BY ALEX RIESE
A Waterloo man has launched a campaign to bring the Foo Fighters to Waterloo Region, with the event paid for entirely by fans.
James Brown, a 27-year-old Foo Fighters fan, launched the campaign on a popular fundraising site called Kickstarter. His goal is to raise $350,000 by Nov. 21, so he can make an offer to Foo Fighters’ management. If successful, the show will be the first crowd-funded concert in Canada, and the latest in a trend that has been taking the world by storm over the last couple of months. 
Back in the summer, fans of the band in Richmond, Va. launched a similar campaign to get the band to play in their town. The movement was a success, and the band hit Richmond on Sept. 17. There have also been several crowd-funded concerts by people in the UK, and they both accomplished their goals within two weeks of launching.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl expressed approval for the crowd-funding concert.
“I’m telling you, it could become the way that bands decide where they want to play.
“It’s a fun thing, it sort of changes the game. For the past 20 years we always decided who we’re going to play with and where we’re going to play. But now, if we hear that people want us to come somewhere, maybe we’ll come there,” Grohl said.
Matthew Byars, a first-year protection/security investigation student at Conestoga College, expressed approval for the crowd-funding concept, stating that it could change the way intellectual property is distributed.
“It could. Some big companies might feel threatened, but I think it’s a great idea. It gives better opportunity to the people. Anyone has the opportunity to start their own company or get their idea rolling without going bankrupt. It’s basically public investing in the public that they like, and I think it’s a great idea,” Byars said.
By funding the movement with $75 or more, potential backers are guaranteed one ticket for the show. Talks are going on with an unspecified venue to host the event, and all information will be released if the band agrees to the show. If the band doesn’t agree, all money donated to the movement will get refunded to the backers.
When asked if there could be more crowd-funding in Brown’s future, he said “if this thing is successful, who knows what I could pull off. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Those interested in backing the movement can visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/195152354/bring-the-foo-fighters-to-kitchener-waterloo.
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