Harmonix and MTV Games have turned up the heat on this summer's concert season by putting ROCK BAND on the road. The best-selling video game is going mobile and bringing music to the masses -- hitting State Fairs across the country and some of this year's biggest tours and festivals, including Bonnaroo, the Vans Warped Tour and Crue Fest.
ROCK BAND will begin appearing at state fairs across the country from North Carolina to California, Minnesota to Arizona and everywhere in between. Sponsored by Energizer, Stride Gum and Hot Topic, fans will be able to rock out on main stages that will feature the authentic concert experience complete with lighting and a monster sound system.
Fans can sign up to participate in the Energizer "Head-to-Head Drum Competition" that will be held on the ROCK BAND stage at each event. While going head-to-head in the drum competition, contestants will compete for an opportunity to win a ROCK BAND Drum Kit and other gifts courtesy of Energizer. At the same time, Stride will be looking for those who can rock for a ridiculously long time by giving ROCK BAND stage bands the chance to rock the longest songs in the ROCK BAND catalog six times every day. Computer kiosks and a merchandise area will also feature ROCK BAND products, plus a sweepstakes offer.
Beginning July 1, fans attending Crue Fest can become a real rock star for the night with a chance to become the opening act for Motley Crue, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx:A.M. and Trapt in each local market. Fans will compete on the ROCK BAND Second Stage Experience -- a 53-foot foot trailer that includes practice areas. There will also be classic rock memorabilia courtesy of the Hard Rock Cafe as part of the ROCK BAND Second Stage Experience at Crue Fest. The artists and guests on the tour will also be able to enjoy the game, thanks to a backstage Rock Band VIP lounge with game demo areas. Motley Crue, in a first for the music and video game industry, recently released their first single SAINTS OF LOS ANGELES simultaneously on ROCK BAND in addition to the traditional outlets and sold more than five times the number of downloads on ROCK BAND than any other platform in its first week.
Fans attending the Jimmy Buffett tour will be able to play ROCK BAND on a custom golf cart -- the Sharkart -- that will make its way to parking lots at each stop, and feature a flat screen monitor and state-of the art sound system. For more information, visit www.margaritaville.com.
ROCK BAND will be teaming up with PlayStation 3 at some of this summer's hottest music festivals and events to offer fans the opportunity to channel their inner rock star and Take the Stage to compete for prizes and bragging rights. See below for a list of events where you can Take the Stage.
For the long-running Vans Warped Tour, ROCK BAND will partner with Xbox and 20th Century Fox as part of a promotion geared around the film studio's upcoming comedy, THE ROCKER, which features ROCK BAND in the movie. In between sets by bands such as Gym Class Heroes and Motion City Soundtrack, kids can visit a branded tent with four gaming stations and a special ROCKER-themed stage where they can compete for fun and prizes.
ROCK BAND can be found at the following events throughout the summer:
--AST Dew Tour, Through October, Select Cities (Take the Stage with PlayStation event).
--Brooks & Dunn (Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, ZZ Top), Through October 5, 38 U.S. Dates (Take the Stage with PlayStation event).
--Jimmy Buffett Tour, Through October 25, 20 U.S. Dates (Take the Stage with PlayStation event).
--Vans Warped Tour (Against Me!, Gym Class Heroes, Rise Against), Through August 17, U.S. and Canada.
--San Diego County Fair, June 19-July 6, San Diego California, USA.
--Summerfest (Alicia Keys, Steve Miller Band, Tim McGraw, John Mayer), June 26-July 6, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
--Crue Fest (Motley Crue, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sizz A.M., Trapt), July 2-September 30, U.S. and Canada.
--Rocklahoma (Triumph, Poison, Trixter, Lita Ford, Warrant, Enuff Z'nuff, Tesla), July 10-13, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.
--Orange County Fair, July 15-August 3, Costa Mesa, California, USA.
--Ohio State Fair, July 30-August 4, Columbus Ohio, USA.
--Lollapalooza (Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, NIN, Wilco, Gnarls Barkley, Love & Rockets, Bloc Party), August 1-3, Chicago, Illinois, USA (Take the Stage with PlayStation event).
--Western Montana Fair, August 5-10, Missoula, Montana, USA.
--Iowa State Fair, August 7-17, West Allis, Iowa, USA.
--All Points West (Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Cat Power, Chromeo, Secret Machines), August 8-10, New York, New York, USA (Take the Stage with PlayStation event).
--California Expo, August 15-31, Sacramento, California, USA.
--Minnesota State Fair, August 21-September 1, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
--Los Angeles County Fair, September 5-7, Pomona, California, USA.
--Oklahoma State Fair, September 11-21, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
--Eastern States Exhibition, September 12-28, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.
--Texas State Fair, September 26-October 13, Dallas, Texas, USA.
--Mississippi State Fair, October 2-12, Jackson Mississippi, USA.
--North Carolina State Fair, October 16-26, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
--Arizona State Fair, October 17-26, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
