The final fundraising total from Ümloud! 2012 is $42,031.14.

Ümloud! volunteer Jason Pagura expresses excitement. Photo by Noel Holmes.

That’s more than 2010 and 2011 totals combined!! (Yeah, our jaws dropped too.)

We’re absolutely thrilled and can’t stop grinning. THANK YOU for making a big difference for those in need this year. This is HUGE – bigger than the Empire State Building, bigger than the world’s largest burrito. It takes people like you to make it happen.

Special thanks to Tim Schafer for hosting Ümloud! 2012, DNA Lounge for a wonderful venue, and to our incredible sponsors: Perfect World Entertainment, Unknown Worlds Entertainment, Double Fine, Harmonix Music Systems, One PR Studio, Tekamaki, Nerd Kingdom, and Rockstar Attraction. And thanks the AV Society for broadcasting, and Twitch.tv for featuring the event.

And an extra-special thanks to our headliner band Forever Alone, Together and our special guest, French KISS. From headliner competition to performance, you guys put so much heart in this, we saw a little of ourselves.

Lastly, to each and every one of our volunteers, our bands, and over 120,000 attendees online and over 520 attendees at DNA Lounge, thank you for rocking out and being all-around amazing.

As for 2013? Can’t wait to see what happens next.

* $2,745.00 will be set aside especially for our beautiful home state of California’s hospitals – in compliance with state raffle laws.

Update 1/8/2012: Check’s in the mail!

A check to @cpcharity for $42,031.14 is literally in the mail! twitter.com/Umloud/status/…

— Ümloud! (@Umloud) January 8, 2013

This year, game design luminary Tim Schafer (creator of Grim Fandango and head of Double Fine) is hosting Ümloud! 2012. With this exclusive package, 5 very lucky gamers will get a private preview of Double Fine’s next title “Kinect Party”, and play it with the legend himself.

OMG, right? You’ll be FIRST to play, can brag forever to all your buddies, and plaster your social media with the photographic evidence.

Auction ends Tue December 4th at 3:30pm! Bid now!

When you win this auction, you’ll get:

• 5 tickets to Ümloud! and the Ümloud! pre-show.
• 5 guests get a private 10-minute play session of “Kinect Party” with Tim Schafer before the show.
• Professional photos of winner + guests with Tim Schafer.
  • Digital photos provided after the event.
• PLUS 5 exclusive download codes for Double Fine’s “Kinect Party” before the official release!

All proceeds go to Child’s Play, which donates video games, cash, and other support to children in hospitals and their families — both in the Bay Area, and worldwide. Aww.

The play session with Tim is on Thursday December 6th, 2012.
Guests must be at DNA Lounge in San Francisco by 5:45pm. No exceptions.

Bid now for get your chance to meet Tim!

UNKNOWN WORLDS AND PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT SHARE CENTER STAGE AS PREMIERE CO-SPONSORS OF THIS YEAR’S ÜMLOUD!

‘Worlds’ Collide In a Munificent Mash-Up at Annual Rock Band™ Bash Benefitting Child’s Play

San Francisco, California — November 20, 2012 — Ümloud!, San Francisco’s biggest and most awesome annual non-profit gaming fundraiser for Child’s Play, is pleased to announce that Unknown Worlds and Perfect World Entertainment have, for the first time ever, secured Premiere Co-Sponsorship roles in support of this year’s event. Taking place at DNA Lounge on December 6, this annual evening of jamming and generosity is made possible by the Bay Area’s own Unknown Worlds and Perfect World Entertainment. Thanks to their generous support, every attendee’s donation will go directly to support children’s hospitals around the world through Child’s Play.

Unknown Worlds – creators of Natural Selection 2, which recently launched on Steam – will be joining the throngs of big-hearted gaming fans at this year’s Ümloud!. With a company goal of “uniting the world through play,” their sponsorship of this year’s event helps Ümloud! achieve the goal of uniting gamers for a night of rock to raise money for Child’s Play.

“It’s been such a phenomenal year for all of us at Unknown Worlds,” commented Charlie Cleveland, Co-Founder and CEO of Unknown Worlds Entertainment. “We are immensely proud that our hard work and success with Natural Selection 2 has allowed us the opportunity to give back to the gaming community by supporting the amazing work done by Ümloud!. We can’t wait to celebrate 2012 with everyone on December 6, with a great night for a great cause.”

Perfect World Entertainment, a leading publisher of immersive, free-to-play MMORPGs including Neverwinter, RaiderZ and Star Trek Online, makes the world that much more of a perfect place with their premier sponsorship contribution to the gaming community’s worthiest of causes.

“We are thrilled to share the stage with Unknown Worlds at this year’s Ümloud!,” said Andrew Brown, General Manager for Perfect World Entertainment. “The gaming community has proven time and time again that it is both passionate and generous – and so we are proud to support Child’s Play in its efforts to improve the quality of life for a younger generation of gamers.”

Benefiting Child’s Play – a gamer-targeted charity that supports children’s hospitals around the world, thanks to the support of these Bay Area gaming greats – Ümloud! returns to San Francisco’s DNA Lounge Thursday, December 6, for an encore engagement of giving and ’tis-the-season celebration. Now in its fourth year, Ümloud! 2012 will feature nearly 30 faux-rock bands performing live on stage playing Rock Band 3.

“The amazing teams at Unknown Worlds and Perfect World Entertainment couldn’t fit the spirit of Ümloud! any better,” said Joe Markert, Chief Operating Officer of Ümloud!. “Their sincerity and interest in uniting people through gaming is a reminder to all of us of what we can achieve by working – and playing – together. With their gracious sponsorship of Ümloud! 2012, the show will most definitely go on!”

Advanced tickets are available at www.dnalounge.com. For all things Ümloud!, check out the website www.umloud.org, and don’t forget to sign up to be a sponsor today. Become a fan of Ümloud! on Facebook and follow @Umloud on Twitter.

ABOUT CHILD’S PLAY:

Since 2003, over 100,000 gamers worldwide have banded together through Child’s Play, a community-based charity grown and nurtured from the game culture and industry. Over $6.7 million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception.

This year, Child’s Play has continued expanding across the country and the globe. With almost 70 partner hospitals and more arriving every month, you can be sure to find one that needs your help! You can choose to purchase requested items from their online retailer wish lists, or make a cash donation that helps out Child’s Play hospitals everywhere. When gamers give back, it makes a difference!

ABOUT ÜMLOUD!:

Ümloud! is the annual “Rock Band charity concert for Child’s Play” fundraiser held in San Francisco, California, organized by local video game veterans with proceeds going to Child’s Play. Visit www.umloud.org to sign your Rock Band bandmates up for time on the DNA Lounge main stage!

ABOUT UNKNOWN WORLDS ENTERTAINMENT INC.

Unknown Worlds is a small, independent game developer focused on creating unique, deep and exciting multiplayer experiences. The studio can trace its beginnings to the Half-Life mod Natural Selection, released in 2002. Since formal founding in 2006, UWE has worked on two projects simultaneously: The stand alone sequel to Natural Selection, and the Spark Engine that powers it. Both were released on Halloween 2012. UWE is now focused on supporting and creating new content for NS2 and Spark. The studio is located in San Francisco, California. www.naturalselection2.com

ABOUT PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT INC.

Perfect World Entertainment is a leading North American online games publisher specializing in immersive free-to-play MMORPGs. Founded in 2008, Perfect World Entertainment has published 10 popular titles, including Blacklight Retribution, Forsaken World, Perfect World International and Star Trek Online. The company works closely with its American development teams and partners such as Cryptic Studios, developer of the highly anticipated MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter, and Runic Games, developer of the hit Torchlight series, to provide unparalleled quality of service and game experiences to its players. A subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), Perfect World Entertainment is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.perfectworld.com

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Ümloud! 2012 Headliner Band: Forever Alone, Together
Photo by Liz Caruana: www.lizcaruana.com/
Logo Design by Dennis Carpentier dc32@me.com

Ümloud! 2012’s headliner is officially FOREVER ALONE, TOGETHER. Fireworks!

