This information is meant to help artists and applicants understand the unique Structures, Motivation, and Vision that makes the Extreme Tour so different from other festivals, events, or music tours.
It would be important for artist applicants to consider that we are not a stereotypical tour of average venues and markets. Rather, this is a very intentional effort, pursuing an unusual objective. Extreme Tour events are not sales driven “shows” where artists compete with each other merely to market their musical “wares.” Instead, These events are intended to be the collaborative product of artists and creatives who believe that music is meant to be more than just amusement. Music, as entertainment, is certainly a welcome retreat and escape at times, but we believe that music is intrinsically capable of so much more. This tour is a pursuit of what’s possible when music and creativity are used to carry Hope and Love to the broken.
Our goal with these events is to use music to help create a safe and appealing setting where diverse members of the community can come together, and where people in need can be connected with resources and organizations who can help meet those needs. As a staff and organization, we are compelled by our Faith, and we believe the substance and values of our faith are best practiced, not just proclaimed; We believe our lives should be spent expressing the Love that is central to our Faith. Through demonstration, not just declaration.
We believe artistic expression matters. Artistic expression can be a powerful force to promote unity, move hearts, prompt change, and, most importantly, to carry hope and love. We believe in using our gifts and skills to help others and make a difference. We believe helping others starts by demonstrating love. We believe demonstrating love starts with communicating dignity. And, we believe communicating dignity begins with practicing inclusion and celebrating worth.
We believe all people matter: all colors, all creeds, all genders, all orientations. ALL people.
NO ONE IS AN “ACCEPTABLE LOSS.” NO ONE DESERVES TO BE FORGOTTEN.
We believe that not just people who share our faith, but also people who do not, may all share in the desire to serve those in need in the communities we visit. These events are meant to be inclusive community events. For this reason, opportunities to be involved with this effort are open for applications from all people, regardless of race, color, creed, orientation, or gender. We accept, review, and select both religious and non religious artists.
We want all applicants to feel welcome and to have a good understanding of what we are doing and how they may fit. Applicants, please review ALL of this info as you consider taking part.
A picture says a thousand words. Review the pictures in the Media section of our site, or on Social Media using the Hashtag: #ExtremeTour23 to get a sense of the diversity of venues and events we produce with our community partners.
1. WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?
The Extreme Tour began as a grassroots project of “The Extreme,” a cultural outreach project started by Ted Bruun and a small group of other Idaho residents in 1994. An early engagement strategy of The Extreme was to use Extreme Sports and Music Events, held in communities across Idaho, to reach at-risk and counter culture youth with services and resources that would assist them in making positive and healthy, decisions for a successful life. The effort was successful and spread to neighboring cities and states. Quickly, these events began to take place around the United States and “The Extreme Tour” was born. Now you can find these events being planned or taking place all around the world, on virtually every continent.
The Extreme Tour now is a community outreach project of New Hope, a Christian faith-based charitable organization. However, all kinds of people are involved in the effort and the events are not intended to be aimed at a specifically religious market. Rather, the Extreme Tour events are intended to be inclusive Community Unity and Outreach Events aimed at a mainstream market, and held in mainstream venues and settings.
Over the past 30 years, the scope of Extreme Tour has grown exponentially, moving far beyond the rural Idaho communities that gave birth to this music and sports movement. The Extreme Tour is now, in terms of the number of communities visited in a year, one of perhaps the largest and longest running Extreme Sports & Music tours in the world. We have grown to visit over 100 communities in the United States alone, and the total number has again started to rise as the tour has expanded internationally to events happening, or being planned, on almost every continent.
2. WHO HAVE YOU HAD WITH YOU IN THE PAST?
Many top recording artists have participated on some level in this charitable effort over the past 25 years. Grammy nominees and winners, former MTV regulars, and best selling artists representing most of the top record labels and music group brands (including Sony, Capitol, Epic, EMI, Warner, and Tooth and Nail) have all “cut their teeth” on the road with our teams and at our events.
A complete list of alumni that have been part of the tour, or have assisted with the effort of The Objective, would be exhaustive and take more space and time than you want to read, but as an extremely limited example, artists that have helped in the past have included (in no particular order): Brian “Head” Welch of Korn, Kurtis Blow, Michael W. Smith, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Carroll, Kutless, Falling Up, KJ-52, Fireflight, Shawn McDonald, House of Heroes, White Collar Sideshow, Spoken, Esterlyn, LA Symphony, Dizmas, Braille, and Members of Christafari, Five Iron Frenzy, Bleach, Wu-Tang, Scattered Few and many others.
3. WHAT KIND OF VENUES DO YOU PLAY AND HOW LARGE IS AN EXTREME TOUR EVENT?
Many, if not most, other music tours are simply marketing devices, intended to gather the most “consumers” in order to sell them the most “product.” The Extreme Tour, however, is a charitable effort. And, like any effective charitable effort, Extreme Tour events are tailored specifically to the mission and vision of the community organizations we are serving in the cities we visit and to meeting the needs of the people those organizations serve. Attendances can vary quite a bit in size, based primarily on the charitable purpose of the organizations we are serving, the venue capacity, and on the event vision for each city.
