Meet the Band: Acoustic Karma

Written by ALTSO Staff | Sep 27, 2020 12:00:00 PM

Acoustic Karma will be joining us at this year's live-streamed Rocktoberfest concert! Register, for free, to rock with them on October 21, 2021.

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Every year across the country our Rocktoberfest musicians Rock For Good to raise awareness - and critical funds - for our CoolKids. From now until October 22nd, we'll be highlighting the musicians who will be rocking virtually with us at this year's Rocktoberfest.

Up this week: Acoustic Karma from NYC featuring Doug Newsome, Koma Gandy Fischbein, Greg Khost, Doug Steinschneider, Felix Partow, and Linda Champagne.

How did Acoustic Karma get started?

Koma and Doug met and saw each other play and just decided to give it a try. We then added members each year and the band grew to be what it is today!

Acoustic Karma at Rocktoberfest-NYC in 2017.

How did you get involved with ALTSO?

I (Doug) met Mead Welles [founder of ALTSO] at a conference in Bermuda in 2009. That year I came to Rocktoberfest, which was being held at BB King's. Mead promptly invited me to play with him on stage.

Koma got an email about ALTSO while working for a fund in 2008, and signed up to perform in the Acoustic Room and has been hooked on ALTSO ever since.

And we've been formally the Acoustic Karma since 2014.

Doug Newsome and bandmates performing at Rocktoberfest-NYC in 2011.

What does ALTSO mean to you?

We love that ALTSO directly changes the lives of children completely and positions them to live a much more rewarding life -- it's as simple as that.

Do you have a favorite song to perform? Or venue?

Any song that gets the crowd singing and any place that will have us!

Does Acoustic Karma have any pre-Rocktoberfest (or post-Rocktoberfest) band rituals?

We always have to cull one or two songs from our set list that don't make the cut.

One of the benefits of a Virtual Rocktoberfest...things should stay on time. What are Acoustic Karma's favorite ALTSO performance memories?

Koma singing Sweet Child o' Mine and my [Doug's] son Jack singing in the 2018 Rocktoberfest.

Koma performing at Rocktoberfest-NYC in 2011.

How is the band preparing for this year's virtual Rocktoberfest?

We've never done this so it's all new to us!

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