Live Appearance at Little Rock Goodwill to Debut the
National Release of Song and Music Video

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries of Arkansas (GIA) has partnered with viral internet duo Toasters 'N' Moose, of "Taste the Biscuit" video fame, to write and record their new song and music video, "Take Me Thriftin'". In support of the national release, they will appear live on Saturday, June 1 at 2 p.m. at the Goodwill store at 109 Markham Park Drive in Little Rock, Arkansas. The music video and a 5-minute mockumentary, all shot in Arkansas, will also premiere at the event.

Toasters (Estelle Piper) 'N' Moose (Tom Shaw), a fictional 70's pop duo, exploded on the internet with the performance of the song, "Taste the Biscuit" from the 2010 mockumentary, "Chicken in the Shadows", written and produced by Vincent Gargiulo. A resurgence of the song in October 2022 resulted in "Taste the Biscuit" racking up tens-of-millions of views, shares and endless remixes making them one of the most popular social media darlings in history. The song was filmed in a now-closed California thrift store prompting thousands of comments from fans suggesting it was filmed in a Goodwill location or that they should do a tour of Goodwill stores across the nation.

"The first time I saw 'Taste the Biscuit' on the internet, I thought they were in a Goodwill store, as most everyone else thought too," explained GIA's senior vice president of development, Shannon Boshears. "I had always imagined them doing a pop-up concert at one of our Goodwill retail locations just for a fun event."

But the idea finally came to fruition when Boshears reached out to Toasters 'N' Moose to gauge their interest.

"Not only did they love the idea, but they were surprised they had never been asked before now," she added. "Within two weeks, the song was written, recorded and the tour was booked."

"It's been validating to see the success of our nine-second video clip going viral and the reaction from Toasters 'N' Moose and Goodwill fans alike," said Brian Marsh, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Arkansas. "We knew this would be a successful campaign, and we think everyone will really enjoy the full song and video as it features the benefits and excitement of thrifting at a Goodwill store."

GIA hosted Toasters 'N' Moose in Arkansas during the first week of May, along with Gargiulo who was commissioned by GIA to write "Take Me Thriftin'," to tour several Goodwill stores across Arkansas that included Little Rock, Springdale and Batesville, to record the music video and mockumentary. The unpublicized tour was tagged the Groovin' with Goodwill Recycled Rhythms Take Me Thriftin' Goodwill Tour. The mockumentary continues a storyline related to their 2010 film "Chicken in the Shadows" which introduced the world to Toasters 'N' Moose and "Taste the Biscuit."

On the last day of filming, May 3, a nine-second clip was released on social media and within 36 hours, there were 1.5 million views on TikTok and 1 million views on Instagram. To date, collectively those views have now topped 6 million on social media platforms.

Goodwillarkansas on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@goodwillarkansas/video/7364878654301670687

Goodwillar on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6hR0vsOyol/

The West Markham Goodwill will remain open to customers and be transformed with a stage and include limited seating to accommodate guests. Their set will include a few Toasters 'N' Moose favorites including "Taste the Biscuit." Toasters 'N' Moose, along with producer Gargiulo, will be available for a public meet-and-greet, photos and autographs following the performance. No tickets will be required; however, donations of goods will be accepted.

The song "Take Me Thriftin'" will be available on all streaming platforms beginning June 1.

For updates visit goodwillar.org/takemethriftin.

About Goodwill Industries of Arkansas

Goodwill Industries of Arkansas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to changing lives through education, training and employment. In the last fiscal year, our career services team helped 498 people find work at companies around the state. Through our various education, training and employment programs, GIA provided services to 6,345 Arkansans. Since opening in 2017, 127 adults in Arkansas have graduated high school and earned their diplomas through The Excel Center®, Goodwill's high school for adults 19 years or older. The Academy at Goodwill, licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Private Career Education, is a trade school that provided training and certifications to 2,524 individuals in FY23 to secure new employment and advance careers. Goodwill also offers reentry services for those coming out of incarceration to help train and find employment. Visit GoodwillAR.org for more information.

Contact:
Lane Gammel
501.372.5100 x 1129 – office
425.531.1074 - cell
lgammel@GoodwillAR.org
www.GoodwillAR.org

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SOURCE Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, Inc.