Author Archives: RockStarPR

GEOFF TATE “AND FRIENDS”
TO PERFORM SELECT, ALL-ACOUSTIC DATES
ON THE WEST COAST BEGINNING ON JANUARY 26TH

Shortly after Queensryche’s Geoff Tate heard that American Idol’s James Durbin was going to sing the band’s song, “Take Hold of the Flame” to his new bride, Heidi Lowe, at their wedding reception on New Year’s Eve, he started making arrangements to join the festivities.

A great way to end 2011 and bring in the new year!

Known to representatives, but unbeknownst to James and Heidi, Geoff and his wife, Susan, flew from Seattle to Northern California for the big surprise.

The Durbins walked into the reception where Geoff quickly introduced himself.

A dream come true for James, both he and Geoff hit the stage and sang “Take Hold of the Flame’ together with Heidi just a few feet away.

A truly memorable evening, indeed, for the newlyweds who had publicly stated that the song was one of their favorites.

See the People magazine coverage for more details – http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20557815,00.html / http://www.queensryche.com/2012/01/09/an-idol-rocker-wedding/

This was just the beginning of what promises to be another exciting year for Geoff Tate.

After touring extensively in 2011 with his band, Queensryche, Geoff recently announced that he will be doing a handful of acoustic solo dates billed as “Geoff Tate and Friends” beginning on Thursday, January 26 at Anthology in San Diego, California.

What can fans expect on the brief run of dates?

According to Tate, he’ll be “playing acoustic versions of all my favorite Queensryche songs as well as some songs from my solo album.” And that certainly gives him a lot to choose from…

Not one to remain idle, Tate is anxious to hit the road again next year despite an incredibly busy 2011 that found the band performing over 75 dates along their 30th Anniversary tour primarily in support of their 12th studio album, Dedicated to Chaos (Roadrunner Records/Loud & Proud), that was released in the summer.

Towards the end of the tour, Geoff and the band pulled out “all the stops” by performing Rage for Order in its entirety for the first time ever (New York City on Halloween) and Operation: Mindcrime from beginning to end on this year’s ShipRocked Cruise (with In This Moment’s Maria Brink handling vocal chores as “Sister Mary”) for the first time in three years. Both shows were a pure treat for fans!

“Mindcrime” (1988) is universally respected as a classic concept release about rock, revenge and redemption and, ultimately, regarded as one of the most important and essential hard rock records in the genre’s expansive canon. 1990’s follow-up, Empire, yielded a number one single, the Grammy-nominated ballad “Silent Lucidity,” which Queensryche performed at the 1992 Grammy Awards accompanied by a supporting orchestra.

In 2006, the band released Operation: Mindcrime II, a scorching sequel to their original. The band then hit the road performing both albums Operation: Mindcrime and Operation: Mindcrime II back-to-back in their entirety in an incredible theatrical presentation throughout the year. The final performance was recorded at The Moore Theatre in Seattle that October and the Mindcrime at the Moore double CD/DVD release debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Music DVD Chart and eventually reached gold status.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years and more than 20 million albums sold worldwide later…

For 2012, Queensryche has plenty up its sleeve.

For more information, please view the official Queensryche website at www.queensryche.com.

TOUR DATES

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 – ANTHOLOGY IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 – THE CANYON CLUB IN AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 – SLO BREW IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29 – THE COACH HOUSE IN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIFORNIA

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31 – CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN GRASS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 – EL REY IN CHICO, CALIFORNIA

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 – UPTOWN IN NAPA, CALIFORNIA

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 – FINAGHTY’S IN SNOQUALMIE, WASHINGTON

THE TURTLES FEATURING FLO & EDDIE,
THE MONKEES LEAD SINGER MICKY DOLENZ,
THE BUCKINGHAMS, THE GRASS ROOTS AND NEWEST
ADDITION, GARY PUCKETT & THE UNION GAP TO EMBARK
ON MAJOR U.S. TOUR BEGINNING IN EARLY SUMMER 2012

Here they come again to a venue near you!