And what a nail-biter! This contest was incredibly close, thick with heckling, and came right down to an exciting photo finish. The contenders leap-frogged through Thursday the 15th, raising a combined $2,376.02 in the final 24 hours alone.

Once the dust settled, Forever Alone, Together stood triumphant, proudly clutching the coveted 2012 Headliner title. They held private fundraisers and hosted a RockBand Pro-Guitar marathon to raise an astounding $3,151.55! And over the entire weeks-long battle, both contenders raised an astronomical grand total of SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5,998.89) for Childsplay!

Of that grand total, French KISS raised a hefty $2,847.34! This competition wouldn’t have been possible – or nearly as much fun – without them. They deserve trumpet fanfares and a TON of recognition.

Forever Alone, Together logo design by Dennis Carpentier
French KISS logo designed by Anne Tsuei

So **drumroll please** French KISS is now billed as Ümloud! 2012’s Special Guest! Both bands will play a two-song set at Ümloud! 2012, and BOTH band t-shirts will be available for purchase ($20 each / $35 for the pair).

According to Ümloud! founder and CEO, John Seggerson, The Battle of the Bands was the “single largest fundraising initiative” in Ümloud’s four-year history. We couldn’t be prouder of them both, and we can’t wait until they rock your sox off, December 6th at Ümloud! 2012! Get tickets to see these (and all of our other awesome) bands!

WHAT THIS IS: a pro-bono project for a 501(c)(3) organization called Ümloud!* 

WHAT WE NEED: a short, awesome video (1-3 minutes) of our (faux) rock band.** This video needs to be fun, eye-catching, and high-energy to hype up an audience in a concert setting, and also be compelling and clever enough to get plenty of shares online — primarily with a video-gaming-savvy audience.

WHEN: We’d like to shoot over the weekend of November 18th. Final content must be approved and delivered by December 4th. Unfortunately, this date cannot be moved.

FINE PRINT: Now, down to business. You (the creator) are the copyright holder and owner of the work (apart from any logos, images, and other content which may be owned by others, that are incorporated into the video). Ümloud! requires non-exclusive broadcast rights (and other forms of transmission) of the video. Therefore, we require the content to be licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us).

WHO WE ARE: Creative, driven individuals in gaming and tech, who want to help out some sick kids.

CONTACT: We want your eye ASAP – please email us: info@umloud.org. Do it for the children. And don’t forget to include links to your sample work or portfolio.

*No, really – check us out at http://umloud.org/. We’re cool. We turn the video game called Rock Band into an all-night concert at SF’s DNA Lounge every year, as a fundraiser event. All proceeds go to Child’s Play Charity (http://childsplaycharity.org/), which donates video games, cash, and other support to children in hospitals and their families — both in the Bay Area, and worldwide. Aww.

**The video will be about one of our two fake rock bands:
“French KISS” (https://www.facebook.com/FrenchKissTheBand) or
“Forever Alone, Together” (https://www.facebook.com/somebodytolove.us).
This video is part of the prize that goes to whichever group brings in the most fundraising money.

Forever Alone, Together adorned masks to entertain their livestream audience.

Last weekend, our Ümloud! Contender bands brought in a landslide of donations.  Whether they kidnapped a few leprechauns or blackmailed old college roommates, we don’t know. What we DO know is that they raised over $1,370 in 2 days – with donations ranging from just one dollar to $234.56 (true story!).  We’d like to send out huge thanks and bear hugs to all who made the weekend one to remember.

This also means that, to this date, our contenders have raised a whopping $2,706.37! THANK YOU!!

Forever Alone, Together’s Tim Converse kept the crowd enthralled and broke world records in a single sweeping performance of 307 Rock Band pro-guitar songs over 30 hours. Other band members sang along, danced Gangnam Style in a horse-head mask, performed in  Minecraft Creeper-head masks, and created makeshift puppet shows between songs. Ricky The Dog was also a crowd favorite. By the time the stream ended Sunday at 3pm, they’d raised $905.81 – securing the lead and bringing their total up to $1,471.81.

If you missed it, you can relive the glory on the archived stream:
http://www.twitch.tv/hitoshurarb/videos

Meanwhile, French KISS watched the stream, congratulating and heckling their rivals in the chat-room. They also moved the goalpost. Far. French KISS broke the thousand dollar mark at 11pm on Saturday and raised $465 this weekend. They’re currently at $1,234.56.

Today, the battle is far from over – there are still 8 days to decide the fate of Ümloud! 2012’s headliner competition. Who will it be? Go to Facebook and hit “like” for Forever Alone, Together & French KISS to keep up with their latest announcements and cross-band heckling.

Remember Ümloud! 2011, when Tim Converse played Freebird on pro-guitar? It just so happens that he’s the only person EVER to complete all the goals in Rock Band 3. All of them.

Now he’s back, once again going where no one has gone before: Tim will play every. single. pro-guitar song in Rock Band in one day.

That’s 310 songs and about 22 hours of playtime.

And he’s doing it all to help Forever Alone, Together raise money to win Ümloud!’s headliner competition.

Tune in 10:00am, Saturday November 3 to watch world records shatter left and right. Even the Guinness book guys will take note of what’s happening here on Forever Alone, Together’s Ümloud! band page. RSVP and learn more on Forever Alone, Together’s Facebook Event Page.

How will French KISS respond? We don’t know, but somebody should really call the Legion.

French KISS (left) meets Forever Alone, Together (right) at RockBand San Francisco on Sunday, Oct. 21.

The competition for Ümloud’s headliner is fierce. As the dust settles, only two bands are left standing: FRENCH KISS and FOREVER ALONE, TOGETHER.

French KISS performing at RBSF. Sunday, 10-21-2012. Photo courtesy of Kat Hagan, codebykat.com.

In fact, Sunday, October 21 exploded in an epic clash of music and metal between the two titans at RockBand San Francisco. Croissants were flung and epithets were hurled about in many languages. And the music rang true. They’re raising money right on each other’s heels, and the leader changes by the hour. It’s gonna be a photo finish, folks. And that’s where you come in to decide the fate of Ümloud! 2012.

Get to know the bands a little.

Why pick FRENCH KISS? They’re French. And they’re KISS. Need we say more? Did we hear a oui? “Like” them out on Facebook.

Forever Alone, Together performing at RBSF on 10-21-2012. Photo courtesy of Kat Hagan.

Why pick FOREVER ALONE, TOGETHER? They’re looking for love in all the world’s places– even the ones not on Foursquare. Find out more on their Facebook page.

So now, Ümloud! becomes a choose-your-own-adventure game:

• If you want FRENCH KISS, shout “OUI” with your wallet and turn to page 67. Donate here

• If you want FOREVER ALONE, TOGETHER, let them complete you and turn to page 14. Donate here

San Francisco, California—October 2, 2012— Seriously, we’re jumping up and down here at the offices of Ümloud!, giggling like monkeys who broke into a bag of Skittles. Someone might as well’ve just brought a moonbounce, fresh kettle corn, and a confetti cannon right to our door.

We’re over the moon because Tim Schafer is going to be the host of Ümloud! 2012. He’s a game designer best known for the critically acclaimed games Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, and most recently Brutal Legend (starring the voice of Jack Black). Twice the host of the Game Developer’s Choice Awards, Schafer loves to knock out the crowd with the same razor wit and dark humor that permeates his projects. Like in his 2007 Choice Awards stint, he released a free Flash mini-game in which players got to play him – Schafer the host – as he prepped backstage for the show. (Whoa, meta). 

So we’re totally psyched for a rockin’ night at San Francisco’s DNA Lounge on December 6, 2012.

What does this mean for you, the attendee?

1. You get to enjoy an entire night with one of the best game designer / creators defining the industry today. And then you get to brag to your friends about how the two of you hung out – even if you didn’t.

