Linkin Park Adds Busta Rhymes to 2008 Summer Tour

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070220/LATU096LOGO)

As recently pointed out in Rolling Stone’s “Summer Tour Guide,” the tour will see nine acts joining rock superstars Linkin Park, who are also offering concertgoers a digital souvenir pack that includes a recording of the band’s entire set. As the band’s co-lead vocalist Mike Shinoda told the magazine, “That puts extra pressure on us to make sure our set is different every night.”

The fifth installation of Linkin Park’s raging road show will see them headlining an all-star bill that features former Soundgarden/Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell, electro-rockers The Bravery and Ashes Divide featuring Billy Howerdel, known for his work with A Perfect Circle. The Revolution stage will be headlined by metallic act Atreyu and features hard hitters 10 Years, fiery Ohio natives Hawthorne Heights and buzz band Armor For Sleep. Also performing will be percussive force Street Drum Corps. The tour launches July 16 at the Tweeter Center in Boston.

Fans can go to http://www.linkinpark.com/, http://www.projektrevolution.com/ or http://www.livenation.com/ for show dates and on-sale information in each area.

Produced by Live Nation and partnered with Major League Baseball, Monster Energy Drink, Verizon Wireless and Nowwhat.com, Projekt Revolution 2008 sees Linkin Park building upon the success and excitement of previous Revolution tours, which included artists such as My Chemical Romance, Korn, Snoop Dogg, HIM, Xzibit and Mudvayne, among others.

“We started Projekt Revolution six years ago and have been lucky to have toured with some great bands,” says Linkin Park co-frontman Chester Bennington. “This year, however, might just be the best lineup yet. We’re looking forward to taking this show on the road and bringing great music to the masses.”

Last month Linkin Park took a break from their headlining tour in support of new album MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT and traveled to New Orleans to help families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The band joined volunteers from Music for Relief, and Habitat homeowner families from New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity to build homes in the damaged Gulf Coast area. Prior to that, Linkin Park’s nonprofit organization, Music For Relief, initiated a partnership with Hollywood for Habitat For Humanity to fund and build homes in hurricane ravaged areas. Additionally, Linkin Park recently donated $1 from each ticket sold on their European & UK, U.S. & Canadian headlining dates to Music for Relief for a tree-planting initiative.

With Projekt Revolution 2008, Linkin Park continues to give back, as $1 from every ticket sold will go toward Music for Relief to support disaster relief and reduce global warming. In just over a year Music For Relief has raised over $1 million for reforestation, planting over 797,000 trees. Music For Relief endeavors to help victims recover and rebuild following natural disasters but also works to reduce global warming. During Projekt Revolution 2008, Music for Relief will continue its grassroots outreach to fans to educate them on how to reduce their own carbon emissions and how those changes can have a global effect.

  About the Main Stage Artists

  Linkin Park

Linkin Park (Bennington, drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, DJ Joe Hahn, bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and vocalist Mike Shinoda) is touring in support of double-platinum-selling album MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT and new top ten hit single “Given Up.” The album, one of the highest-debuting discs of 2007 and the seventh best-selling album of the year, has already spawned three additional top ten hits (“Bleed It Out,” “What’s I’ve Done,” “Shadow of the Day”), amplifying an already illustrious career. Since arriving in 2000, Linkin Park has won two Grammy Awards (Best Hard Rock Performance in 2002 with their hit single “Crawling” and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Jay-Z in 2006 for the innovative “Numb/Encore”), sold more than 45 million albums worldwide (their Diamond-Certified debut Hybrid Theory has sold more than 18 million copies alone), and garnered an international fanbase whose members number in the millions. According to the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), Linkin Park was 2007’s best-selling rock band, with MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT moving 4.8 million units worldwide.