Large event attendances can be between approximately 600-1,000 people over the course of the whole event. Instead of the normal venues that most tours appear, Extreme Tour events are often held in unusual concert settings like public squares, city parks, blocked off city streets, the occasional school, or even in large parking lots or housing projects. Almost all of our events are outdoors in order to facilitate as many attendees as possible and to maximize visibility and impact. Some intimate Extreme Tour events might also be held in unorthodox concert settings like community centers or clubs, stores and shopping malls, and can be anywhere up to 200-250 people in attendance over the course of the whole event.
We have learned that relationship is key to the success of the tour’s mission, and frankly, to the success of the bands that are with us in their efforts to build a base of fans and friends in the communities we visit. The Extreme Tour is known for making our events a very personal, intimate experience for all those who attend.
A picture says a thousand words. Review the pictures in the Media section of our site, or on Social Media using the Hashtag: #ExtremeTour23 to get a sense of the diversity of events and venues we produce with our community partners.
4. WHAT OTHER COMMUNITY ACTION MIGHT TOUR ARTISTS PARTICIPATE IN BEYOND THE EVENTS?
The Extreme Tour effort has always been about more than just the main event or “show” in each city. With that in mind, we typically plan to visit each city for two to three days. While there is always a Main Event in each city on one of the days of our visit, we work with our community partners to maximize the impact of our visit by using the other day or two to participate in community outreach efforts beyond just the performances at the scheduled main events.
Artists traveling with us may have the opportunity to serve as ambassadors for the event and for our partners by also performing at, or taking part in, interviews with local media, school assemblies and classes, in store appearances, service projects, and other promotional activities and appearances on behalf of the event or our partners. This can even include fun spontaneous “flash mob” style “pop up parties” in unexpected places!
Our desire is to interact with the communities we visit in a way that builds a lasting relationship for the partners we work with between them and the community members they hope to serve. We place an emphasis on “Quality over Quantity,” meaning that we measure success based on the lasting impact of the effort rather than just by the volume of temporary interactions we might have. We believe that this ethic offers selected artists a richer experience as well. This has been reflected in the observations of many past artist participants when they observe that they may go on to make more money or do larger events in the scope of the career that follows their involvement, but that they make some of their longest lasting relationships and have some of their most life changing experiences while traveling with The Extreme Tour.
5. SO, HOW DO I APPLY?
Currently, about 700 to one (1) thousand acts apply for The Extreme Tour each year. As many as 150 of these artists are approved for inclusion based on the EPK they submitted.
Want to use your expression to make a positive difference as part of this community effort? YOUR BAND COULD BE NEXT !
If you have not already received a recommendation or referral from one of our A&R team members, you can still ask to be considered for such a recommendation for this years Extreme Tour by emailing xtartistrelations@gmail.com.
If you have received a recommendation or referral from one of our staff, please use the link they provided with that correspondence.
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY NO LATER THAN MAY 31st.
6. AFTER APPLYING, WHEN DO WE KNOW IF WE HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR SURE?
We plan to accept about 100–150 bands for involvement on some portion of the Extreme Tour this summer. We will begin making actual selections in March/April and all selections will be completed by the end of May. All bands will have been notified by early June, and many bands will have been notified even earlier than that.
7. HOW MUCH OF THE TOUR DO I GET (Or “HAVE”) TO DO?
Once we have approved bands for involvement in some portion of the Tour, the bands that have been approved will select the dates they are actually available from the schedule of events for this summer/fall, which we will provide them with when we notify them that they have been approved.
YOU CAN REQUEST AS FEW OR AS MANY DATES AS YOU DESIRE.
Based on your indication of what dates you are available, we will work to confirm you for slots on our roster from those dates you submitted. Because some dates are more popular than others for bands to request, bands are not guaranteed to get the dates they ask for. However, we work to get approved artists as many of their requested dates as possible. The more flexible you are, the more dates you will likely get.
Most bands do at least a month with the Tour. Some do as many as 3 months, and some do as few as just a couple of dates in their home area. Again, the amount of dates given to each band is determined mostly by the band’s flexibility and availability.
8. HOW MUCH DO I GET PAID, AND ARE MY NEEDS TAKEN CARE OF WHILE I AM WITH YOU?
Of course, it goes without saying, like any other charitable effort, this is not necessarily something to do to get rich. But we do work hard to take care of the needs of the artists that participate. Unlike most other tours of this size which provide accommodations and meals for only the headlining acts, EVERY band that tours with us has their food and lodging provided for at each performance date. And, unlike most other tours of this size that take a percentage of the merch sales from the bands that are part of the tour, the Extreme Tour takes no percentage of the band’s merch sales.
Some bands may receive enhanced support for being involved in elements of the tour beyond just their performance, and some bands may also receive enhanced support based on their role in the Tour Events. Specific details will be worked out with each band that is selected after they have been notified of their selection.