2. You get to invent elaborate scenarios in your head about how to impress him with your mad Rock Band skills and sheer showmanship. And then sign up for a band package, where you totally can IRL: http://umloud.org/bands/purchase.

3. Just being exposed to Tim for all those hours is probably rocket fuel for the imagination, so prepare to be inspired on the spot. In fact, better just grab a small stack of bar napkins to scribble down your own amazing games and then launch your own Kickstarter campaign and raise MILLIONS! (No, seriously – Mr. Schafer just did exactly that).

This event features a full-blown Rock Band 3 mainstage, courtesy of Harmonix Music Systems, where you and your band can melt the face off San Francisco at one of the hottest music venues in the city, all in the name of charity.

And it’s all for a great cause: Ümloud! is an annual fundraiser event for Child’s Play Charity. It’s a “gamers’ charity” started by Penny Arcade’s Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik that provides toys and games to children’s hospitals around the country, including Oakland Children’s Hospital. (Awwww.)

In fact, our contender bands are already battling for the headliner spot. Go vote (with your wallet) for your favorite now: http://umloud.org/bands/headliner/contenders

Band packages go on sale Tuesday October 2nd at noon! $200 gets you onstage at DNA Lounge.  Last year, band packages sold out in four hours, so be ready to get yours as soon as they go on sale. Due to high demand for band packages, we are limiting individual membership to two (2) bands. Let’s make room for everyone. Each band can have up to seven members. As always, you can perform any song playable in Rockband 3 (including Blitz and all the RockBand DLC).

You can buy your band package here: http://umloud.org/bands/purchase

Don’t have enough people to fill a band? Need someone to cover an instrument?  We’re happy to play Ümloud! matchmaker on Facebook. Just post a want ad on our page and we’ll help spread the word.

We’re really excited about Umloud! 2012 and we can’t wait to see what our bands have in store this year.

Celebrity Host

We have a really awesome host lined up for this year. We’ll announce that really soon. You’re going to share a stage with someone super-awesome. We promise.

XOXO,

Ümloud! Staff

“Pleymo” is – or was, at this point – a nu-metal rap-rock sort of band. They honestly sounded a lot like Limp Bizkit: one dude crooning out the emo lyric bits, one dude jamming out the rapping spoken-word parts of the song. Only they were, you know, French. Which led to the easiest band-naming session known to man. Their band wasn’t some mere Limp Bizkit; in accordance with their French “heritage,” they were obviously Limp Croizzant (Burger King has not yet replied to inquiries regarding ad campaigns involving the Croissan’Wich).

For those of you who do not have encyclopedic memory of every Stupid Internet Thing that happened in the last decade: Buffalax was a YouTube entity who would post “translations” of foreign music videos based not upon the actual meanings of the words, but how they phonetically sounded in English, as in his fantastic “Benny Lava” music video (this is something that has been done before and since – some may remember the “Hyakugojyuuichi!!” video and the “it’s Princess Leia, the hobo of life” lines from forever ago – but Buffalax made the concept blow up something fierce). And this seemed like an awesome thing for an Ümloud! band to do: take this French song; “translate” it into English; rock out those nonsensical non-lyrics in front of an audience.

By itself, that was a perfectly solid, B+ sort of idea. But this band figured they could take things to the next level. So they did the same thing that bands have been doing since time immemorial: “co-opt” a concept from Bob Dylan.

In the music video for “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” Bob Dylan is holding a boat-ton of poster boards, all of which have snippets of lyrics from the song on them, which he flips through as the song plays (you may also recall this concept from the videos for INXS’ “Mediate” or Weird Al’s “Bob,” depending on your age bracket and social circles). So Limp Croizzant ran with that: one member of the band was the dedicated card-flipper, holding a massive array of cards with the pseudo-English lyrics on them, flipping through them as the song progressed. It took untold man-hours to generate those cards and was a logistical headache, but the results?  ROCKSTAR AWESOME.

Limp Croizzant rocked things on the stage. As Chris Kohler noted: “ Ümloud! is not actually a competition of any sort… but this band is winning so far.” They were the Frenchiest French band who ever Frenched. Everyone in berets! Everyone smoking cigarettes while looking vaguely smug! The ladies were decked out in stereotypical black-and-white striped shirts! The dudes double-fisting the head-wear, sporting both trucker caps AND berets, as tribute to both their French and douchebag lineages. They had a vision, and they brought it HARD.

Does Limp Croizzant have plans for future Ümloud! events? Oh my, yes. Not in the same general oeuvre, of course: the band’s members do not consider themselves a one-trick pony, mining the same general field to half-assedly bask in past glories.  Songs have been chosen. Outfits are being considered.  Additional chanteuses are being evaluated. A domain has been registered. This group of rockers is going to crash the boards WITH AUTHORITY. We can’t wait to see what they have in store.

Limp Croizzant’s unique lyrical take on Pleymo’s “New Wave” is, fortunately, publicly available.

BACKBONE Ümloud! 2010

BACKBONE broke onto the Ümloud! scene in 2010. As the DNA Lounge went dark that night, all the crowd could see was the eerie blue glow of Eli’s drumsticks. Eli stole our hearts that night when he stole the show. BACKBONE’s performances in 2010 and 2011 were so epic that some members of the press regarded BACKBONE as an Ümloud! headliner. But what about the man behind the band?

Eli was born and raised in Chicago.  A man employed by gaming companies, a soldier loyal to a hometown firm for seven years until their coffers ran dry. He left Illinois (Shouting, “Chicago, see ya later!” ) in search of the warmer climates and greener pastures promised in sunny California. He was not disappointed. Working on awesome games is how he rocks the world during the daytime.  At night?  That’s when he rocks things on the drum-set, which brings us to the formation of his band BACKBONE.  ”The drummer is the backbone of the band,” said Eli.  ”And since I’m the only member, who plays drums… well, it was easy coming up with this name!”

BACKBONE Ümloud! 2011

Eli prides himself on technical proficiency, both in-game and toward the crowds of his adoring fans.  He has mastered the art of playing with double kick-pedals.  ”Which is entirely Rock Band 2 equipment – NO MODS,” Eli said, showcasing his authentic and old-school roots.  He enjoys putting on a visual display — twirling his drumsticks and LOVES creating his own drum fills in the dead spaces of songs when there are no notes on the screen.  Even though the Ümloud! setup has but one kick-pedal, Eli is committed exclusively to playing songs that he “thought were the most epic” to rock out to under those conditions: “Kings & Queens” by 30 Seconds To Mars and “Witch Hunt” by Rush.  His performances are face-melting experiences, not to be taken lightly.

We asked Eli if he had plans for future Ümloud! experiences.  He certainly does!  ”Planning to incorporate some band members this year!” he said.  ”You may even see me perform more than once!  Thinking of going shirtless… as all drummers usually do!”  We cannot wait to see what future antics Eli has in store.

Joey Victorio (front) and Trung Bui, Gay Riot! Ümloud! 2011

Gay Riot!. It is a band name that conjures up a rather assorted amount of imagery. Though when referring to one of star performers at Ümloud!, the name “Gay Riot!” can only mean one thing: God Damn Awesome.

Year after year, Gay Riot! has delivered a high caliber performance at the non-stop nerd party haven of Ümloud!. Adored by fans, envied by men, and wanted by women, Gay Riot!’s members stand at the pinnacle of manliness. Embodying charisma that could only be rivaled if Liberace and Freddie Mercury produced a love-child. They are the very definition of the word, “cool”.

Before they turned into the music loving lotharios we know today, Gay Riot! was just a group of four friends who shared the love of Rock Band: Guitarist/back-up vocalist (and sometimes drummer) Trung Bui, lead vocalist Joey Victorio, bassist Ryan Bradley, and drummer Brian Lobay (better known as Trungle Fever, Lashes, Jedi Jesus, and Lobotomizer, respectively). A chance encounter with Harmonix employee (and all-around awesome dude), John Drake at a press party forever changed the future for these four men.

