Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Shafran.
Evan was born in Portland Maine on December 7th, 1982. He started working in the performing arts at the age of 7. He is originally from Portland Maine.
He moved to New York at the end of the summer of 2001 where he attended Manhattanville College in Purchase New York. He received his degree in Dance Theatre and Sociology and Anthropology.
His Father, Jeffrey Shafran still lives in Portland. His mother was Theda Shafran, she was the person who got him started in the performing arts at the age of 7. She passed away on May 7th 1997 and always told Evan never to quit doing what he loved. His parents, Jeff and Theda owned and ran Tommy’s Hardware and Scuba Diving shop in Portland Maine. He has a younger brother Brad Shafran who won MVP for the state of Maine for pitching in Baseball. Evan is a lover of old school and underground hip hop and can be found on Spotify, iTunes, google Play, and Amazon as artist “EVeryman”.
He received his B.A in Dance Theatre and Sociology in 2005 from Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. He was an associate Producer of Mir Productions based out of Brooklyn. Mir was a theatre company with which he co-wrote and performed, “If There’s Jack in the Box Get Out,” his first play, and “Hear NYC.”
In the Fall of 2008, He moved to a loft in downtown Los Angeles, where he started working as an actor on the ABC show “Cavemen” with Nick Kroll.
After the “Cavemen” show was cancelled in 2008, I began doing stand-up comedy around the country at small clubs and at “The Comedy Store” and a few other clubs around Los Angeles.
In 2009, his girlfriend at the time surprised him with tickets to Burning Man and so they went! He knew nothing about the event, all he knew was that he was sick and tired of the rat race of “Hollywood.” This changed his life as he had become stuck to the idea that “the audition” was the only way to make art and get paid in Los Angeles. He was wrong. He met Nicholas Alvarado a few months later at his first “Lightning in a Bottle festival”, thanks to Krystal Bell, the amazing artist, and Nick’s best friends at the time who insisted that Nick and him become best friends. And they did. From this moment on Nick and him became a team and there was no stopping them…
He began working on Little Giants Hip Hop with Nick and he and him loved and trusted one another and really just loved making music… They both embraced, as they still do, their creative inner child. That’s why they created “The Little Giant Acorn Foundation” in Memory of him, and hired Krystal Bell to make their amazing logo!
They are all Little when they are born, like an acorn.
Like that acorn, when they are firmly planted in the earth, grounded, nurtured and watered, loved.
They Can grow into the mighty oak tree. Spreading their roots, expanding, growing stronger…
Thus they are all Little Giants…
Please tell us more about Little Giant Acorn Records.
I’m proud to say that ALL of Pumpkin and EVeryman’s music catalog is not out on “Little Giant Acorn Records” our brand new label! We are official and it feels good to know that Nick’s music will be preserved and I have set up the label so ALL proceeds go to the kids. It’s Kind of Like “Newman’s Own” business model, “100% of profits to charity.” Check us out on our Bandcamp (https://littlegiantacornrecords.bandcamp.com) and on Beatport (https://www.beatport.com/label/little-giant-acorn-records/60984)
It’s been a really hard year for me,” says Evan Shafran, or EVeryman, a rapper and DJ who was Alvarado’s best friend and musical collaborator. “I’ve been working on turning this tragedy into a positive thing. It’s really helped me to keep going.”
We had the 2nd annual Pumpkin Ball at Lot 613 Downtown with The Cruz Coalition, and Opulent Temple collectives. Pumpkin’s tribute, organized by Shafran, was a part of Opulent Temple’s and Cruz Coaltion’s Dark Karnival. The Pumpkin Ball will be our annual fundraiser forever since Halloween was Nick’s most popular DJ night! <3 A yearly electronic music event that encourages costumes and unique outfits and amazing performers.
Thanks to Dark Karnival for donating over $1500 donated to the Little Giant Acorn Foundation for the Arts.
“Right when he passed, Sammy Bliss and Nick’s parents approached me and asked, ‘What should we do to honor Nick?’” Shafran says. “It immediately came to me, this idea that we should do this foundation. We were lucky to have amazing parents who really encouraged us to be ourselves, and not every child is that lucky.”
The Little Giant Acorn Foundation aims to offer art and music programs to underprivileged children and their families. Starting with the festival community, they will be teaching various skills from dancing to beatboxing at events such as Lightning in a Bottle with the goal of bringing awareness to the foundation. In the year since its inception, they have amassed more than $10,000, not including what was raised from Saturday’s event and a recently launched GoFundMe campaign.
