Andrew Karnavas' Andyroo To Tour Libraries, Kids' Museums

Andrew Karnavas is a busy man. But unlike the bands recently signed to outfits like New West and ZenHill, Karnavas is pushing ahead in DIY mode.

"Yeah, I'm still just doing everything myself, it's just what makes the most sense," says the busy rocker who is currently involved with three bands. "Right now my big push is to book a tour for September starting in Chicago and making my way across to D.C."

"So I'm booking shows at libraries and children's museums, and I'm working on a sponsor program for a flat fee for a show," he says. "That way I can try to get some local company to sponsor these performances. We'd do a video on our site and have the company's name in the video, etc.

"The idea is that we do what we can to promote them while they're helping us."

So how do the economics work for a tour of the far north?

"There's this thing I've found called MegaBus, this super-cheap bus service. If you reserve far enough ahead, you can get from Chicago to Detroit for like $10," Karnavas explains. "If I can line it up right, I can actually do the whole Chicago to D.C. thing for around $100."

Karnavas's strategy is to use the children's tour to explore the landscape for his other projects like his band Runaway Sun, which is set to begin recording their follow-up to The Bridge at Sunrise Studio.

"That trip will leave me time to meet booking people and club owners and hopefully springboard me to some other gigs when I go back up there with my band," he says.

So with all this DIY activity going on in his camp, what does Karnavas think of the band signings by New West, ZenHill, and others recently?

"It's definitely fantastic for the music scene," says Karnavas, whose cover band Bang Bang Boom is currently holding down a Thursday residency at Nouveau Art Bar.

"And the bands that have gotten deals are definitely the most talented and most organized, so they deserve to have deals if anyone does."

"I feel like I'm still trying to do as much as I can on my own," says Karnavas. "I have a lot of solid resources and friends who help me out in particular areas, so I'm hesitant to do any kind of deal."

Runaway Sun plays the Society of Bandits Red Cross Benefit Friday at Fitzgerald's (downstairs), and Saturday at the Continental Club with Mason Lankford & the Folk Family Revival and Rivers.