Gay Riot! Ümloud! 2010
Right to left: Ryan Bradley. Joey Victorio, Trung Bui, Brian Lobay

It was a memorable party with an open bar and open stage, perhaps one of the best combinations since the beginning of time. Alcohol was flowing like the Niagara Falls, laughter, banter, and music filled the air. This was the perfect storm of ingredients that led to the christening of the band by John Drake. “Best night of my life,” says Brian Lobay. “So much booze everywhere.” Joey Victorio remembers. “The only justifiable reason I used my $2 bill.” Laments Trung Bui of that fateful night in March, 2010.

“Sign us up as Game Rant!” Joey Victorio yelled at John Drake. Drake, (in charge of the performance queue of the night), in a move of sheer genius or just good old fashioned happenstance, replied, “Gay Riot?!” Victorio agreed with the man from Harmonix.

“I think the funniest thing is, I didn’t know what the band was called until John had announced we were next.” Trung Bui remembers, “Joey told me that it was not ‘Game Rant’, but something else entirely. When I heard “Gay Riot!,” I just knew it was us. It was my idea to add the exclamation point at the end. Without it, the name isn’t as catchy…or as fun to write.”

Trung Bui, Ümloud! 2010

The band’s inaugural performance was “Monkey Wrench” by Foo Fighters.

After the press event, Gay Riot! developed  a taste for the spotlight and officially formed their band, with time to spare, before their first appearance at Ümloud! 2010.

“I guess we were always a band…we just needed something to tie it all together. What better way than to get together and play for charity? We always played together and had a lot of fun doing it, so why not make it official?” Trung Bui said. “It wasn’t so much of an issue of practicing, it was just figuring out how to make it memorable.”

Gay Riot! also made a surprise appearance at Penny Arcade Expo 2010 on the free play stage where they encountered one of their larger obstacles to overcome. Before stepping onto the stage to play “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet, members of the band had overheard the singer of the following band talk about her inability to sing, let alone sing Queen. What Gay Riot! witnessed next was a 100% performance of Bohemian Rhapsody…on Expert difficulty.

Brian Lobay on drums, Ümloud! 2010

“We avoid being before bands who play Queen…it just doesn’t bring us good luck and it puts us back in that frame of mind back in Seattle” explains Ryan Bradley. Gay Riot! had nowhere to go but up, though, and with the approaching date of Ümloud! 2010, they had started their preliminary actions, such as song selection.

The band’s Ümloud! performance of “Space Oddity” by David Bowie was chosen for them by a mutual friend, Drea Ford.

“We were sort of struggling to figure out which song to pick for the event. We had thrown around different ideas. Blue Oyster Cult came up and we had sort of settled on it, then Drea saw “Space Oddity” and demanded we play it, so we did. Lo and behold, it was something we all got behind. We practiced a little bit, mostly try to get some synchronization going on, but once you get on that stage, a lot of plans go out the window and you get lost in the moment.”

Their performance at Ümloud! 2010 can only be truly appreciated by seeing it. Clad in color-coordinated dress attire, handsome as the devil himself, Gay Riot! gave new meaning to the phrase “pantie dropper”.

Cut to:

After their 2010 performance, Gay Riot! went on hiatus. All the members returning to their routine lives of working, playing video games, D&D, drinking, and generally having a good time. Before they knew it, Ümloud! 2011 was rolling around, and the band almost deprived their audience of their presence.

“I was happy and sad that the band slots for 2011 were sold so quickly…but where did that leave us? All the band slots were sold out in only a few hours.” Trung Bui said. “However, the universe works in the way that benefits us the most, so, thanks to the extra slot available on eBay, we were able to join the line up and feed the Gay Riot! addiction of all.”

The band would continue their tribute to David Bowie that year by choosing to perform “Suffragette City”.  ”It’s an excellent choice, really. Though it was very close between ‘Suffragette City’ and ‘Ziggy Stardust’. Ziggy will play guitar one year, though.” Says Trung Bui.

Gay Riot! continued their barrage of awesome in 2011. That year, all stops were pulled and the band were truly able to cut loose and enjoy themselves without reservations. Creating a performance that David Bowie himself would have been proud of. Unfortunately, when reached for comment, Bowie merely looked on in curiosity before dismissing us as life forms lower than his station.

What judge the viewers?

2012 brings us another year of Ümloud! performances, the end of the Mayan calendar, and a new rover on Mars. But what about the future of Gay Riot!? Trung Bui posits, “We’re going to deliver another hard hitting, badass, and awesome performance that will guarantee at least five women fainting from the sheer power of our presence. At least three of those things will happen, anyway.”

Joey Victorio was unavailable for comment, “recreational pursuits” have him waylaid in Thailand. His thoughts are with Gay Riot! and the band expects him “to be the same ol’ Lashes” when he takes the stage again.Ryan Bradley anticipates,  ”this year, we’re expecting to break our Queen problem, in only the way Gay Riot! can. So, with style, flair, and a little bit of Bowie’s help.” Brian Lobay volunteered, “We’re going to be the most awesome thing since the awesome boat came and off loaded all the immigrants from Awesomeland. True story. Serious face.”

There you have it. Rock Band demi-gods who grace us with their presence, power, and charity. Will they grace San Francisco once more for Ümloud! 2012? All signs point to yes.

The staff at Ümloud! are pleased to announce BIG changes to the headliner program this year. How big?? HUGE. In 2012, we’re challenging you to compete in a no-holds-barred BATTLE OF THE BANDS. The band who raises the most cash for charity wins the coveted Headliner Band title.

It’s not winner-take-all, each of the competing bands will enjoy a two-song set during the 2012 event. How to enter:

Get your band together and do some serious (like a heart-attack) brainstorming until you arrive at the Most Awesomely Amazing Idea of ALL TIME.

Once you distill your band idea, write a short paragraph with your band backstory, costumes idea, props and 5 potential songs before September 7th to bands@umloud.org (please put everything in the body of the email. Links are okay, please don’t send attachments).

Guidelines for Composing the Band Application: Be creative. Show us your vision. At a minimum, your band application should include the following:

• Band Name: What is your band’s name?
• Band’s History / Story: Submit a paragraph outlining your band’s identity. Who are you?  Where did you come from? What are your stage antics? Who are your fans? What would your behind the scenes film cover? Names and pseudonyms of your bandmates? What instruments do you play? Where are you from? Is this your first Ümloud!? Can each of your band members be on premises from 4:00pm Dec. 6 to 2:00am December 7?
• List five songs (in order of preference) that you would like to play at Ümloud!
  It’s not set in stone, but we want to know the songs you’d consider playing.
• Closing Remarks: Discuss any stage antics we should plan for, an outline or some brainstorming ideas are fine at this point. Again, it doesn’t have to be finalized, but the earlier we know, the more we can help.

Here’s a SAMPLE APPLICATION for reference.

If you have questions, email us: bands@umloud.org.

The Fine Print

• Entry Fee: $250. Due on September 10, 2012 from groups accepted into the Headliner Band competition. This will be contributed towards the band’s fundraising total (there is no charge to apply).
• Finalists will be notified September 9th.
• Ümloud volunteers will work with each competing band to create your visual identity. Photoshoot, band logo, and other art assets will be created to present your band to the world.
• You’ll engage in a friendly fundraising competition with two other awesome bands. We’ll put a “donate” button on your band page, you’ll do the rest.
  • If you win, you get all the headliner accolades. Tickets for tens of your closest friends. 30, to be precise.
  • If you almost win, you get to play a two-song set. And still get lots of accolades and 30 tickets for your friends.
• Fundraising Fulfillment Day
  • During the fundraising campaign, donors may receive items as thanks for donations. These may include signed materials such as photos of your band. While materials will be provided by Ümloud!, you and your band may be expected to sign these materials for promotional reasons.
• Ümloud! will make every effort to coordinate with winners to choose a mutually convenient day and time for the video and photo shoots and related services. However, Ümloud! will have final discretion over the timing and scheduling of these activities. Band members are solely responsible for transportation to and from photo/video shoots.