9. DOES THE SUPPORT YOU OFFER ARTISTS INCLUDE TRAVEL NEEDS SUCH AS FOOD AND LODGING, OR IS IT JUST A “SPLIT OF THE DOOR?”
At minimum, food and lodging is provided to all artists that travel with us. Other varying levels of enhanced support may also be offered. That support package is set, and agreed upon, in advance of the tour, according to the specifications of the tier level the artist is approved for. (You can read about the different tier levels HERE.)
We do not use a “door split” or percentage based system to meet that need. As the charitable effort of a non-profit, the events are non ticketed and free for all to attend. There is no “door,” and we actually do not require a performance fee, honorarium, or “guarantee” from the local partners that host the team in each city.
Instead, we merely ask cities to be aware of the relatively significant financial needs the tour has due to the expense of arranging and administrating these community events around the world, and in providing the varying levels of enhanced support we have offered some artists based on their tier status. We ask them to help with their city’s “share” of that need if they can, but no donation or set amount is required in order to have us partner with them to reach and help hurting people in their community.
We work with communities that typically have great need and very limited resources. Some local partners do give financially to the tour, but many are unable to. The amount raised is typically very small, historically averaging usually just a few hundred dollars per city (or often even less, actually).
For this reason, we do not depend on the often unpredictable fundraising of local partners to meet the commitments of the enhanced or financial support we may offer artists we select. Those commitments are made, and kept, by The Extreme Tour itself.
We do work together with our local partners to fulfill the commitments of basic support, like food and lodging, that we have made to each selected artist while they are with us. Historically, our local partners and friends also often make additional contributions directly to the artists that serve with us as well. They typically very much appreciate the artists that help us help them and they love to show it with these gifts when they can.
10. WHAT IS THE APPLICATION DEADLINE? WHY IS THERE A FEE TO APPLY? HOW MANY ARTISTS APPLY AND ARE SELECTED?
We anticipate up to approximately 700 - 1,000 booking inquiries and applications for this year’s tour. When we are accepting general applications, our General Application processing fee for non-solicited applications is $75.00. This primarily is meant to serve as a device to filter the applications to only those from artists serious about taking part if selected. We want applicants to have seriously considered what we do before applying. The fee slows applicants down and hopefully compels them to only apply after reviewing the information we have made available about the opportunity and the charitable mission we are pursuing. The funds also help defray the expense of the booking, artist review, and background vetting process involved with processing the application they file.
However, Recommended Applicants who apply are given a code that reduces that fee. For a Recommended Artist that is advanced to the final stage of selection, there is only a smaller fee of $20.00 for the in house background check, review, and vetting that is required to process an application. Again this is the fee that covers the cost of administration, materials, and the due diligence screening our community partners expect us to do. Many of these agencies work with underage clientele, and our service with them will put us in contact with these clients both on and off the stage. It's often necessary for us to check government and criminal data bases in order to assure we are carrying artists appropriate for that kind of setting.
The Extreme Tour does not charge the cities we visit in order to host an event, the events are free to attend, and there are no “buy-ons” for selected artists. The relatively small amount raised from application fees covers the part of this process that the limited charitable giving, that the Extreme Tour does receive, does not.
We plan to select approximately 100-150 artists to potentially participate on one of the teams currently planned in up to about 15 different countries. The first round of selections begins in April, and a second round of selections begins in May and concludes by mid-June. If slots reopen, further rounds of selections occur throughout the tour schedule as they are deemed necessary. All applications must be submitted by no later than May 31, 2024. Artists desiring to travel with the Extreme Tour internationally will need to have all necessary current legal identification and documentation that their government requires in order for them to travel or perform internationally.
11. HOW DO I BECOME A “RECOMMENDED” APPLICANT? WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING A “RECOMMENDED” APPLICANT?
While there is a public application page online that any artist can file an unsolicited application through during certain seasons, the Extreme Tour also maintains a small A&R Team that is tasked with looking for talent they believe would possibly be a good fit for the roster. Our team looks for these artists at festivals, through referrals from former artists on our roster, and online. When a member of this team finds an artist they think might be appropriate, they engage in a dialog with that artist, encouraging them to research the tour and consider filing an application. Artists can not typically simply request a recommendation. They usually must be approached by our team or referred by a former artist or industry partner.
The Extreme Tour application process is a competitive one with the Selection Panel choosing, by vote, the best of all applicants (in their subjective opinion). Historically, we have selected applicants that were recommended by our A&R Team at a rate of about 4 to 1 over applicants with no recommendation.
Artists recommended by our A&R Team also file their application directly with our Panel.
Finally, artists with a recommendation receive an automatic invitation to meet with us at the closed door Objective Sessions gathering we hold for potential applicants in Nashville. Attendance of this event is not mandatory for an artist to be considered or selected, but it does provide an invaluable opportunity for applicants to meet personally with the members of the Selection Panel, enhancing their likelihood of selection as the Panel now has the face to face impression to inform their consideration of an applicant. Many of the artists attending The Objective have been selected as a direct result of their attendance at this event. There is no charge for invited artists to simply attend The Objective Sessions.
Information updated January 2024