Preserving the earth/helping others is band’s focus

PRINCETON — A relationship that began in the fruitful valleys near Tiskilwa is bringing a suburban folk band to Princeton today, Saturday.

The Giving Tree Band will headline at the Prairie Arts Center at 7 p.m. tonight, sharing the bill with Jared Bartman of Princeton.

Several years ago, Eric Fink, who founded the band in 2004 with his brother Todd, was working for a company that worked with local organic farms, including Coneflower Farm and Plow Creek, in terms of distributing their produce.

“I was one of the individuals who would drive around, and I’d actually go to the farms and pick up produce and work with the farmers,” Fink said. “I really do appreciate the work that they do.”

While in the area, Fink met former Princeton resident Cara Wasielewski, who now works as
director of sustainability for the band’s record label, Crooked Creek Records.

Fink said the band, which consists of all acoustic instruments, started off playing farmers’ markets and doing a lot of charity events.

“We got started with this folky, organic theme, and we kind of built from there,” he said.

Last year, the band recorded an album using only solar energy at the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Baraboo, Wis. Fink said the building doesn’t have a recording studio, so they asked to use the conference room to make an album. Band members camped at a state park and biked the 10-mile distance back and forth for 30 days in making the album. “Great Possessions” hit stores in August.

“It’s called the world’s greenest album,” Fink said.

The band has also kept a focus on helping others, which led to tonight’s show.

“We’re still doing a lot of charitable gigs that we feel are near and dear to our hearts,” Fink said.

Wasielewski wanted to do something to raise money for Maya Nepal, a non-profit organization that contributes to two orphanages is Nepal, and the band decided Princeton was the place to do it.

“Princeton has a unique atmosphere and a unique vibe,” Fink said. “We thought that the Prairie Arts Center was a neat place, and maybe we could put on a show and make some money for the orphanage.”