Though Building 26 — formerly known as the TB ward — has been reduced to rubble, local band The Ridges continues to build momentum.
Tuesday, the folk group will play its first of seven South By Southwest showcases throughout the week while wrapping up a two-week tour.
The Ridges’ stage at the Austin, Texas, event will be hosted by Haus of Hipstamatic, the company that created the iPhone app Hipstamatic, which uses filters on digital photos to make them look as if they were taken through an analog camera. The company temporarily lent its Twitter handle, @Hipstamatic — with 28,000 followers — to The Ridges to promote both the app and its SXSW stage.
“It’s a lot bigger audience than we usually talk to (on Twitter),” said Victor Rasgaitis, the band’s frontman. “It’s been a lot of fun. … We get this opportunity to expose people to music in a place they aren’t expecting to be exposed to music, so they seem more receptive to it.”
Mario Estrada, director of special projects for Hipstamatic, said he liked the music and was impressed with the band’s photos online. He saw an opportunity for a partnership because of the upcoming show and The Ridges’ prominence on the web.
“It gets chaotic down here at SXSW … and (The Ridges’ Twitter takeover) is a weight off our shoulders,” Estrada said. “We’re so much of a lifestyle brand, and I’m most concerned with the lifestyle of users and how people are living.”
The Ridges have been touring with The Seedy Seeds, an electronic folk-pop duo from Cincinnati. Both bands started their tour in Athens and made their way through Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. They’ll wrap up the tour on Hipstamatic’s stage in Texas.
During their travels, the groups are sharing a van named Susan B. Vanthony, thanks to fans’ suggestions on Facebook.
Despite their busy schedules, several band members are still students and are missing a week of school to go on the tour. Talor Smith, lead cellist for The Ridges, said Ohio University has been very accommodating.
“Our teachers have been really cool about it,” Smith said. “They are actually excited about this opportunity for us, and I was surprised most of them even knew what SXSW is.”
Although they’re missing time in the classroom, the group members said they are thankful for Hipstamatic’s support and the opportunity to take on the additional responsibility.
“It’s been a fun added task to the whole experience of typical tour stuff,” Rasgaitis said. “It’s been a whirlwind of new experiences.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