  http://www.linkinpark.com/

  Chris Cornell

Ranked 12th in MTV’s “22 Greatest Voices in Music” survey, ahead of such icons as David Bowie, Steven Tyler and Bruce Springsteen, Chris Cornell has been called “the single most dynamic rock and roll force produced by the Grunge Revolution of the early 90s.” As the frontman for Soundgarden, he marshaled five studio albums including the groundbreaking Superunknown, which went multi-platinum and earned two Grammy Awards. His songwriting continued to develop with the critically acclaimed side project, Temple of the Dog, a collective of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden members who formed in tribute to late Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood. During his tenure as frontman for the rock supergroup Audioslave, he continued his multi-platinum success and produced hit singles “Like a Stone,” “Cochise” and “Be Yourself.” Cornell’s songs have been featured on film soundtracks including Pump Up the Volume, Wayne’s World, True Romance, Feeling Minnesota (a title taken from one of Cornell’s own Soundgarden lyrics), Singles, Great Expectations, Mission: Impossible II, Collateral and BUG. Cornell’s second solo album, CARRY ON (Suretone/Interscope), marks his 13th studio album and was released in June 2007. Carry On includes the 2008 Grammy nominated “You Know My Name,” the theme song from the last James Bond installment, Casino Royale (Columbia Pictures). Cornell was honored to be the first American male in history to create a theme song for the classic James Bond film franchise. Cornell is currently in the studio with super-producer Timbaland working on his third solo album. In addition to his work in the music world, Chris Cornell served as the face of the 2006 John Varvatos ad campaign and became a restaurateur with the opening of Black Calavados (BC) in Paris, where he lives with his wife Vicky and two young children.

  http://www.chriscornell.com/

  Busta Rhymes

Busta’s previous album, 2006’s The Big Bang, his first for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment, became the first #1 Pop album of his career, and fourth #1 R&B/Hip-hop album. Spinning off the Top 20 Pop hit “Touch It,” The Big Bang claimed the top spot in its first week and went gold. The album followed his gold It Ain’t Safe No More. The Brooklyn-born, Long Island-raised Busta Rhymes (named by Chuck D of Public Enemy) launched his solo career in 1996 with the platinum #1 R&B/Hip-hop The Coming and its Top 10 platinum “Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check.” Called “the most idiosyncratic personality in rap and possessor of its most recognizable delivery, a halting, ragga-inspired style with incredible complexity, inventiveness, and humor” (All Music Guide), Rhymes followed with three more platinum albums: When Disaster Strikes (#1 R&B/Hip-hop), Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front) (#2 R&B/Hip-hop), Anarchy (#1 R&B/Hip-hop) and Genesis (#2 R&B/Hip-hop), and their gold Top 10 Pop hits “Dangerous,” “Turn It Up” and “What’s It Gonna Be.” His highly anticipated new album, BLESSED, arrives in stores June 17.

  http://www.bustarhymes.com/

  The Bravery

The Bravery – singer/guitarist and songwriter Sam Endicott, guitarist Michael Zakarin, bassist Michael Berreto Hindert, keyboardist John Conway, and drummer Anthony Burulcich just re-launched their highly lauded album, THE SUN AND THE MOON COMPLETE, as part of a two-disc configuration. Disc one (THE SUN) is the original 12-song album issued last May. The album was produced and mixed by two-time Grammy Award winner Brendan O’Brien. Disc two (THE MOON) is the album reimagined/reworked by the New York-based Bravery, who were recently named Artist of the Week on MTV’s 52/52. The album features Top 10 Modern Rock hit “Believe,” whose video was recently added to MTV, MTV2, VH1 and Fuse, following its premiere on Yahoo! “Believe” has been featured on a plethora of television shows, including “The Hills,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Gossip Girl,” “Moonlight,” “Las Vegas,” “Rescue Me” and “Reaper.” The song has also been heard on two new video games “Madden ’08” and “Game With Fame,” and is receiving additional exposure in the current Pontiac and Gap advertising campaigns.

  http://www.thebravery.com/

  ASHES dIVIDE

ASHES dIVIDE is the new band formed by lead guitarist/singer-songwriter Billy Howerdel — founder/producer of multi-platinum group A Perfect Circle, the band he led with Tool frontman Maynard Keenan through three albums (two platinum and one gold). Three weeks before the April 8th release of Howerdel’s long-awaited first solo project, KEEP TELLING MYSELF IT’S ALRIGHT, lead single “The Stone” was the No. 1 Most Streamed Song at both the Alternative and Rock formats of Clear Channel Online New and its video has been added at both Fuse and MTV2. In a recent Entertainment Weekly poll of film and television music producers, Dana Sano (Dan In Real Life) praised ASHES dIVIDE for sounding ” … so very dreamy rock with a ’90s feel.” Howerdel produced and engineered the new album in Los Angeles, playing guitar, bass and keyboard. Longtime collaborator Danny Lohner (APC, Nine Inch Nails) helped out with the recording process, while drummer Josh Freese (APC) appears on the album. Other contributors include Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), and Paz Lenchantin. Innovative Brit producer Alan Moulder, known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, My Bloody Valentine and the Killers, mixed the album in London.