Last year, the Happy Together Tour — which featured five incredible artists performing some of the greatest pop rock of the sixties — took to the road in celebration of the tour’s 25th Anniversary with many of the same artists that shared the stage together in 1985 including The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, The Grass Roots and The Buckinghams.

To no one’s real surprise, the sixties faithful would show up in mass to see the show, which also included Mark Lindsay, former lead singer of Paul Revere & The Raiders, and The Monkees lead singer Micky Dolenz.

For this year’s tour, The Association went along for the ride (while Micky Dolenz toured with The Monkees) and it, too, had similar success.

Both tours, encompassing approximately 20 dates each, played to many a packed house throughout the United States and, as a result, Happy Together is coming back for a third consecutive year with dates expected to begin in early summer of 2012.

Along with The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, The Monkees lead singer Micky Dolenz, The Buckinghams and The Grass Roots, new addition Gary Puckett & The Union Gap will be a part of the festivities.

Gary Puckett & The Union Gap was one of the most successful musical groups of the sixties. Gary’s unmistakable signature voice garnered six consecutive gold records and top ten Billboard hits such as “Young Girl” and “Woman Woman.” In 1968, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap sold more records than any other artist including the Beatles. Gary Puckett has performed on more than thirty network television shows and prime time specials during his career, even adding a command performance for the President and Prince Charles at the White House. The Union Gap disbanded in 1971. Gary continues to tour nationally and internationally.

“Happy Together” by The Turtles hit #1 on the charts in 1967 (displacing the Beatles’ “Penny Lane”) and remains a staple on classic rock radio to this day. Although their biggest hit and signature song, it’s just one of their nine Top 40 hits, which includes such popular songs as “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “Elenore,” “You Showed Me” and “It Ain’t Me Babe.” In 1968, far ahead of their time, they would release one of music’s first concept albums, The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands, where they pretended to be eleven different bands with different names, each providing a song in a different genre.The album — which showcased their incredible range of vocal talent — spawned the hits “Elenore” and “You Showed Me” (both peaking at #6 on the Billboard charts). Mark and Howard have remained plenty busy over the years with both The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie and their extracurricular music activities. In 2009, a new Turtles compilation CD was released titled, Save The Turtles: The Turtles Greatest Hits, which was issued on their own FloEdCo label. In all, the band has sold over 60 million albums worldwide to date.

In 1966, hot on the heels of their new NBC television show, The Monkees would release a self-titled debut album that would top the U.S. charts for thirteen consecutive weeks and sell an overwhelming 3.2 million copies in just three months. The single, “Last Train to Clarksville,” from the album would be their first #1 hit. Their second #1 hit came quickly with “I’m a Believer” (featured on the band’s second album, More of The Monkees), which had over a million advance orders. The band would continue to put out numerous hits such as “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday” among others… In 1986, the four members got together for “The Monkees 20th Anniversary World Tour,” a 145 date trek that would become the largest grossing tour of the year. The band — who reconvened this year for a brief but memorable tour — remain as iconic as ever…

“Kind of a Drag” from The Buckinghams would also reach the pinnacle of chart success, yet mark just one of many popular hits from the band including “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” “Don’t You Care,” “Susan” and “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song).” Their success in 1967 would lead them to be named “The Most Listened To Band in America” by Billboard Magazine.

The Grass Roots burst upon the scene in ’67 and would not only amass over a dozen Top 40 hits, but go on to perform in front of an estimated 600,000 people in Washington, D.C. on July 4, 1982 setting an all-time attendance record for an concert performance consisting of just one act. Between 1967 and 1972 — thanks to numerous hits such as “Midnight Confessions,” “Let’s Live For Today,” “Sooner or Later,” “I’d Wait A Million Years” and “Temptation Eyes,” the band would set a record for being on the Billboard charts for 307 consecutive weeks. Sadly, we lost lead singer Rob Grill this year but the music lives on…

Once again, fans can expect to hear many of their favorite hits next summer!

The Happy Together Tour 2012 promises to be another good time had by all.

