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The Ooks of Hazzard: Going From Zero to (over) 53,000 Views In Just Seven Days
Two months ago a new band forms and after just one gig, they start getting booked almost every weekend. House parties, charity event, clubs.
On April 18th seven ukulele players, an accordionist and someone playing something called a cajon get together at the Live Rock Studios in Torrance California and are filmed doing a cover version of MGMT's "Kids".
Sometime on April 19th the video is uploaded to You Tube.
On the afternoon of April 20th, Timm Freeman posts a link on his Facebook page. A friend of his named Jeff Morris, who like Timm is a former Tower Records employee, puts the link up on his page where I see it at 2:42 in the afternoon. At the time there were I think 157 views. I also posted a link...which I repeated several times throughout the day.
That night, my sixteen year old son puts it up on his Facebook page and then decides to get it on reddit.com. Too late...it's already on their front page. And so it begins...
Throughout the week many people on Facebook start posting the video on their walls. And bloggers start embedding the link onto their sites. The views start going up...1000 to 2500 to 5000 to 10,000 to 15,000 and beyond. As I write this today, barely a week since I first saw it, they are closing in on 54,000 views. (Of the videos here at No Depression, they are beating out the Flying Burrito Brothers which has been the most viewed in the past couple of weeks.)
Timm sent me a note: "This band started almost as a joke, but gained momentum... we've only been together about two months, but have been playing nearly every weekend since our first show.
We're just now (this week) starting to take it more serious, and do things "that real bands do"... Like web site (pending... somebody gots to build it!)."
Here's who is in the band: Danny Kopel, Meredith MacArthur, Charlie Diaz, Patrick Hildebrand, Jay Ponti, Nick Deane, Ed Marshall, Timm Freeman, and Dave Botkin.
Today I Googled the band....someone has ripped the audio track and posted it as an mp3 file. It's growing that fast. Timm had told me he would send me some bio info...but he's swamped. Everybody in the band is a bit overwhelmed I think because this wasn't planned...it just happened.
It takes a village to build a snowball, roll it downhill and create an avalanche. So many people have been touched by this version of the song, that they have taken to time to share it with friends and family. Not one person could have done this, nor some multi-national record label with marketing mavens and salespeople.
This is how things can work without buildings and structure. This is how people can make a difference. This is how the future might look. This is good...very good.
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Comment by Danny Kopel on April 26, 2010 at 6:05pm -
Ahh,, now I can leave a post, thanks? was I just crazy? I couldn't see it before?.
hey,, hello and thanks so very much for the kind words and wonderful description of the evolution of our Band. It has been a cascade of "Showing up and doing the next right thing" for me, and probably us all, a lot of dedication to playing Good Fun Music, and having Good fun doing it. I am so lucky to get to play with ...these tallented musicians.
Danny (Lucky D.) Accordian
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Comment by StarryNightDiva on April 26, 2010 at 7:29pm -
Ahh, I too can leave a post now too ~ COMPLETELY crazy ~ I was like, wha??...nuh uh...WOW...yep, the Ooks have snowballed and I can't tell you how absolutely excited I am for each and every person in this band ~ what a dream come true right ~ so amazingly overwhelming ~ just love them... And Danny, the Ukes would not be the Ooks with you Danny ~ each and everyone of you guys ROCK ~ Waiting to see it break 100,000 views...should be interesting :)
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Comment by Kurt Max on April 27, 2010 at 11:58am
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I remember the first day this clip went on line. There were under 150 hits. I immediately posted it to all my friends. I am fortunate to associate with all these musicians on a regular basis and I can say that each and every one of them is as friendly as they are talented.
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Comment by washboard dave on April 27, 2010 at 3:46pm -
just sent it out on my facebook page. best wishes you guys (ooks)
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Comment by John Saltnes on April 28, 2010 at 12:21pm -
I shared on my FB too. This is a great testament to social media and the continued vitality of Americana and Roots music.
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Comment by Danny Kopel on April 28, 2010 at 1:04pm
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So wonderfully gratefull for everyones comments and support. Thakn you, and if it is at all possible, hope to see you somewhere soon.
Lucky D. (just 1/9th.) of it
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Comment by Willie on May 1, 2010 at 8:42am -
Such deserving success! Your song and performance touches my heart and gives me hope. Hope to see you in San Francisco sometime soon!
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Comment by Easy Ed on May 1, 2010 at 9:40am -
over 100,000 views now and the song is available on iTunes. pretty damn cool.
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Comment by washboard dave on May 1, 2010 at 11:39am
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way cool!
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Comment by Danny Kopel on May 1, 2010 at 12:35pm
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[;-{|)> thanks Ed & WBD. & nice shirt Willie, Nor Cal here we come ? hope to.
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