One of the many reasons Alvarado was so beloved by family, friends and fans was his playful personality. He always nurtured his inner child and believed in empowering children through music and arts; in 2014, he DJed a set at Lightning in a Bottle’s Kidzone that included tunes from The Muppets. For Shafran, Alvarado’s passion for art, music and youth made creating the Little Giant Acorn Foundation for the Arts an obvious endeavor.
“I feel like I’ve been given a really amazing opportunity to take my best friend’s passing and all the love that he has left in the world and use his name to create awareness for the communities at large and for the world at large,” Shafran explains. “There’s so many kids in L.A. who need help — we start here and then we branch out.”
In addition to the foundation, Alvarado’s legacy also lives on through his music. While his tracks have received millions of plays via SoundCloud, none of them were ever formally released. Dropping on the same day as Pumpkin’s tribute party, EVeryman’s new album, Good Deeds, includes previously unreleased and unfinished tracks by Alvarado. In addition, with the permission of Alvarado’s family, Shafran went through the entire back catalog of Pumpkin’s music and plans to release these tracks on Spotify, iTunes and Beatport.
Last year, Shafran played a series of Pumpkin tribute shows at festivals Alvarado had been scheduled to appear at. Though it was a painful experience, it was also a cathartic one, as Shafran worked through his grief by honoring his best friend’s legacy for heartbroken fans.
Boogaloo Festival, a three-day campout event that takes place in Orange County every April, was dedicated to Alvarado’s memory last year and will feature a Pumpkin tribute again this year. Alvarado played an integral role in the festival’s growth by gracing its lineup almost every year and bringing in his arsenal of fans; the festival’s organizers, a group called the Dirty Beetles, affectionately refer to him as the “Fifth Beetle.”
“Nick always wanted to play a live set but never got to,” Shafran says with a glint of pain in his eyes. “So instead of just playing a Pumpkin tribute at Boogaloo this year, we’re gonna get a bunch of live musicians together and kind of do a whole Pumpkin jam.”
It was apparent at the 2nd Annual Pumpkin Ball how important Pumpkin was to his friends, family and all those who loved his music. Paintings of him by various artists decorated the walls, showing that he is still inspiring creativity — a gesture his friend deeply appreciated.
Thanks to our generous donations at this year’s Pumpkin Ball, and to Thomas Baanks (Psychemagik) and Jason Brown (Qdup) for headlining the event as artists. Pumpkin really loved these guys and they are all about supporting arts education for the youth.
“All that’s left is the good that we’ve done when we leave here; we can’t take it with us,” Shafran says. “You just never know the impact that you may have on a person.”
Nick “Pumpkin” Alvarado was a beloved musician, clown and most importantly, friend to so many in our community. While he is sadly no longer with us, his spirit lives on through his music and the thousands of people he touched over the years. To honor his memory, the Little Giant Acorn Foundation memorial fund has been established to help children who want to pursue a career in music or performing arts that otherwise couldn’t afford to.
On his anticipated second album, Good Deeds, EVeryman has deftly followed up his breakthrough debut with thirteen scorching new tracks that find the versatile MC dropping his razor-sharp rhymes over a kaleidoscope of beats from some of the brightest producers in bass music. Good Deeds fuses the conscious “Golden Era” hip hop EVeryman was raised on with the future funk he now mixes up during his DJ sets, to create a collection of his most personal songs to date that will have you rocking with him from start to finish.
Good Deeds comes one year after the tragic and sudden passing of EVeryman’s best friend and Little Giants partner, Nicholas “Pumpkin” Alvarado, and is dedicated in his honor. Executive producer Logan “Lowgritt” Gritton has joined with EVeryman and some of the finest beatsmiths who each contribute smoked-out BPMs that EVeryman effortlessly flows over with expert precision. On “Push It Along”, the thunderously funky first single from Good Deeds, EVeryman delivers some of his most ferocious lyrics yet over a propulsive beat from Squachek that will have both transformational festival crowds and hip-hop aficionados throwing their hands in the air.
EVeryman is adapted at delivering compelling story-telling and on Good Deeds he takes aim at a broken political system and rallies the next generation to rise up while still mixing in plenty of the playful nostalgia, biting humor, deep thoughts and the unshakeable optimism that have captivated audiences around the world.
From the moment the sublime opening prologue, “Good Deeds (Part I)” kicks off, it’s clear that these albums mark a sonic shift in EVeryman’s sound. The track pairs him with the enchanting vocals of Kat Factor, who serves as the album’s melodic muse as she appears an additional three tracks. Other stand-out features include notable guest verses from some of the City of Angel’s best underground MCs Like Joe Con. Canadian Rapper Emotionz, makes a guest appearance on the Dillaesque Beat “I’ll Always Love H.E.R.” by Toronto producer Fresh Fils. Jackson Whelan, Truth Now, Michael Wilbur and the late Sean Bryne, all drop thought provoking verses together for the song, “Five Wits”.
