|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Austin
Tanya Gonzalez
231-722-6520
info@summercelebration.com
www.summercelebration.com
MUSKEGON, MI, April 29, 2008 -
The Muskegon Summer Celebration, The BIG Party, presented by Esurance, announces the acts for two more nights on the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge Main Stage for this year’s event, June 26 – July 6. In addition to previously announced Miller Lite Headline Artists, The Steve Miller Band, Joe Cocker, The Whispers, Sean Kingston, Montgomery Gentry, Bucky Covington, Seether, Finger Eleven, Staind, Hinder, and Sammy Hagar, are Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, and Miranda Lambert. “We have sold out or come close to selling out the country shows for the past three years, and adding more country has been one of the biggest requests on our surveys. It’s time to listen to our patrons,” said Executive Director Joe Austin. “With three country acts, we give a whole new group of patrons a reason to buy the Sappi Eleven-Day Pass which is the best entertainment value in the Midwest this summer.”
Dierks Bentley will headline on Friday, June 27. Born in 1975 in Phoenix, AZ, Dierks Bentley got his country music education on his own listening to recordings of George Strait and Hank Williams, Jr. He got his first guitar at 13 and eventually moved to Nashville at the age of 19. He performed in clubs for several years and struggled through some discouraging times, but Dierks hung in there and eventually was signed to Capitol records . In 2003 he released his first album, Dierks Bentley, which produced his first number one single, “What Was I Thinkin’.” He followed up his debut album with Modern Day Drifter and Long Trip Alone. All together he has charted ten hits including other number ones, “Come A Little Closer,” “Every Mile A Memory,” “Settle For A Slowdown,” and “Free And Easy (Down The Road I Go).” Opening for Dierks Bentley will be singer-songwriter, Luke Bryan. Unlike Dierks, Luke knew from an early age music was for him. He got his first guitar at 14, was playing with a band at 15, and writing songs by 16. Preparing to leave home for Nashville after High School graduation, Luke’s brother was killed in a car accident, so he stayed to help at the family farm and eventually enrolled in Georgia Southern University. After graduation he moved home to help on the family farm, but his dad gave him an ultimatum to move to Nashville to pursue his music or be fired. He headed for Music City and was eventually signed to Capitol records. Last year he released his debut album, I’ll Stay Me. Charted singles from that album so far include, “All My Friends Say,” “We Rode In Trucks,” and “Country Man.”
Small town Texas girl, Miranda Lambert, with her signature pink guitar will rock fans on Monday, June 30. Miranda is the daughter of country guitarist and song-writer, Rick Lambert, so she obviously grew up in a musical environment. At 17 she formed The Texas Pride Band and shortly thereafter released a self-titled independent album. In 2003 she finished first in the Texas auditions for Nashville Star and eventually took third place overall. She was then signed to a recording deal and in 2004 released Kerosene followed by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in 2007. Both albums reached number one on the Top Country Albums chart. Some of her more popular singles include, “Me And Charlie Talking,” “Kerosene,” “Famous In A Small Town,” and her latest, “Gunpowder and Lead.” Support acts for Miranda Lambert will be announced shortly.
All new seating options and general admission tickets for the June 27 and June 30 shows will be available beginning Saturday, May 3, at 9:00 AM at all Star Tickets PLUS outlets which include most Michigan Meijer Stores and the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are also available on-line at www.starticketsplus.com or by calling (616) 222-4000 (in Grand Rapids) or toll free at 1-800-585-3737. Tickets for the previously announced shows are available now. In addition Summer Celebration will again be offering the summer’s biggest entertainment value anywhere in the Midwest with the return of the Sappi 11-Day Pass. With this pass you can attend any or all of the Miller Lite Headline evening concerts on the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge Main Stage. The passes will be available at the Sappi 11-Day Pass Party on Friday, May 16, at the LC Walker Arena. For more information on our new seating options including a diagram of their locations, please visit www.summercelebration.com. Prices for the concerts announced to date and special seating options are listed on the following pages. |
