By Kieran Hadfield
Starting on Sunday, September 20th, Yawpers’ lead singer/guitarist Nate Cook will pedal from his hometown of Denver, CO to Tulsa, OK to raise money and awareness for struggling musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a fundraising challenge he is calling the “Head East, Aging Man” Charity Ride, Cook will be on a road bike for nearly 700 miles and finish with a full-band, live-streamed show at Tulsa’s Mercury Lounge on October 5th.
“Head East, Aging Man” will benefit Sweet Relief’s COVID-19 Fund, which provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. It is sponsored by Sierra Nevada, Recording King, Yeti, Birdworx, The Oriental Theater, and Zerr Enterprises.
Donations can be made by texting “GOEAST” to 202-858-1233 or by visiting https://www.facebook.com/donate/390701805252925/ or https://bit.ly/goeastagingman.
“It will be just me, two wheels, two legs, a SAG car, and ~725 miles of open road,” Cook said. “It could take me 9 days (unlikely), it could take me two weeks (more likely), I could get hit by a car and never reach my destination (probable). You just never know.
“I know how many of you are also struggling, but I also know how much music means to many of you, and this organization is the real deal when it comes to keeping creators going. If you want to help keep your musicians solvent and healthy, Sweet Relief is a fantastic avenue.”
Cook will be running a live stream during portions of the ride, and musician friends will be virtually dropping in to support the ride via socials posts each day. This can be followed HERE.
To further support Cook and the Yawpers, merchandise (including the band’s recent release Human Question) can be purchased HERE.