When Into the Woods launched in January, I wrote that they raised the bar for the medium of online music videos. Nearly one year and 85 (!) videos later, it's safe to say that there is still no one in Portland—or across the Internet, really—that is doing things quite like these guys. But the collective's original idea of taking a band outside of its natural environment and creating a document that's more short film than music video halted after just three episodes because it quickly proved to be an unsustainable model. And that's where you can help. This morning Into the Woods launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $4,500 to purchase a portable PA, generators, lighting and equipment that would help ease the huge financial burden of projects like taking experimental pop duo Hosannas to a weekend retreat at the Ape Cave in Mt. St. Helens.

Of course there are quiet a few incentives for donating, including albums and merch from local record labels (Tender Loving Empire, High Scores and Records, Bladen County) as well as a few special rewards that will surely go quickly:

- The first person to pledge $150 or more gets serenaded by Decemberists side project Black Prairie
- Pledge $75 or more and get a one hour drum lesson from Lisa Schonberg of Explode Into Colors/STLS fame.
- Pledge $75 and indie pop outfit Pony Village will cover any song of your choosing on four track. I call Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A."
- Four people who pledge $50 or more get a candlelight dinner with Wampire's Rocky Tinder. I'm not sure how special that prize is, but at least it will be entertaining. Rocky, you know where I live.

Anyone wondering what Into the Woods does should spend a few minutes perusing the website, and I recommend the Big Freedia session at Sassy's ("AZZ EVERYWHERE!!!") and the gorgeous Dirty Mittens clip filmed in an empty church. The crew released its newest video this morning, with Breakfast Mountain and special guest Cyrus Lampton playing "Shred, Booty, and Cock" in drummer Pieter Hilton's backyard and totally pissing off the neighbors.

Link:
Into the Woods