Eligibility:

• All band members must agree and are subject to the Ümloud! Terms of Service, Band Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy.
• Headliner program bands must be comprised of individuals 21 years of age or older as of Thursday December 6, 2012.
• All band members must be available to perform in San Francisco at DNA Lounge on Thursday December 6, 2012.
• Individuals accepted into the headliner band program cannot join other bands for Ümloud! 2012.
  • If you apply, but are not accepted into the headliner competition, you are still eligible for a standard band package. No harm in applying!
• A winning headliner band may not compete in the headliner program the following year.

• Individual band members are eligible to compete in the headliner program the following year, as long as the band “identity” is not the same.
  • Ümloud! retains the right to change eligibility requirements. Terms are subject to change at any time.

Band Naming & Identity Rules

• Band names and identity must not conflict with the goals and charitable mission of Ümloud!. Ümloud! reserves the right to alter or reject band names and aspects of identity.
• “Keep it T for Teen!” Make sure we can talk about your band in public press releases for media and polite conversation.
• You may not use an existing band name. Obvious parody is OK.
  • “Pearl Jam” wouldn’t be accepted, but “Pearl Ham” would be.
  • BE CREATIVE! You don’t need to parody a band name; Make your own identity!

• If you have any questions, please ask us! bands@umloud.org.

Cody (front) Antwon (back)

For our first installment of the Where are They Now series, Ümloud! sat down with Goat Southeast, the group who played “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake at Ümloud! 2010. When interviewed, members said that they chose the song because “we always do go down the only roads we’ve ever known, really.”  Intrigued, we asked them about their back-story. Goat Southeast is a five-member band comprised of Antwon Youhas, Cody Patton, Megan Patton, Tim Converse and Regina Wu. The story of how they formed to rock at Ümloud is guaranteed to inspire tens of loftily-goaled low-budget film-school rockumentaries.

Cody met Antwon on the mean streets of Christmas Island at an illicit after-hours gaming parlor. It was more than a bit of a dive, but it was the only game in town, and what a game it was: quality gamblers; raucous crowds; high-stakes action. Cody won his match of Guitar Hero II, and was rewarded with hearty cheers, aged scotch, and the affections of a smitten vixen; Megan. Antwon was not so fortunate. Only the liberal purchasing of complementary cognac and hiding in a trash can for thirteen hours spared him from having his pinkies cleaved. (Quoth Antwon in the wake of the night: “Not my proudest hour”).

The duo fast considered themselves kindred spirits and continued meeting, hanging out and chatting-it-up while imbibing the most vile table wine known to humanity. For various reasons, they both emigrated to the States in the following year. Cody had his vixen in tow. Antwon, exceedingly vague about matters, alluded that he “might” have wronged a woman wedded to a man far more politically powerful than he’d estimated. Purely by chance, they both landed in the San Francisco Bay Area, which meant more chatting-it-up, if over much better wines on the whole.

Goat Southeast at Ümloud 2010

It was one of those alcohol-soaked nights in which the rockstar duo found themselves in a gaming session that included Megan. It turned out that she wasn’t just a pretty face: the lady had some pipes. “What rare caliber of woman can expertly handle pulling off James Brown?” mused Antwon. “She could nail them all. To a tee.” This was quite a development. Because it meant that they were three-for-five on having a group together that could melt faces, nab free drinks, and have panties flung at them. All they needed was someone awesome to rock drums and tickle ivories.

This is where Tim entered the picture. Nobody can recall the dive where they met him (Tim was “busy with ‘other projects’” and could not be interviewed in time for this piece). “Some place within twenty minutes of Atherton that had a Tijuana-grade vibe” was the whole of what they remembered. “Homeboy was obviously some sort of musical polymath” said Antwon. “Need him to sing? Oh, he could sing. Need him to shred on a guitar? Shredding would be provided. But what about the drums? He was an absolute *professor* of hammering on those skins.”  The trio asked him if he wanted in on their rocktastic adventures; he said he was good to go. And just like that, bam: BAND ASSEMBLED. Well, essentially.

Tim on Drums

Tim could go octopus-mode on those drums, and Tim could play keys with the best of them, but he couldn’t do both simultaneously. The team needed a dedicated keyboardist from time to time. That’s when they remembered Regina. “Lights out on the piano; classically trained on her instrument from the age of four; part of a globetrotting musical troupe. A truly gifted lady, cute as a button and with a personality as sweet as pecan pie… but with a dark secret or two lurking in her past” said Antwon. (When pressed, he refused to elaborate on whether he was contractually obligated or merely honor-bound not to speak about “that night in Winnemucca” casually referenced by the others). Either way: the team had their session keyboardist in hand. Bam: band assembled EVEN HARDER.

All they needed was a name. Back on Christmas Island, Cody and Antwon got tons of “Greatest of all time, says everyone!” sorts of back-slaps for their mad parlor skillz. So that was their first choice, but as a less-wordy acronym: “G.O.A.T.S.E.”! Turns out, that website was already taken. So they decided to expand out that last part, so there you go: “Goat Southeast.” They don’t often headline a lot of gigs, but have no doubt: they are one of the biggest opening acts you will EVER see. You know how people “throw the horns” at various concerts? Where do you think that practice came from? Goats have horns. This was one of Goat Southeast’s signature moves, a shout out in tribute to their fans – the ‘kids.” This gesture was rapidly co-opted by uncountable bands elsewhere. The band is still quietly bitter about their lack of recognition for creating such a global reaction to rocking excellence.

Goat Southeast
Megan Patton, Tim Converse, Cody Patton, Anthony Youhas, Regina Wu

Where are they now?
Cody is loyal to his lady while trying to avoid the attentions of gaming hussies intent on throwing themselves at him. Regina is still doing her thing, a sparkling gem in the public’s eye. Tim remains part of the group, although he has no fewer than six side projects, wherein he is variously playing guitars, a xylophone, a theremin, a synthesizer, and the bagpipes. And Antwon is once again keeping a low profile, apparently to avoid the wrath of “yet another” husband scorned, in his words. But those are stories for another time.

(Images courtesy of Tyler Winegarner Photography. Originals here: http://www.tylerwinegarner.com/Events/Umloud-2010/Goat-Southeast/15184012_tbm6r#!i=1135762616&k=VM9UL)

Here at Ümloud!, we’re ramping up for our fourth event and we started wondering what former performers were up to. We’d like to do a series of entries about former bands, band-members and generally reminisce about your awesomeness. We can also discuss the things you are currently working on. If you (or someone you know) participated in a band in 2009, 2010, or 2011, we’d like to hear about it.

How this works:

We’d like to work with band captains (or a chosen delegate) to write a story about each Ümloud! band. We’ve emailed band captains but some of the contact information we have is a little outdated. So, if your band captain hasn’t heard from us, please shoot me an email: sophie at umloud.org. In your email, please include the following:

• What was the genesis of your band name?
• Who are your members?
• Where did you come from?
• How did you prepare for your performance at Ümloud!? Feel free to discuss any of your signature moves, creative costumes or on-stage antics.
• What have you been doing since you performed at Ümloud!?
• Do you have any plans for future Ümloud! performances?

You can answer factually or in the voice of the characters you played for your Ümloud! performance (think of this as a fun “creative writing” exercise). We plan to run a variety of fun stories on Ümloud! bands in the near future. You can contribute as much as you’d like.  No word limits (though we reserve the right to edit (and embellish)). Feel free to include links to your favorite band photos, performance footage, etc.

I’ll work with you to turn your prose into an exciting  behind-the-music/where-are-they-now article for the Ümloud blog.

If you don’t have time, or don’t like to write, we (myself and my associates) can ghost-write your story for you (but we’d like to have permission first).

We’re looking forward to hearing from everyone!!