FIRST FULL STUDIO ALBUM IN FIVE YEARS FEATURES SUCH MUSIC ICONS AS LOU GRAMM, SAM MOORE AND PAUL RODGERS

It’s been five years since the release of Nils Lofgren’s last studio album featuring his own songs and, with his forthcoming release titled, Old School, he’s got something to say.

An effort that’s been in the works since the culmination of Springsteen’s Working on a Dream Tour in November of 2009, Lofgren’s Old School covers a variety of topics including desperation, self-doubt, true love, departed friends, holding on to your dreams and the world gone mad… along with a tribute to the late, great Ray Charles.

“These songs reflect characters with some radical feelings and beliefs,” states the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lofgren. “They’re definitely thought-provoking.”

The CD — due out on Tuesday, November 1st — will be his eighth studio release on Vision Music, the label also responsible for 2008’s The Loner – Nils Sings Neil (an homage to Neil Young, whom Nils started his career with over four decades ago) and 2006’s Sacred Weapon.

“Old School has many different types of songs and feels… some rough, bluesy tracks to haunting acoustic songs,” continues Lofgren. “There’s some interesting and controversial characters in these songs and I look forward to everyone’s reaction.”

The album starts off with the controversial title track, “Old School,” which features former Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm.

“our spineless Congress should all be fired
get some women and men
with balls and sense hired
child rape and murder
one strike and you’re down and out
with our kid’s lives at stake what’s to figure out
oh no ain’t no old school anymore…”

It’s not for the timid.

Old School features a total of a dozen songs (see below for track listing), all produced by Nils with the exception of the song, “Why Me,” which was produced, recorded and mixed by Brian Christian (Alice Cooper/KISS/The Babys fame).

The song, “Amy Joan Blues” features legendary vocalist Paul Rodgers while the cut, “Ain’t Too Many Of Us Left,” features Rock Hall of Fame inductee Sam Moore from the popular sixties duo Sam & Dave.

Sam Moore comments about the collaboration, “It hit me when I was in the studio with Nils that we’ve lost so many of our friends, peers and colleagues in the past few years… The Big Man, Billy Preston, Wilson Pickett, George Harrison, Solomon Burke, Johnny Cash, Isaac Hayes. It hit me how true it is that there ‘ain’t too many of us left.’ I was flattered and honored that Nils asked me to join him to pay a little honor and remind everyone in some way to remember our dear but departed friends and loved ones.”

“Ain’t Too Many Of Us Left” has been made available as a free download at www.nilslofgren.com for fans to enjoy and the entire CD can be pre-ordered on the site as well.

Also appearing on Old School is the song, “Irish Angel” (written by the great Bruce McCabe) that Nils has been singing for years at his acoustic shows along with a ballad Nils wrote with an old friend and great DC-area artist, Root Boy Slim, called, “Let Her Get Away.”

“I’ve always wanted to share that particular song but never got it together until now,” says Nils. “Sadly, Root Boy’s not with us any longer, but I know there are fans out there that will appreciate this touching, haunted country-type ballad of ours.”

Speaking of old friends near and dear… Old School is dedicated to Nils’ dear friend and band mate, Clarence “Big Man” Clemons.

As an integral member of the Bruce Sprngsteen’s E Street Band since 1984, Nils has remained consistently busy as part of the group, and as a solo artist.

In addition to songwriting and performing, Nils also devotes substantial time to his online guitar school (http://www.nilslofgren.com/Lessons07.html), which has garnered tremendous response from guitar players all over the world. Beginner lessons are offered in English, Spanish and Italian…

In early September, Nils released “When You Are Loved” (via free download on his site), a 9-11 song that honors heroes, victims and families.

Beginning today, Nils hits the road for a few dates (see full itinerary below) to talk up the album and have some fun.

He’ll travel from town-to-town, playing his favorite songs in intimate venues, talking to friends and fans… something he’s enjoyed for 43 years now.

Call it “Old School.”

For further information or to set up an interview with Nils, please contact Jeff Albright at The Albright Entertainment Group via e-mail at RockStarPR@aol.com.

