On April 24th, an all-star cast of musicians will perform at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, CA as part of a benefit concert for the Boot Campaign and their support of our military veterans. In a rare appearance, these alternative rock stars will appear together, performing songs off the “Battlefield of the Mind” documentary soundtrack, releasing on the same day on Chill (www.chill.com/botm). April 24th is also the official release date of the documentary.
“Battlefield of the Mind”, a film ArtistDirect calls, “the most powerful documentary of the decade,” is a full-length documentary that tells the raw and tragic details of what life is like as an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran today. Many veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and among them are those whose lives have fallen apart and have become homeless as a result. Severe PTSD leaves these returning heroes on a downward spiral into their own personal hell. The documentary is available to stream and download at: http://chill.com/fran_strine/battlefield-of-the-mind
The musicians performing together in support of the film and the cause include:
- David Ellefson of MEGADETH
- Troy McLawhorn of EVANESCENCE
- Sal G of STAIND
- Pete Murray of LO-PRO
- Neil Godfrey of LO-PRO
- Headliners EYE EMPIRE, featuring Corey Lowery (STUCK MOJO /STEREOMUD /DARK NEW DAY) and B.C. Kochmit (SWITCHED) and Ryan Bennett (TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION) and military veteran Donald ‘DC’ Carpenter (SUBMERSED)
Event Details
The event will open at 7:00pm with filmmaker and participant interaction, exclusive look at the documentary, and Q&A. At 8:30pm the doors will re-open for the all-star jam and performance from Eye Empire.
*A taste of the music from the soundtrack can be found here. (The track is "No Words" Featuring Mike Mushok, Pete Murray, David Ellefson and Sal G.)
Tickets are $20 for full access, $15 for performance only.
To purchase tickets and RSVP visit: http://battlefieldofthemindlive.eventbrite.com/
VIP tickets (which include early access to soundcheck) are made available at www.chill.com/botm.
The Documentary
Narrated by David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Co-produced by Aaron Lewis (STAIND), this documentary by Fran Strine takes on a tragic truth – that those men that put their lives on the line to defend our freedom have come home to a world plagued by PTSD and homelessness. 1 in 7 homeless adults are veterans and over ¼ of homeless veterans suffer from mental illness, physical illness and substance abuse at the same time.
These sad truths moved a concerned public to donate en masse to get the film made leading to a rousing KICKSTARTER success. The film raised 190% of its funding goal with the soundtrack raising 120% of its funding goal. The film is currently available on CHILL (chill.com/botm) and will see its official physical release along with its soundtrack on April 24th.
"After engaging in conversations with these veterans living on the streets and hearing their stories, I knew this was the documentary I had to make and show that we, as citizens can make a difference," says director and co-producer Fran Strine. The VA was approved $1.35 billion for the homeless in 2013 – a mere 0.035% of the $8.3 trillion US budget, says The White House Office of Management & Budget. Forbes adds that providing permanent housing for the chronic homeless would save taxpayers $3 billion.
The soundtrack for the film features members of many prominent rock bands. DC of EYE EMPIRE, a former soldier himself, said of his band’s involvement, “I have always been sensitive to issues that face our troops Stateside & abroad. When our good friend Fran mentioned that he and Aaron were going to be making this film and that he would like for us to be involved with the music, we were very humbled.” Vocalist, Pete Murray (previously of ULTRASPANK) called working with the likes of Ellefson and Mike Mushok of STAIND “…an amazing experience. Working with other musicians with different backgrounds and influences has been an incredible opportunity.”
In addition to his narration duties, MEGADETH’s David Ellefson contributed to the soundtrack. He explains the synergy between the music and the film, “Lyrically these songs were inspired directly by the film and the people portrayed in it. In many ways, the Soundtrack continues the narrative of the film in music form. I am proud that the songs and people involved in making them took the subject matter to heart and used it as the springboard for our songwriting.” Composing score and soundtrack music was a labor of love for STAIND’s Mike Mushok. “In writing music to the film, I got to watch a scene and express how I feel about it by writing music to it,” explains Mushok. “It was something that I really enjoyed doing and am happy with the way it ultimately turned out.”
Spread the information about the plight of these veterans by purchasing the film and soundtrack and sharing it with your friends and family. Information is power and “Battlefield Of The Mind” is the ultimate ammunition in battling veteran homelessness and PTSD.
The Soundtrack
Track listing:
1. War Isn't Over Yet - Eye Empire
2. Give Me Life - LoPro
3. Tear It Down - Feat. Mike Mushok, Pete Murray, David Ellefson & Sal G.
4. Wake of War - Feat. Troy McLawhorn, D.C., Mike Mushok, Corey Lowery & Mike Froedge
5. No Words - Feat. Mike Mushok, Pete Murray, David Ellefson & Sal G.
6. Not Like You - Feat. Troy McLawhorn, Pete Murray & Mike Froedge
7. When - Life on planet 0
8. Witness - Viasava
9. Drop us in hell - Feat. Sal G & Joseph Dougherty
10. Awakening - When earth awakes
11. Wake up - Feat. Michael Benedetto & Keith Caro
12. Save me - Feat. Michael Benedetto & Keith Caro
13. Ask McFly - The Dreaded Marco
14. Hollow Destination - Otan Vargas
