This Saturday - 826LA's CHICKENS IN LOVE Mini Music Festival

Alright LA readers, it's time to put on your do-goodin' hat and come out for the kids!

Local nonprofit 826LA -- one chapter of Dave Eggers' nationwide circuit of nonprofits that offers after-school tutoring and writing workshops to kids and teens ( future bloggers! ) -- is hosting a cool mini music festival this Saturday afternoon at the Echoplex to raise some money and promote the release of Chickens In Love.

Chickens In Love is the result of 826LA's recent songwriting workshop, where a bunch of awesome LA musicians came in to teach the students about lyrics and melody and the power of verse/chorus/verse. In the end there were 12 little ditties about everything from Mexican food to Things That Are Boring to turning pigs into bacon (not even kidding).

12 LA-based bands were enlisted to cover the songs for the full-length Chickens In Love, including She & Him, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Happy Hollows, among others.

Go here to listen to the original and cover versions of the songs, watch videos of the songwriting process, and if you're feeling inspired you can donate a couple bucks in honor of your favorite tune -- all proceeds go back to 826LA, and the band whose song raises the most money by April 30 gets "unrestricted bragging rights and an ice cream party"... oh, how I long for the days when ice cream was used as a reward...

Then this Saturday head to the Echoplex between 12 and 7 for sets by local favorites Summer Darling, The Pity Party, Thao Nguyen and The Submarines, who'll perform their student songs and some originals. Bands start at 1 and play every hour on the hour until 4pm.

I'll be there to check out the music, pre-order a copy of the album and eat a burger from the Grill 'Em All food truck. If you've been convinced, follow this link and get a ticket, and pat yourself on the back for helpin' the kids.