Client Contact: Brian Ball - (800) 543-2255 www.ernieball.com
Agency Contact: Emily Frydendal/On the Horizon Communications - (805) 773-1000
For Immediate Release
Fresno Area Bands Win Spot on Ernie Ball Stage at Warped Tour
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (August 8, 2007) – The live portion of the 11th Annual Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands is about to begin, and there's local, homegrown talent taking the stage! This year, over 13,500 bands entered the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands competition for a chance to perform live on the 2007 Vans Warped Tour. Nominated by fans and then hand-selected by a panel of Ernie Ball judges, four bands per tour stop have earned a spot on the Ernie Ball Stage for a total of 180 unsigned band performances this summer.
Coming to the Selland Arena in Fresno on August 22, the local bands selected to play live at this summer's Warped Tour on the Ernie Ball Stage are: Anti-Social of Montebello, CA; In Times of Distress of Merced, CA; and Red Hot Radio of Las Vegas, NV. (Due to special circumstances, only the three aforementioned bands will be playing this stop.)
"We think it's great that Ernie Ball gives independent music artists the chance to be heard," said Charles Cordova, bass/lead vocals for Anti-Social. "There are so many great artists out there, and the music industry can be tough without the right contacts."
"We think it's great that Ernie Ball gives unknown artists the platform to boost themselves into the music scene," said Ryan Oliver, vocals for In Times of Distress.
"We seriously just can't wait to be on stage," said Emily Sully, drums for Red Hot Radio. "It has been a collective dream of our band for years."
Giving musicians the incredible opportunity to sound off to huge crowds, the stage has featured more then 5,000 unsigned bands, including then up-and-comers Bowling For Soup, Sugarcult, Story of the Year, New Found Glory, Avenged Sevenfold, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Less Than Jake, and more. This year, winners will play alongside headlining bands Throwdown, My American Heart, We Are the Fury, It Dies Today, and more. For a complete list of all bands playing the Ernie Ball stage, go to www.battleofthebands.com.
The Vans Warped Tour starts on June 28 in San Diego, CA and will make 45 stops across North America this summer, ending August 25 in Los Angeles, CA. Bands entered the competition by uploading two songs, a bio, a picture, and a band website. Every band profile can be heard online at www.battleofthebands.com.
The 180 bands who make it to the Ernie Ball stage at the Vans Warped Tour also compete for the chance to be one of four showcase bands chosen to play live before industry and record label executives at a major Hollywood venue in the fall of '07. Throughout the Battle of the Bands competition, participants will be judged on performance by a group of Ernie Ball staff and sponsors as well as highly regarded musicians and entertainment industry professionals.
All registered bands are automatically eligible to win thousands of dollars in rock 'n' roll music gear from Battle sponsors in the also fan-driven online voting competition, where fans vote for their favorite groups at the Battle website from June 28–September 10. The top four bands in this Battle portion will win prizes from Battle sponsors including Auralex, Krank Amps, DW Drums, Boss, Electro-Voice, Ernie Ball/Music Man, OLP Guitars, Taylor Guitars, Zildjian, M-Audio, and Remo.
Since its debut eleven years ago, the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands has given the best local bands from North America the opportunity to showcase their talents in the world's longest running and largest live music promotion in the music industry. The Vans Warped Tour heads into its 12th year with a lineup of more than 106 bands on six stages that includes Anberlin, Circa Survive, Coheed and Cambria, Meg and Dia, Paramore, and The Used.
For more information on the Battle, contact Ernie Ball at (800) 543-2255, or visit www.battleofthebands.com. Editors may contact On the Horizon Communications at (805) 773-1000 or info@thepressroom.com.
The Ernie Ball Company was the first to offer rock strings with the creation of Slinkys, and further revolutionized the market by offering guitarists Custom-Gauge single strings. Ernie Ball also produces Music Man guitars and basses, volume pedals and accessories.