Pumpkin’s presence is especially felt on “We’re Being Followed”, a previously unreleased instrumental track that EVeryman completed by adding some poignant vocal samples from Charlie Chaplin. It’s a touching moment on Good Deeds and a reminder that Pumpkin had an ear for crafting memorable melodies like no other.
Good Deeds was released on March 25, 2017 through Little Giant Acorn Records, which was set up by EVeryman as a way to continue to honor Pumpkin and all profits from all sales will go directly to help The Little Giant Acorn Foundation for The Arts, a non-profit that helps children get started in music or the performing arts who otherwise could not afford to do so.
The stunning album artwork comes from Sydwox, who painted a touching tribute piece entitled, “Pumpkin Forever”, that is the perfect visual accompaniment to the music on Good Deeds.
Having recently wrapped the sold-out Hearts of Funk Canadian Tour with Fort Knox Recording artist, QDup, you can get down with EVeryman as he embarks on his own Good Deeds tour throughout 2018. Armed with his live MC set up as well as fresh remixes from the album that are exclusive weapons for his beloved DJ sets, EVeryman is ready to change the game.
As of now, this very moment, we are raising funds to ensure that we can have the money for education classes in art, music, film, dance, and production classes for kids. We have set up a board of trustees and sponsors, created a fundraising video campaign, and organizing a team to teach our first round of Little Giant Acorn Summer camp, hopefully by 20/20!
Another goal of the fundraising is to finish Nick’s music. Pumpkin and Little Giants both had music that was nearly finished that still needs to be released and shared with the masses. All the funds raised here will go back into the memorial fund. A remix charity album will be created by Pumpkin’s Peers and we are also selling memorial t-shirts.
By purchasing this limited-edition t-shirt, you are ensuring Nick’s spirit continues to shine bright while also helping to inspire the next generation of little acorns.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s always a struggle but that’s what makes it all the more amazing when you actually attain something you worked hard for. I try hard not to compare myself to others. that’s when I find my ego gets the best of me and I let myself get in my head too much. When we work together is really when we all begin to shine. Most struggles came from being afraid to ask for help. And from relying too much on faith. Faith will help, but hard work and a “Don’t Quit” mentality will get you everywhere.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Nick “Pumpkin” Alvarado, touched thousands of people with his signature music productions and acclaimed DJ sets at top music festivals and clubs across the US and abroad. He tragically passed away in early 2016, but his generous spirit and magical music will continue to live on.
To honor his memory, Nick’s best friend and Little Giants production partner, Evan “Everyman” Shafran, and Brandon Dorsky of Supergoodmusic, have created, The Little Giant Acorn Foundation for The Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps children get started in music or the performing arts who otherwise could not afford to do so. Nick absolutely loved to share his passion for music and performance art with the next generation and nothing gave him more joy.
You can also make donations for the following incentives:
-EVeryman will play a live 6 hour event for you. ($1000)
-The New Limited Edition Grassroots California Little Giant Acorn Foundation / Pumpkin Snapback ($500)
-Limited Edition Little Giants 7″ Vinyl ($100)
-The “Little Giant Acorn Sticker Pack” ($50)
-The Pumpkin Memorial T-Shirt ($75)
-The Little Giants T-Shirt $75)
-Tickets To Boogaloo Art Car and Music Festival, and more…!!!!!!!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s hard to put into words, but the feeling of having the trust and support and encouragement of my peers and community when Nick “Pumpkin” passed away, to get up there and play “Coachella” for him, and “Shambhala” for him, that was really something else. So surreal and so hard, but so cathartic and it made me proud that I was able to be the one to pay tribute to such a loved person at all these music festivals, with all those amazing fans he has. And boy does he have a ton of fans! <3
This video link pretty much sums it up in a nut shell… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oXX7-hh8iE
Contact Info:
- Website: https://littlegiantacornrecords.bandcamp.com/
- Phone: 207.233.0069
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlegiantacorn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THELITTLEGIANTACORNFOUNDATIONFORTHEARTS/
- Other: https://www.gofundme.com/THE-LITTLE-GIANT-ACORN-FOUNDATION-FOR-THE-ARTS
Image Credit:
Smashwerks Films
Daniel Zetterstrom
Activ8r
Krystal Bell
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