Didn’t get passes for PAX Prime 2012 Seattle?
Here’s your chance to get passes and donate to Child’s Play!

BID NOW!

Ümloud! is putting up two 3-day passes (as in two people!) to PAX Prime 2012 Seattle as an eBay auction to benefit Child’s Play Charity. Considering that PAX is completely sold out, this is a great opportunity to get passes to the event. The money raised will go to Child’s Play Charity. A win for you scoring passes. A win for the kids that need our help. Everyone wins!

What is being offered exactly?

Two 3-day passes to PAX Prime 2012 in Seattle, WA on Aug 31 to the Sept 2. That’s full weekend passes for two individuals.

The passes will be held for the auction-winner at Will Call. The passes will not be mailed. If you win, you will need to submit your name(s) so the passes will be reserved for you. You will need to present a government issued photo ID with that name in order to obtain them. For more information on PAX Prime, see http://prime.paxsite.com/

Where did the passes come from?

At the last Ümloud!, Penny Arcade Corp graciously donated two passes for silent auction. The winner of the auction was Neal Krummell. Sadly, Neal recently found out he isn’t able to make to PAX, so he donated the passes back to us. Now we have two passes up for auction, all thanks to Neal!

Any news on Ümloud! 2012?

The event is this December 6th at DNA Lounge! We’ll be announcing exciting changes for the Headliner Band program soon! If you’re interested in performing at the show this year, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

These positions are management positions with the expectation in working with volunteers to accomplish tasks — you won’t be working alone!

If you’re interested in either position or want to know more, please e-mail us at volunteer at umloud.org for more information! All positions at Ümloud! are volunteer and are unpaid.

Prize Coordinator

The Prize Coordinator will lead a team to collect and distribute all the prizes and gifts collected for distribution at the event and other fundraising activities. If you’re good at logistics and can help bring prizes for auction and give-away for the event, we want to hear from you!

Art Director

The Art Director will manage and expand our small army of artists to produce creative assets for the event and organization. While the position itself doesn’t require artistic talent, it does require to work with artists in producing creative items for digital and print media upholding high standards of quality.

Thursday December 6th, 2012 @ DNA Lounge!

At Ümloud!, rocking out is serious business, especially for people across the US and Canada who come to the event. To help, we’ve locked in the date so you can plan ahead. All of us at Ümloud! hope you can join us in Child’s Play Charity‘s mission to help children and their families around the world and here at home.

DNA Lounge will again be the home of the most unique Rock Band event in the world. Our friends at Harmonix will be there to make Ümloud! a rocking success. Seriously, everyone awesome is going to be there: This means you!

As long as you’re following this blog, our Facebook Page, or Twitter, you’ll be kept up to date with the latest details!

We hope to see you at this year’s event! If you have any questions or feedback to us from prior events, contact us: info@umloud.org

Meet our new Community Manager

We’re also proud to announce the newest member of the Ümloud! team: Krista Hauser! As our Community Manager she’ll be the community voice of Ümloud!, keeping you up to date with the with all the exciting news!

The AV Society is at it again and posted the full pre show!

Check out interviews from A+D of Bootie, Mad Catz, Harmonix, Telltale Games, Ümloud! staffers, and many more as they set the stage for Ümloud! 2011′s performances.

Your hosts for the pre-show were:

• Jon Carnage ( Destructoid )
• Wesley Ruscher ( Destructoid )
• Rob Roberts ( Orange Lounge Radio )

We like to thank all the people who made the pre show and broadcasting all band performances for Ümloud! 2011:

• The AV Society
• GameSpot
• USTREAM
• DNA Lounge
• All our guests, sponsors and hostsThe Ümloud! 2011 Pre Show
• Everyone who donated to Ümloud!

Ümloud! presents every band performance of 2011!

The embed above is the full playlist of all the bands, but you can individually view and embed each performance. You can also look at the Band Roster for each video and band photos by the official Ümloud! 2011 photographer: Bob Lopez.

Special thanks goes to The AV Society. Not only did they contribute their services to produce and broadcast the show with GameSpot and USTREAM, but The AV Society took the time to edit down and post 1080p versions of each band performance. All of us at Ümloud! are extremely grateful that we can show these performances to the public for years to come.

These videos are on the official Ümloud! YouTube channel, which includes a donation button to Ümloud!/Child's Play on each page. If you share the videos, please make sure to note that they can donate right off the YouTube page!

$26,523.85+
Thank you!!!

This is our biggest check ever to Child’s Play! More than double of last year’s $11k and well beyond 2009′s $7k. There are a lot of people who made this possible. Our performers, volunteers, sponsors, staff, vendors, over 700 attendees, 2,100 viewers of the broadcast, and everyone who’s contributed to that big number. Ümloud! is the platform for the gaming community to come together to support children and their families around the world. You did not disappoint this year!

Make this number even bigger by donating!
We’re still accepting donations for our 2011 fiscal year. 

Image: Brian Bilek.

Band & Event Photos

Band photography by Bob Lopez is now available!

There are quite a few photos to share from our photographers:

• Bob Lopez (Ümloud! Band Photographer)
• Brian Bilek
• Noel Holmes
• The Ümloud! Flickr Pool

If you have photos to share, make sure to tag them as “umloud2011″ and “umloud”!

Band Videos

The broadcast crew The AV Society is working hard to edit and upload all of the videos in full 1080p HD. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified of new videos. We’ll also have Area5‘s video for Destructo Pwnies up soon!

Each band page will have links to the images and videos in the next few days, preserving the performances in one central location. Bands will be e-mailed once videos and images are up.

Looking to the Future

Ümloud! has many plans for the next year with the main event and beyond! We’ll also be expanding our year-round staff positions to our organization. Stay tuned to this blog, @Umloud, and our Facebook page as we make more announcements!

Happy Holidays!

From all of us at Ümloud!, have a wonderful, safe, and happy holiday!

San Francisco to Host Biggest Annual Video Game Charity Event featuring Rock Band™ 3 at DNA Lounge on December 8, 2011 to Benefit Child’s Play

San Francisco, are you ready to ROCK?!!!

On Thursday, December 8, Ümloud!, San Francisco’s biggest annual non-profit gaming fundraiser for Child’s Play, once again takes the stage with Rock Band 3 at the DNA Lounge for a fun filled evening that draws video game fans and supporters together to rock out for a great cause. In its third year, Ümloud! 2011 promises to be the biggest and best show so far! All of the proceeds earned will go directly to support children’s hospitals around the world via Child’s Play charity.

Ümloud! will deliver a truly memorable evening filled with gamers from all walks of life – both as participants as well as spectators. Staying true to the music-game that brought everyone together, Rock Band 3, attendees will once again see over 30 bands comprised of the best aspiring rockers test their singing, music and performance skills on stage through some of the best rock songs spanning the eras.

In addition to seeing the performances, Ümloud! attendees will have the opportunity to further support the cause via the evening’s silent auction, contributing via an on-site donation box, as well as entering the raffle where they can win great prizes – games, peripherals, Tshirts, etc.! This year’s Ümloud! is global so online viewers will be able to show their support through making pledges and participating in auctions exclusive to the remote audience.

WHO:                   Video Game Fans and Industry Professionals

WHAT:                 Ümloud! 2011 – 3rd annual fundraiser that benefits Child’s Play

WHEN:                 Thursday, December 8

Pre-show starts at 6:30 [Media are encouraged to attend/participate as Umloud! spokespersons will be available for interviews and offer sneak peak of what’s to come during the show. Video can be made available for broadcast needs.]

Show doors open to public at 7PM: Tickets are $10/per person to enter

WHERE:               DNA Lounge (375 Eleventh Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, (415) 626-1409)

*Must be 18+older to attend details can be found at: http://www.dnalounge.com/

ADDITIONAL:     Ümloud! 2011 has secured tremendous support from the video game industry from partners and sponsors including:

Mad Catz: Premier Sponsor
Harmonix: Sponsor
ONE PR Studio: Gold Sponsor
Gamespot: Exclusive Partner for live global streaming
The AV Society: in conjunction with Gamespot, partner for live global streaming
TriplePoint: Sponsor
Raffle Giveaway Contributors: Namco Bandai, Square Enix, Sega, Capcom, and XSEED.
… and more!