OLD SCHOOL TRACK LISTING

1. Old School
2. 60 Is The New 18
3. Miss You Ray
4. Love Stumbles On
5. Amy Joan Blues
6. Irish Angel
7. Ain’t Too Many Of Us Left
8. When You Were Mine
9. Just Because You Love Me
10. Dream Big
11. Let Her Get Away
12. Why Me

TOUR DATES

Wednesday, October 19 – Abbey Bar – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Thursday, October 20 – BB King’s – New York, New York
Friday, October 21 – Bolton Center for the Performing Arts – Long Island, New York
Saturday, October 22 – Fete Music Olneyville – Providence, Rhode Island
Sunday, October 23 – Blue Ocean Music Hall – Salisbury, Massachusetts
Thursday, October 27 – Havanna New Hope – New Hope, Pennsylvania
Friday, October 28 – Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University – West Long Branch, New Jersey
Saturday, October 29 – Rams Head Tavern – Annapolis, Maryland
Sunday, October 30 – Rams Head Tavern – Annapolis, Maryland

HIPPIEFEST, “A CONCERT FOR PEACE & LOVE,”
CELEBRATES SIXTH ANNIVERSARY WITH TWENTY-DATE TOUR BEGINNING
IN AUGUST FEATURING DAVE MASON, MARK FARNER,
RICK DERRINGER, FELIX CAVALIERE’S RASCALS AND GARY WRIGHT

Let your freak flag fly!

Although it’s been almost 45 years since the Hippie movement began, there’s been an annual concert event since 2005 that celebrates the music of the era and the lifestyle revolution it represented – HIPPIEFEST.

Continue Reading…

QUEENSRYCHE TO ONCE AGAIN ROCK
THE HIGH SEAS ABOARD SHIPROCKED 2011 CRUISE

THIRD ANNUAL ROCK CRUISE TO SET SAIL TOWARDS THE
MAYAN RIVIERA FOR FIVE FUN-FILLED NIGHTS
BEGINNING NOVEMBER 14, 2011

It was announced today that Queensryche — Geoff Tate, Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren — has been added to this year’s ShipRocked cruise, which will feature a mix of high-intensity rock bands including Buckcherry, Hinder, Hellyeah!, Sevendust, Living Colour and In This Moment among others.

Continue Reading…

Contact: Jeff Albright (RockStarPR@aol.com)

HAPPY TOGETHER TOUR RETURNS IN SUMMER 2011
WITH STELLAR SIXTIES LINE-UP CONSISTING OF FIVE MAJOR
ARTISTS BOASTING A COMBINED 53 BILLBOARD TOP 40 HITS

**********************************************************************************

THE TURTLES FEATURING FLO & EDDIE,
THE ASSOCIATION, THE GRASS ROOTS, THE BUCKINGHAMS
AND
MARK LINDSAY,
FORMER LEAD SINGER OF PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS,
TO HIT THE ROAD BEGINNING IN EARLY JULY FOR SERIES
OF PERFORMANCES THAT WILL BE ONE HIT AFTER ANOTHER

***********************************************************************************

If you’re imagining how the world could be so very fine this summer, then you’ll no doubt be elated to hear that The Happy Together Tour — featuring five major artists from the sixties — will be returning again this year.

Beginning in early July, The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, The Association, The Grass Roots, The Buckinghams and Mark Lindsay, former lead singer of Paul Revere & The Raiders, will be embarking on a trek that will take them to approximately twenty U.S. cities where they’ll be performing a spectacular, fun-filled show full of their greatest hits (see full itinerary below).

Continue Reading…

QUEENSRYCHE TO CELEBRATE THEIR 30th ANNIVERSARY IN ROCK BY RELEASING NEW ALBUM DEDICATED TO CHAOS THIS SUMMER

BAND TO TOUR THIS SUMMER IN SUPPORT OF NEW ALBUM

New York, NY: Queensrÿche announced today that their new album will be called Dedicated to Chaos and it will be released this summer. It’s the band’s first effort for its new label, Roadrunner Records/Loud & Proud. The band – featuring Geoff Tate, Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren — is currently planning a tour in support of the new opus, which was recorded in its native Seattle. Tour dates and information will be released when available.

Continue Reading…