Mid-Missouri rock band Richard Parker invites the public to join them at Bridge Studio to celebrate its new single, "STOP THE WORLD."
Those who cannot attend can still get in on the show, as the group will broadcast the performance on Facebook Live.
Bridge Studio, located at 15663 Graff Drive in Jamestown, has room for as many as 30 guests at 5 p.m. Sunday to watch the band perform its single and five other tracks for a 30-minute set that will appear live on the group's Facebook page. The in-studio event will be put on by His Musician Pool and JPS Productions. Footage from the evening will appear in a promotional music video produced by Worthy Pictures.
"We are celebrating 'STOP THE WORLD' by performing live on Facebook in support of that new song, and so we are inviting people to be a part of that celebration," lead singer Kyle Bellinger said. "You can either come to the studio and be a part of the live taping of the event, or they can get online at 5 o'clock and watch the event from home."
Bellinger said the band planned the event in an attempt to answer a simple question: How can we better connected to the people who support us?
"At the end of 2017, I was thinking, 'What could we do different going into 2018?'" Bellinger said. "So I kind of got into thinking about building a fan base and being more personable to people that come to see our shows."
Richard Parker is a multifaceted five-piece band that implements elements of alternative, grunge and punk rock with a dash of funk. Bellinger has a powerful voice that carries over the booming electric guitars and driving drums.
"It's a good variety, and I really enjoy that because it gives us a wide (range of) genres that we can work in," Bellinger said.
The group formed four years ago when cover band Downfall decided to transition to original music and recruited Bellinger as the lead singer. The group's new name was inspired by the Bengal tiger named Richard Parker in the book and film "Life of Pi." The lineup consists of frontman Bellinger, bassist Shawn Ettleman, drummer Dylan Lorenz, and guitarists Jonathan Martin and Casey Morgan.
"STOP THE WORLD" is the first of several singles Richard Parker will promote in anticipation of the band's debut EP, which will be released later this year. Bellinger said it is a heavy, guitar-driven song with lots of energy.
"The song is coming from the viewpoint of someone who is in a relationship that is about to fail, and they want to preserve that relationship," Bellinger said. "So what would someone do if they want to save their relationship? They would do anything. In a sense, they are going to stop the world. Like the chorus says, 'Just hold on, we're gonna to stop the world. Hold on, I'll fight for you. Hold on, we can talk it through.'"
Bellinger said they would like to make Facebook Live events a Richard Parker tradition, performing every three months at different venues for fans on social media.
The group also will participate in the SafetyNet Bands Battle 4 the Badges on March 17 at The Bridge in Jefferson City. If Richard Parker wins the first round, they will appear in the final round March 31.
Pita Pit will be on site for Sunday's event with free pitas and offering the chance to receive a free office catering platter.