For all things Ümloud!, check out the new  www.umloud.org, and don’t forget to sign up to be a sponsor today. Become a fan of Ümloud! on Facebook and follow Ümloud! on Twitter.

# # #

About Child’s Play Charity

Since 2003, over 100,000 gamers worldwide have banded together through Child’s Play, a community based charity grown and nurtured from the game culture and industry. Over $6.7 million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception.

This year, Child’s Play Charity has continued expanding across the country and the globe. With almost 70 partner hospitals and more arriving every month, you can be sure to find one from the map above that needs your help! You can choose to purchase requested items from their online retailer wish lists, or make a cash donation that helps out Child’s Play hospitals everywhere. When gamers give back, it makes a difference!

About Ümloud!

Ümloud! is the annual “Rock Band Night for Child’s Play” fundraiser held in San Francisco, California organized by local video game veterans Chris Kohler (Wired.com), Joe Markert (Gamehelper), and John “Seg” Seggerson (Telltale Games). All with proceeds going to Child’s Play Charity which is the ‘gamers charity’ started by Penny Arcade’s Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik that provides toys and games to children’s hospitals around the world, including Oakland Children’s Hospital.

Ümloud! Media Contact:

Kjell Vistad | Laura Casey
ONE PR Studio (for Umloud!)
kjell@oneprstudio.com | laura@oneprstudio.com
510-893-3271

GameSpot to Provide Live VIDEO Stream for Upcoming Ümloud! Gaming Charity Event

Leading Gaming Website Partners to Provide Global Live Streaming of Rock Band™ 3 Bash in San Francisco on December 8, 2011 to Benefit Child’s Play

San Francisco, California — December  6, 2011 — Ümloud!, San Francisco’s biggest annual non-profit gaming fundraiser for Child’s Play, today announced that it will feature live global video streaming thanks to a new partnership with the popular gaming website GameSpot in coordination with The AV Society. When the event rocks at the DNA Lounge at 6:30PM PST on Thursday, December 8, gamers around the world will be able to tune in to www.GameSpot.com or www.Umloud.org to watch the onstage shenanigans live from the venue. Attendees of the show can donate through bidding in the silent auction, jumping in on the raffle, or simply contributing via an on-site donation box, while online viewers will be able to show their support through making pledges and participating in auctions exclusive to the online audience. All of the proceeds earned will go directly to support children’s hospitals around the world via Child’s Play charity.

“The Umloud! event is one of the most creative ways we have seen for the community to support kids’ charities and provide games and toys for families in need,” said John Davison, VP of Programming, GameSpot. “We can all appreciate the huge impact that this kind of help can have, and as a parent myself I know first hand the joy that video games can bring to children.”

The evening of December 8, gamers from all walks of life in the San Francisco/Bay Area will come together to rock and roll all night and help a worthy cause. At Ümloud! attendees and streaming viewers will see and hear over 30 bands perform Rock Band at DNA Lounge, one of San Francisco’s hottest live music venues. They will also be able to play Rock Band 3 for Child’s Play, a ‘gamers charity’ started by Penny Arcade’s Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik that provides toys and games to children’s hospitals around the world, including Oakland Children’s Hospital.

“Thanks to our friends at GameSpot, gamers around the world will be able to not only support Child’s Play but will get a great Rock Band charity concert experience live from anywhere,” said Ümloud! co-founder John “Seg” Seggerson. “Every crazy moment will be streamed on GameSpot as we present a great show for fans around the world, all for the benefit of Child’s Play and its partnered hospitals.”

Ümloud! co-founders and gaming industry veterans Chris Kohler (Wired.com), Joe Markert (Gamehelper), and John “Seg” Seggerson (Telltale Games) will lead the night of onstage mayhem at DNA Lounge. The event will feature a massive stage decked out with the latest Rock Band 3 gear and a huge set list of songs to choose from to make your stage debut, all provided by the game’s developer Harmonix^® Music Systems. And let’s not forget the loot-tastic silent auction and a raffle chock full of sweet gaming, tech, music, and pop-culture booty!

For all things Ümloud!, check out the new teaser site www.umloud.org, and don’t forget to sign up to be a sponsor today. Become a fan of Ümloud! on Facebook and follow Ümloud! on Twitter.

# # #

About Child’s Play Charity:

Since 2003, over 100,000 gamers worldwide have banded together through Child’s Play, a community based charity grown and nurtured from the game culture and industry. Over $6.7 million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception.

This year, Child’s Play Charity has continued expanding across the country and the globe. With almost 70 partner hospitals and more arriving every month, you can be sure to find one from the map above that needs your help! You can choose to purchase requested items from their online retailer wish lists, or make a cash donation that helps out Child’s Play hospitals everywhere. When gamers give back, it makes a difference!

About Ümloud!:

Ümloud! is the annual “Rock Band Night for Child’s Play” fundraiser held in San Francisco, California, organized by local video game veterans with proceeds going to Child’s Play Charity. Visit www.umloud.org to sign your Rock Band bandmates up for time on the DNA Lounge main stage!

About GameSpot:

GameSpot’s (www.GameSpot.com) expert editorial team provides more than a million daily visitors with comprehensive, engaging and unbiased game information for console, PC, and portable platforms. The site was named the most influential video game media site in America in 2011 by EEDAR (Electronic Entertainment Design and Research). It’s award-winning coverage includes previews and reviews on the hottest titles, breaking news, live Web casts, online tournaments, game downloads, videos, guides, hints and more. GameSpot also has one of the most active online gaming communities fueled by a free, innovative social networking service that makes it easy and fun for gamers to interact with like-minded enthusiasts. The GameSpot family includes GameFAQs, Game Rankings and GameSpot Trax, the industry’s premier real-time market intelligence tool. GameSpot is a property of CBS Interactive. GameSpot is available online, on mobile phones and on the iPad.

Follow GameSpot on Facebook and Twitter 

About The AV Society:

The AV Society is an independent group of production and creative specialists who bring the excitement of live events to new audiences in the comfort of their own homes, over the Internet.  Live events streamed by The AV Society team enter the homes of tens of thousands of new attendees, raising the bar for attendance of performances, festivals and press events, extending the event’s reach.  The AV Society offers planning and execution with experienced consultation from beginning to project end, including a number of strategies to increase the value of the live stream to event sponsors, in some cases increasing the profitability of the event.  Content creation and development for television and film also round out the group’s offerings.  The team has gathered from all walks of the entertainment industry with a heavy focus on Video Game Entertainment Industry experience and calls the historic “Record Plant” in Sausalito CA its home.  For more information, visit http://www.theavsociety.com

Ümloud! Media Contact: GameSpot Media Contact:
Kjell Vistad | Laura Casey Justin O’Kelly
ONE PR Studio (for Umloud!) Director of Communications
kjell@oneprstudio.com | laura@oneprstudio.com justin.okelly@cbsinteractive.com
510-893-3271 415-344-2515

Due to the unprecedented demand of band packages this year, the band package we normally sell at the silent auction is now an eBay auction! This is your LAST chance to be in a band for Ümloud! The bidding ends at Monday November 28 @ 3:45pm PST!

The package itself is the same band package type we sold for $150 a few weeks ago (in under four hours!). This includes performing one song on the Ümloud! stage, the gift bags, photos & videos, and everything! The only difference is that it’s up as an eBay auction, and it’s the last one!

If you’re going to go for the auction, be prepared! You will have 24 hours after the auction ends to have your band’s name, song choice, band image, and band members into the Ümloud! website.

Bid high, bid often, and see you in two weeks at Ümloud!!

