows in Pennsylvania, New York City and Connecticut along the way.
Once Kill Ketura and Stapleton pitched the idea for a summer tour benefiting St. Jude, it didn’t take long for Madison Apart to decide to join.
"Kill Ketura’s one of our favorite bands," said Apart guitarist Kyle Farley. "So when they asked us about this, we jumped on right away."
THROUGHOUT THE TOUR, the groups hope to continue to spread awareness for St. Jude. "It’s a really good cause and we figure that we can do a positive thing and spread our message better together rather than separate," Farley added.
Daniel Stapleton agreed. "We're really looking to get a little bit more awareness for the hospital throughout the tour," he said. "We'd love to continue working with St. Jude. It's a great organization and we're just thankful to be able to help."
Derek Stapleton said that 20 percent of guaranteed revenue will be donated to St. Jude, but couldn’t release the other amounts that will be donated from merchandise sales and extra contributions because those figures have yet to be determined.
"On top of the guarantees, merchandise sales and other things, we’re going to do anything we can to gain more revenue for the hospital," he said.
Both bands are also looking for sponsors for the tour, in an effort to make the benefit even more successful, said Stapleton.
Although the Cancerfall Tour will officially come to an end July 14, at Club Octane in Charleroi, Pa., the bands hope their efforts on behalf of St. Jude will continue in the future.
"This is definitely something we would like to continue year after year," Stapleton added. "It’s a great cause and we’re just happy to be helping out."