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Rock the Bells to feature full album sets from Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas and much more

Here’s the full news release for Rock The Bells, which will make a stop at the San Manuel Amphitheater on Aug. 20.

RTB11_logo

 

Boost Mobile in Association with GUERILLA UNION

Presents

ROCK THE BELLS 2011 FESTIVAL SERIES

Powered by BlackBerry

 

Heads to Four Major North American Cities, Featuring Three Main Stages

 

Confirmed Headliners Performing Full Album Sets Include

Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas, Cypress Hill, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star, Raekwon & Ghostface and more

 

Guerilla Union Announce Title Sponsorship with Boost Mobile;

Team with House of Blues for Intimate Club Tour

 

GU Pre-sale Starts June 3; General On-sale Starts June 4

 

The line-up for the ROCK THE BELLS 2011 FESTIVAL SERIES–presented by Boost Mobile in association with GUERILLA UNION and powered by BlackBerry–will feature an array of seminal and up-and-coming hip-hop artists on three stages. Headliners include Ms. Lauryn HillNas,Erykah BaduandCypress Hill. See the current line-up below and look for more performers to be announced soon.

 

This year’s festival will head to four major North American markets. Kicking off in the Los Angeles-area onAugust 20 at the San Manuel Amphitheater, ROCK THE BELLS will then head to San Francisco on August 27 at Shoreline Amphitheatre. The festival moves to the east coast for a show in New York on September 3 at Governor’s Island (co-promoted with Bowery Presents, Highline, Mad Dog Presents) before wrapping in Boston on September 10.

 

ROCK THE BELLS featured a number of headliners performing their most influential albums in their entirety for the first time in the history of hip-hop entertainment last summer. The tradition continues this year with Ms.Lauryn Hill performing her landmark, multi-platinum selling, multi-GRAMMY winning album TheMiseducation Of Lauryn Hill and Nas performing his breakthrough debut album Illmatic with special guests AZ, Pete Rock and DJ Premier. Nas says about performing Illmatic this summer, “For years people have been asking me to do Illmatic in so many ways, from stage plays to movies to books, but the time wasn’t right. Where music is going now, the time is right. This will be my biggest production and it only makes sense to do it on the best rap tour which also happens to be a brand I’ve built and am a partner in. Can’t wait to kill it with my comrades AZ, Premo & Pete Rock!”

 

Full album sets can also be expected from: Cypress Hill performing their 1993 multi-platinum album Black Sundayfeaturing modern rock radio mainstay “Insane In The Membrane”; Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star performing their 1998 self-titled debut album; Raekwon & Ghostface teaming up for critically acclaimed, platinum selling Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and more.

 

“I am excited that this year’s Rock The Bells will continue its rich history and tradition by presenting the best and most ambitious festival programming in Hip Hop,” says festival co-founder and Guerilla Union headChang Weisberg. “The bar has been set high and this year’s line-up will certainly stake its claim. With ten of the biggest records in the history of the genre and the freshest new talent bubbling from the underground, this summer’s Rock The Bells is another dream come true.”

 

ROCK THE BELLS will feature three main stages this year. The two returning stages are the ROCK THE BELLS STAGE and the PAID DUES STAGE, which will feature independent hip-hop acts that performed at the Paid Dues Festival this past April in San Bernardino and new artists-on-the-rise. Paid Dues Festival creator Murs says, “I am excited that I once again have the privilege of hosting the Paid Dues Stage. We will have the honor of showcasing some of the best talent in independent hip hop as part of the worlds largest and longest running hip hop festival… the Paid Dues stage is gonna be the one to watch this year.”

 

The 36 CHAMBERS STAGE is a new addition to the festival and will primarily feature members of the Wu-Tang Clan as well as artists selected by stage curator and Wu-Tang Clan mainstay RZA. A fourth stage that will also be added to most markets is the GRINDTIME NOW STAGE, which will feature battle-style performances.

 

Guerilla Union, the live events company behind world-class platforms including Cypress Hill SmokeOutFestival and Paid Dues Independent Hip-Hop Festival, has teamed up with a new title sponsor Boost Mobilefor the eighth annual installment of ROCK THE BELLS.

 

“Boost Mobile has a strong history in the music community and being part of such a well-established festival further enhances that commitment,” said Steve Gaffney, vice president-Corporate Marketing, Boost Mobile. “With our handset partner BlackBerry, we look forward to bringing the sponsorship to life and giving festival attendees an experience to remember.”  

 

In addition to the festival dates, Guerilla Union has teamed with new strategic partner House of Blues/Live Nation for an intimate ROCK THE BELLS club tour featuring select ROCK THE BELLS artists on dates surrounding the festival shows. Look for more information on the confirmed artists and routing for the ROCK THE BELLS club tour shortly.