MAD CATZ® STEPS UP TO THE MIC FOR CHILD’S PLAY AS PREMIERE SPONSOR OF THIS YEAR’S ÜMLOUD!

Global Provider of Innovative Interactive Entertainment Products Partners With Rock Band™3 Bash for Child’s Play in San Francisco on December 8, 2011

San Francisco, California — November 18, 2011 — Ümloud!, San Francisco’s biggest and most awesome annual non-profit gaming fundraiser for Child’s Play, will take place at DNA Lounge on December 8, 2011. This year, the non-profit group is proud to announce that Mad Catz Interactive Inc. has secured the Premiere sponsorship role. As the Premiere sponsor Mad Catz has signed on to sponsor the production costs of Ümloud!, ensuring that each and every gamers’ donations can go directly to support children’s hospitals around the world via Child’s Play charity.

“Ümloud is an inspiring event which through it’s support of the Child’s Play charity, makes a real difference to the lives of sick children across the world.” said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. “We are proud to support such a deserving cause and look forward to joining gamers this coming December for a night of Rock Band fundraising which promises to be like no other!”

As Premiere sponsor, Mad Catz is the leading donator and supporter of the Child’s Play charity event, Ümloud! Mad Catz plan to rock out in style, with their very own house band performing, as well as promising a host of surprises for many of the lucky attendees.

“We’re very excited to work with Mad Catz in making Ümloud! 2011 the biggest, baddest Rock Band charity concert in the world!” said Ümloud! co-founder John “Seg” Seggerson. “Having such an esteemed partner will allow us to create a spectacular show that will draw an amazing gaming crowd, all for the benefit of Child’s Play and its partnered hospitals around the world.”

On December 8, 2011, gamers in the San Francisco area will come together to rock all night and help a worthy cause. At Ümloud! you’ll hear over 30 bands perform Rock Band at DNA Lounge, one of San Francisco’s hottest live music venues, and play Rock Band™3 for Child’s Play, a ‘gamers charity’ started by Penny Arcade’s Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik that provides toys and games to children’s hospitals around the world, including Oakland Children’s Hospital.

Gaming industry veterans Chris Kohler (Wired.com), Joe Markert (Gamehelper), and John “Seg” Seggerson (Telltale Games) will lead the night of shenanigans at DNA Lounge. The event will feature a massive stage decked out with the latest Rock Band™3 gear and a huge set list of songs to choose from to make your stage debut, all provided by the game’s developer Harmonix® Music Systems. And let’s not forget the loot-tastic silent auction and a raffle chock full of sweet gaming, tech, music and pop-culture booty!

For all things Ümloud!, check out the new teaser site www.umloud.org, and don’t forget to sign up to be a sponsor today. Become a fan of Ümloud! on Facebook and follow Ümloud! on Twitter.

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About Child’s Play Charity:
Since 2003, over 100,000 gamers worldwide have banded together through Child’s Play, a community based charity grown and nurtured from the game culture and industry. Over $6.7 million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception.

This year, Child’s Play Charity has continued expanding across the country and the globe. With almost 70 partner hospitals and more arriving every month, you can be sure to find one from the map above that needs your help! You can choose to purchase requested items from their online retailer wish lists, or make a cash donation that helps out Child’s Play hospitals everywhere. When gamers give back, it makes a difference!

About Ümloud!:
Ümloud! is the annual “Rock Band Night for Child’s Play” fundraiser held in San Francisco, California, organized by local video game veterans with proceeds going to Child’s Play Charity. Visit www.umloud.org to sign your Rock Band bandmates up for time on the DNA Lounge main stage!

About Mad Catz:
Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) is a global provider of innovative interactive entertainment products marketed primarily under its Mad Catz® (casual gaming), Cyborg™ (pro gaming), Tritton® (gaming audio), Saitek® (simulation), and Eclipse™ (home and office) brands. Mad Catz also develops flight simulation software through its internal ThunderHawk Studios™; operates flight simulation centers under its Saitek brand; operates a videogame content website under its GameShark® brand; publishes games under its Mad Catz brand; and distributes games and videogame products for third parties. Mad Catz distributes its products through most leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia. For additional information please go to www.madcatz.com.

Ümloud! Media Contact:
Kjell Vistad | Laura Casey
ONE PR Studio (for Umloud!)
kjell@oneprstudio.com | laura@oneprstudio.com
510-893-3271

Mad Catz Communications:
Alex Verrey
Global PR and Communications Manager
averrey@madcatz.com or +44 (0) 1908 336 538

Thursday December 8th, 2011
@ DNA Lounge!

At Ümloud!, rocking out is serious business, especially for people across the US and Canada who come to the event. To help, we’ve locked in the date so you can plan ahead. All of us at Ümloud! hope you can join us in Child’s Play Charity‘s mission to help children and their families around the world and here at home.

Our friends at Harmonix will be there to make Ümloud! a rocking success. DNA Lounge will again be the home of the most unique Rock Band event in the world. Seriously, everyone awesome is going to be there: This means you!

As long as you’re following this blog, our Facebook Page, or Twitter, you’ll know all the details this fall. You can even add the Facebook Event and mark your calendar!

We hope to see you at this year’s event! If you have any questions or feedback to us from prior events, contact us: info@umloud.org

Sponsorships

We’re also proud to announce the newest member of the Ümloud! team: Marcello Lagosh! As our Director of Corporate Relations, he’ll help you create a sponsorship package that shows the world your brand’s commitment to helping children and their families in their time of need.

Contact sponsors@umloud.org to talk to Marcello about how you can help make Ümloud! happen!

Some highlights, selected by Tyler.

Herr Nihil @ Ümloud! 2010

Want to see all of them? Go to this year’s roster of bands! Each band’s page contains a link to Tyler’s photos.

Tyler Winegarner has done a wonderful job with more bands this year. All of us at Ümloud! are extremely grateful for his time and hard work in making Ümloud! 2010 a wonderful success!

Today we announce a number. It’s a bigger number than last year. Hopefully you can handle it:

$11,146.28+

For this and much more, we thank each and every one of you.

To the core staff, the volunteers, our sponsors, prize donators, DNA Lounge, the wonderful bands, and the over 650 who came to the event: Each of you have made this event possible. Your efforts provide support for thousands of children and their families around the world in moments where support is needed the most. We are proud to see an increase of donations where charitable giving decreased around the world. This is the number that will be written on a check and mailed off to Child’s Play Charity, showing that all of you are wonderfully awesome.

Wondering what that + is for? That’s because we always accept donations. If you didn’t make it to the event or want to contribute more, please make a donation. If you’re planning on selling items via eBay, you can also donate 10% to 100% of the final sale price to Ümloud! directly via the Mission Fish program.

We plan on selling the Ümloud! t-shirts after the holidays. We’ll have more details later.

Photos by Tyler Winegarner Photography and videos by Dawnrunner Productions of the event are being edited. There’s a lot of awesome to handle and they’re working tirelessly to get them to you!

The board members (Chris, Uncle Ed, Joe, & Seg) thank you all for making Ümloud! 2010 bigger and better this year! Follow us on this blog, Twitter (@Umloud), and on Facebook for more news later next year, including the date for the 2011 event.

Update: Last year’s event, Ümloud! 2009, raised $7,000 for Child’s Play Charity.

Ümloud! 2010 has come to a close, following a year of planning and one short night of straight-up rocking.

We’ll be telling you a lot more later about the bands that blew us away and the amount that we were able to raise for Child’s Play Charity this year. For now, all of us at Ümloud!, bleary-eyed but quite happy, just want to thank you. You blew away our expectations again. Bands like “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Zilla” (above) went all-out this year with costumes and choreography unlike any other Rock Band event.

As a friend of mine said that night, “It’s like a full-on concert created with Rock Band 3.” That it was. And it’s all thanks to you, who worked so hard to make a huge impact with your five minutes on stage. We’re excited to work with you all again in 2011, and promise to work even harder to make Ümloud! the best it can be.