He's doing a fundraiser to help a fan so he's offering two meet and greet packages. I can't swing 300 bucks (or up to 1200 bucks) right now but I think it is so fucking cool of him to do so.

A Letter from Trent:

This is for something important. Eric De La Cruz is dying and needs a heart transplant. He keeps getting turned down for a transplant list because he's on Nevada Medicaid, and there are no transplant centers in Nevada. We want to get involved and hopefully so do you, so we're extending a hand. His sister Veronica (former Anchor and Internet Correspondent for CNN) has started a campaign to save his life.

Eric's situation shines a bright light on a broken health care system, and his particular set of problems are being addressed on the political front, aiming for reform in addition to the need for immediate financial help to keep him alive TODAY. I think we can help with the latter.

Here's what we're offering - three options:

If you have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,000 to this cause, we'll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/JA show of your choice. You and a guest can watch NIN and Street Sweeper Social Club's soundchecks, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you'd like.

If you donate $300, you and a friend can join us for NIN and SSSC's soundchecks and a handshaking / hug session before doors open at the NIN/JA show of your choice.

If you do NOT have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,200 to this cause, we'll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/ JA show of your choice and provide 2 tickets (best available). You and a guest can watch soundcheck, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you'd like.

100% of the money collected from this will go directly to Eric's fund.

I hope you'll consider helping out with this.


Sincerely, Trent Reznor


For more specific information as to what to expect, CLICK HERE

DEADLINE FOR DONATION PACKAGES IS 5:00PM (PST) 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EACH NIN/JA TOUR DATE.

NO MORE DONATIONS CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR THE FOLLOWING DATES
* 5.21.09 SANTA BARBARA, CA [SANTA BARBARA BOWL]
* 5.22.09 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA [SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE]
* 5.24.09 GEORGE, WA [THE GORGE - SASQUATCH FESTIVAL]

Very, very cool!
Wait a minute, is there a PROBLEM with America's healthcare system? Oh I forgot. We don't really have a healthcare system for all!!!
Sorry to rant but my aunt is going throught a similar type situation and it burns my a**.
But way to go Trent!

It is very very cool, and as I understand it, they have already raised more than $600,000 dollars by doing this. Props to Trent. You really can not under-estimate the power of a big artist's fanbase.

I love Prince, and I really don't want to turn this into ANOTHER Prince VS Trent thread, especially since I wasn't on either side during the last thread where that happened, but Prince really could learn something from Trent as far as harnessing the power of his dedicated fanbase.

Pulling stunts like selling a limited edition book for $2000 freaking dollars when we're in a recession makes me wonder what thoughts go through Prince's head. Shit, most people wouldn't be able to afford that in a booming economy.

Militant said:

I think last count is over 822 thousand for Eric.

I am trying to get the money together right now. I really want to meet Trent and I'd be helping a great cause at the same time.

Militant said:

So what makes you think people can afford a few hundred to meet there fave singer even if it is to help others out if hes that caring why dont he pay outta his own pocket - anyway didnt prince do a fundraiser during the lovesexy tour cause one of his fans got killed in a accident Prince isnt Trent and Trent aint Prince

Trent > any singer

cream72 said:

Don't get me wrong here. Prince has done his fair share of charitable work in the past and much kudos to him for that.

But spending $1k to hang out with your favorite artist and know the money is going towards saving someone's life is WAY more desirable than splashing out $2k for a limited edition silk version of a book that you already own in the first place. I seriously wonder who these people are that are buying the OPUS package. I'd take Trent's deal over that any day of the week even if I didn't like NIN.

The point I was making is that Prince has a massive, dedicated, diehard fanbase and chooses not to utilise it often or at all. Recently he's even managed to alienate a lot of people to the point where one of his biggest FAN sites had enough and shut down. I'm not a HQ sympathiser by any means and I realise they did things that pissed him off, but damn - how did it get that far in the first place? There are SO many things that Prince could do to make us worship at his altar (metaphorically speaking) and he just chooses not to. I still love him though.

As for what you said about if Trent is "that caring why don't he pay outta his own pocket", how do you know that he hasn't? Trent would absolutely not ask his fans to do anything he wasn't willing to do himself and I am sure he has already donated a lot of his own money to the cause.

cream72 said:

For all you know, trent is donating out of his own pocket. Even if he isn't, the guy just raised damn near a million bucks to help a fan AND instead of it going his pocket, every penny raised for the meet and greet goes to help Eric.

Now if we could go back to talking about how great Trent is, I'd appreciate it.

Awwwww that's so of Trent