Switchfoot Announces the "Music Builds Tour"

Switchfoot Drummer Chad Butler posted the following message on the band's official message board community:

Greetings comrades!

As a band we have held firm to the idea that music can bring us together to accomplish much more than a show. Ideology, race, genre: we put these distinctions aside to play music for everyone.

So with that in mind we are proud to announce our involvement in one of the most diverse lineups we've ever been a part of. We dreamed up the The Music Builds Tour along with a few friends of ours whose main commonality is a dream to see this world change for the better. Different bands, different backgrounds, one goal: A traveling festival to raise money and awareness for Habitat for Humanity.

We have always been very intentional about our touring. We've played in specific places where we feel like the songs belong, playing shows with diverse artists and for diverse audiences. This last year has been really exciting for us to do even more with our tours by partnering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and To Write Love on Her Arms. The response from you guys who have been with us for so long has been overwhelming. By supporting the "Appetite for Construction" tour you guys raised over $100K for Habitat and more importantly got involved in your local communities donating your time long after the show was over. The current "Up in Arms" tour has been deeply meaningful, part of a larger conversation offering hope to those dealing with depression and addiction.

This is a new model for touring that we are really excited about, it is so much bigger than the music itself. This is about seeing the world change. In keeping with that dream, the "Music Builds Tour" is a traveling festival that will benefit Habitat for Humanity, an amazing organization providing homes to needy families around the globe.

When we tour, we try to bring a truly diverse collection of music to your ears night after night (from Mute Math to Lifehouse to Eisley to Copeland to Anberlin to The Honorary Title etc...). This tour is no different- The other bands on the festival bill will be Jars of Clay, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, and Third Day with many more names to be announced. Wait till you see who is on the side stage! All kinds of bands and artists that care about helping people. The diversity of the lineup is a big goal of ours- it's exciting to bring such diverse musicians and music fans together for such a worthy cause.

We all know first hand the powerful impact that a night of music can have, how much more so when the emphasis is put on doing something lasting for people in our own communities. Thanks for partnering with us in the mutual effort to bring people together to do just that.

We think very highly of the people who listen to our music. We are grateful for the open minded audience who have embraced our songs and allowed us to push the boundaries of where the music can go. We invite you to put differences in musical taste aside and focus on our commonalities: we all want to see this world change for the better. We hope that you'll come with us on this next part of the journey and get involved in something much bigger than ourselves.

Chad

Board Post