 

Venues, dates and the lineup for the ROCK THE BELLS tour were announced at the ROCK THE BELLS 2010 LAUNCH PARTY on May 24 at the House of Blues Sunset in West Hollywood, CA. For the fourth year in a row, freestyle champion MC Supernatural freestyled the lineup to the media. Artists in attendance at the press conference and launch party include co-host RZA, Cypress Hill, Havoc (Mobb Deep), Souls of Mischief, Blu & Exile and Evidence.


Artists confirmed for the ROCK THE BELLS 2011 FESTIVAL SERIES include:
Ms. Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill +

Nas – Illmatic +

Cypress Hill – Black Sunday +

Erykah Badu*

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star +

Raekwon & Ghostface – Only Built for Cuban Linx +

Mobb Deep – The Infamous +

The GZA – Liquid Swords +

Immortal Technique

Slaughterhouse

Mac Miller*

Curren$y*

Souls of Mischief – 93 ’til Infinity +

Black Moon

Childish Gambino

Blu & Exile

Fashawn

Random Axe*

Masta Killah – No Said Date +

Evidence*

Macklemore*

Freddie Gibbs

Roc Marciano

 

+ notes full-album sets

* notes performance on select dates only

 

Hosted by:

The RZA + MURS 3:16 + Supernatural

 

ROCK THE BELLS 2011 FESTIVAL SERIES Tour Dates

08.20 San Bernardino, CA – San Manuel Amphitheater

08.27 Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

09.03 New York, NY – Governor’s Island

09.10 Boston, MA

 

The Guerilla Union pre-sale for the ROCK THE BELLS 2011 FESTIVAL SERIES will go from June 3 at 10am PST – 10pm PST. The general on-sale starts on June 4. Fans are advised to visit www.rockthebells.netfor the exact lineup per city and are encouraged to sign up for the Guerilla Union newsletter for important announcements and up-to-date information regarding the tour.

 

www.rockthebells.net

www.myspace.com/rockthebells

www.facebook.com/rockthebellsfestival

www.twitter.com/rockthebells

www.guerillaunion.com


About ROCK THE BELLS:

Rock The Bells, presented by GUERILLA UNION since 2003, has established itself as a world-class hip-hop platform by hosting legendary performances by Rage Against the Machine, NAS, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Lauryn Hill, Blackstar (Talib Kweli and Mos Def), Hieroglyphics, Living Legends, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, Cypress Hill and Jurassic 5 as well as reuniting Wu-Tang for their last performance with ODB in 2004. ROCK THE BELLS has also set the stage for monumental surprise performances by Jay-Z, Slick Rick, the Black Eyed Peas and Black Sheep. In 2008, ROCK THE BELLS toured internationally for the first time in Prague, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Helsinki, Paris and London. GUERILLA UNION invited seminal artists to play their classic albums in full for the 2010 tour, adding another unique concert-going experience found only at Rock The Bells.

 

About BOOST MOBILE:

Boost Mobile, one of Sprint’s prepaid brands and recently recognized by J.D. Power as Highest-Ranked Non-Contract Company in Overall Customer Satisfaction Performance, offers wireless phones and services with no long-term contracts. Boost Mobile redefines value for wireless consumers with its $50Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage no-contract service where the longer you stay the less you pay with on-time payments for unlimited voice, text messaging, Web, e-mail, IM and calls to 411. Boost Mobile offers nationwide service on the Nationwide Sprint Network, reaching more than 277 million people, and on the Nextel National Network, reaching more than 278 million people, with no activation or long-distance fees. Boost Mobile offers a selection of quality handsets from Motorola, Sanyo, Research In Motion (RIM) and Samsung, ranging from entry-level to high-end devices available nationwide at nearly 20,000 major retail stores, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart, Sprint retail stores, independent wireless dealer locations, and on HSN, a leading TV home shopping network. Re-Boost cards are available at approximately 100,000 locations throughout the United States. Experience Boost Mobile on the Web at MySpaceFacebook and Twitter; and purchase products atwww.boostmobile.com.

 

About HOUSE OF BLUES:

Founded in 1992, The 13 House of Blues are located throughout the United States and form the country’s pre-eminent collection of intimate music venues. Each features state-of-the-art sound and lighting technology in one-of-a-kind custom designed environments aimed to bring fans as close as possible to the artists. Every location’s restaurant and bar is adorned with signature original folk-art – part of the world’s largest collection – combined with the House of Blues legendary hospitality and tantalizing cuisine.

 

About LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT:

Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and eCommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists globally. Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 250 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling over 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.”

Reggae Festival takes place Saturday

By Wes Woods II Staff Writer

The Inland Empire Reggae Festival will feature a multitude of sounds and styles here Saturday.

Garrett Management Group will host the event, which showcases acts like World Anthem Band, Fully Fullwood Band, Higher Lion, Upstream, Diversity Rising, Diversifyd and Princess Rebel Rockers.

