Good question - though a tough one to answer. Big Heavy World ("Big Heavy") has been archiving and promoting music from Vermont, starting in 1996 with an online encyclopedia of regional artists, live Internet webcasts from Club Toast, and our first compilation CD 'Sonic Tonic' featuring 16 local bands.
Since then we've released fifteen CD titles, helped construct a radio station, opened an online music shop and public music library, and built a busy music office staffed by volunteers dedicated to supporting Vermont's original musicians. To get the big picture, visit Big Heavy World, The Vermont Music Library & Shop, and The Radiator.
To get involved at Big Heavy World - either bringing your professional skill to it or just jumping in to learn how it works and help out, see our crew positions and get in touch!
Big Heavy World and all of its projects are supported by donors, grants, sponsorships, sales from our online music shop and events. If you'd like, you can help us pay the bills.
Big Heavy World is organized as a nonprofit corporation in the state of Vermont and a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization..
You should ask, "Could you use volunteers?" and the answer would be, "Hell, yes." We'd probably hire you if we could, but none of us get paid here. Guess it sux for us, but if it weren't a blast we wouldn't bother. The Big Heavy World Web site and all our projects are made possible by sponsors who help us pay for them and by volunteers or interns who pitch in to make it all happen. If you're curious about hanging with the Big Heavy crew, even if it's just to check out what it's all about, check the info on the crew page.
No. But you're probably the best band we ever heard - it's just that we put out compilations meant to promote music by various Vermont artists, not single-artist releases. Use us and abuse us - the Web site is here to promote our regional artists - and we want you to rule the world.
We give away Big Heavy World tattoos now and then and let anybody who's got one into Big Heavy World shows for free for life. The first time we gave them away we had two tattoo artists in a booth at Club Toast slinging ink during a Figgs/Dysfunkshun show. Maybe a dozen folks have gotten them so far, including Big Heavy World crew and Jim, the guy who started it. The tattoos are the Big Heavy World logo, with an earth that's got two nails through it. The last time we gave them away was March 2001 at Yankee Tattoo on Pearl Street in Burlington, where we broadcast it live on the 'Net.
No, we don't. Yes, this is a frequently asked question.