World Anthem Band, a reggae, R & B and soul outfit, has previously headlined their own shows at the National Orange Show Events Center.


INLAND EMPIRE REGGAE FESTIVAL

Where: National Orange Show Events Center,

689 S. E St., San Bernardino

When: Doors open 11 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. Saturday

Cost: $25 general; $50 VIP Information: www.inlandempirereggae

festival.com or 866-514-3391


The group has starred with artists including Ziggy Marley, Lenny Kravitz, Claremont’s Ben Harper and Sugar Ray among others.

“We saw how people reacted to them,” said Alton Garrett, the producer of the show and managing partner of Garrett Management Group, in a January interview.

Clothing and food vendors also will be at the all-ages event, which opens its doors at 11 a.m. and closes doors at 10 p.m..

For more information, head to www.inlandempirereggaefestival.com or call 866-514-3391.

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-8549

Corin Tucker Band checks in at Glass House tonight

Corin Tucker Band checks in at Glass House

By Wes Woods II Staff Writer

Corin Tucker, who was part of the critically acclaimed indie-rock group Sleater-Kinney that went on hiatus in 2006, brings her new lineup to the Glass House.

The Corin Tucker Band released its debut album “1,000 Years” in late 2010 to positive press.

Doors open for the show at 7 tonight. Crazy Band will be the opening act.

In a 2010 interview, Corin Tucker was asked if her songwriting process has changed. “Well, the themes might be different because I’m in a different place in my life, but I feel I write with the same process,” Tucker said.

“I basically try and write in these

little short bursts where I pick up the guitar, play for awhile and something will come to me and I’ll try to record it quickly.”

She did set new goals for herself with the new record, she said.


CORIN TUCKER BAND

With: Crazy Band

Where: Glass House, 200 W. Second St., Pomona

When: 7 tonight

Cost: $12

Information: www.ticketfly.com or 877-435-9849; Glass House Record Store, 248 W. Second St., Pomona or 909-865-3802.


“I wanted to take those ideas I had, take my time with them and really complete a whole story with each song. I think `Thrift Store Coats’ is a good example of that – of having this experience of a late fall day and hearing about two of my friends having lost their jobs. I had this flash, this moment, but I wanted to turn it into thiswhole story that painted a picture for people of what Portland, Oregon was looking like during the recession.”

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-8549

A chance to gaze at Ghostland Observatory

y Wes Woods II Staff Writer

The electronic-rock sounds of Ghostland Observatory will be featured at the Glass House Saturday.

The group, featuring frontman Aaron Behrens and keyboardist Thomas Ross Turner, has performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. It released its fourth album “Codename: Rondo” on Trashy Moped Recordings in October.


GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY

Where: Glass House, 200 W. Second St., Pomona

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Cost: $25

Information: www.ticketfly.com or

877-435-9849; Glass House Record Store,

248 W. Second St., Pomona or 909-865-3802.


In an October interview, Turner was asked about the growing electronica scene in Texas.

“When we first started out, we were kinda the odd ducks,” Turner said.

“We probably still are. You’re playing electronic music … And you think of Austin music and it’s either rock, or blues or garage or some kind of rock-based or blues-based thing, and we’re doing this off-the-wall deal.”

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-8549

Enjoy the ‘Atmosphere’ tonight at the Fox Pomona

Enjoy the ‘Atmosphere’ at the Fox Pomona

Slug, of the Minneapolis hip-hop group Atmosphere, said he doesn’t read reviews.

“You should see my ego,” he said in a recent interview.

“When I read about stuff people didn’t get, didn’t understand or hated, that gives me an idea what the `cultural elite’ are doing and thinking.”

The group will perform Thursday in support of its latest album “The Family Sign” at the Fox Theater in Pomona.

The concert is sold out, but tickets still are available from resellers.

Slug, whose real name is Sean Daley, said, “If you’re going to stand on a stage in front of a thousand people because they’re placing an importance on you, you have to mirror that. You can’t be like, `Why are you treating me so important?’

You can’t let them down.

But you can’t let them define who you are.

“You do have to take into consideration that these people, they don’t know you. They don’t know who you are. They see you as a mirror of them. They’re relating to what you got going on.

“That’s a very important thing to me. It’s a conduit thing.

It’s not about you, it’s about this community, this movement,” he said.

ATMOSPHERE

With: Blueprint, Greives w/ Budo, Sab The Artist and DJ Abilities

Where: Fox Theater, 301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona

When: Doors open 8 p.m.; show starts 9 p.m. Thursday

Cost: Sold out but resale tickets are available at www.ticketsnow.com or www.stubhub.com

Information: www.foxpomona.comwww.ticketsnow.com or www.stubhub.com