  http://www.ashesdivide.com/

  About Revolution Stage Artists

  Atreyu

The Orange County, CA-based hard rockers are touring in support of LEAD SAILS PAPER ANCHOR, which debuted at No. 8 on Billboard’s Top 200, making it both the highest debut and highest-charting album of the band’s career. It follows 2006’s A Death-Grip On Yesterday, which entered the chart at No. 9. The album, produced by John Feldmann (The Used, Good Charlotte) and mixed by Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Slipknot, Linkin Park), drew rave reviews from around the world, including Metal Hammer, who declared it to be “a truly landmark album.” Kerrang! gave the record 4 K’s and Blender gave it 3 1/2 stars and called it “metal that takes you to a magical bygone era.” Revolver awarded the album 4 stars and praised it for flowing “beautifully through the speakers” and for being “a coffin-tight collection of singles.” Since the album’s release, the band shared stages alongside Korn and Evanescence on the Family Values Tour and blazed a headlining run of their own. They’re currently co-headlining the Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour with Avenged Sevenfold. Their new hit single, “Falling Down,” is currently No. 3 on Billboard’s Alternative Rock Chart.

  http://www.atreyurock.com/

  10 YEARS

10 Years recently put the finishing touches on new album DIVISION, readying it for a nationwide in-store release on May 13th. DIVISION was helmed by acclaimed producer Rick Parasher (Pearl Jam, Nickelback, Soundgarden, Rob Zombie). Recorded during what the band has described as “an intense creative process” this past summer, songs on DIVISION include “Just Can’t Win,” “In Your Eyes,” “Day Dreamer,” and the band’s latest radio hit, “Beautiful.” 10 Years came to the attention of the rock world with 2005’s Autumn Effect which unleashed one of 2005-2006’s biggest rock radio hits with the mythic single “Wasteland.” The iconic song not only set career highs for the band when it was certified gold, it reigned on US rock charts for more than a year, notching the #4 year-end spot on the Active rock chart, and eventually pulled off a hat-trick of #1 slots at Active rock, Alternative rock and Billboard’s Modern rock chart. The album also spawned a second hit single for the band, “Through The Iris.”

  http://www.10yearsmusic.com/

  Hawthorne Heights

Hawthorne Heights (vocalist/guitarist JT Woodruff, drummer Eron Bucciarelli, guitarist Micah Carli and bassist Matt Ridenour) will be supporting the follow-up album to 2006’s gold-selling IF ONLY YOU WERE LONELY, which is slated for release early summer ’08. Hawthorne Heights broke onto the scene in 2004, selling a staggering one million copies of their debut release The Silence In Black And White, which featured cult hits “Ohio Is For Lovers” and “Niki FM.” Since that time the band has toured relentlessly, developing a rabid fanbase and selling nearly 2 million albums worldwide. Projekt Revolution marks the bands triumphant return after a tumultuous year of setbacks and great personal loss.

  http://www.hawthorneheights.com/

  Armor For Sleep

The New Jersey-based post-hardcore quartet has been busy promoting their recent release SMILE FOR THEM, a compelling third addition to their ever-evolving catalogue of music. The band formed in the suburban utopia of northern NJ in 2002, catalyzed by singer/guitarist Ben Jorgensen’s songwriting and desire to form a band centered around it. The release of the group’s debut, Dream To Make Believe, in 2003 on independent label Equal Vision Records, thrust them on tour where receptive listeners were attracted to the genuine, personable sensibility of the band and their music. But 2005’s critically acclaimed concept-based follow-up, What To Do When You Are Dead, set them far apart from the other bands swimming in the deep sea of emo bands, and put them distinctly on the top of the bubbling genre. Selling over 220,000 records to date, the album solidified the bond between band and fan, and eventually piqued the interest of Sire Records who signed them in 2006. Having played shows with the likes of Against Me!, Taking Back Sunday, All-American Rejects and Underoath, the band is ready to join this year’s Projekt Revolution.

  http://www.armorforsleep.com/

  Street Drum Corps

Known for their high-energy percussion shows, which Kevin Lyman (founder of the Vans Warped Tour) calls a “Punk Rock Stomp,” Street Drum Corps bring an unparalleled dynamic element to an evening’s event. Bobby Alt, Adam Alt, and Frank Zummo formed Street Drum Corps in Los Angeles in 2004. They use found and traditional instruments. SDC has been touring the world the past four years. Tour highlights include: Vans Warped Tour, SXSW, Coachella, Matisyahu, Australian Tour, MTV $2 Bill Tour with 30 Seconds To Mars, Six Flags Magic Mountain, The Used, Guitar Center Drum Off and Taste Of Chaos. SDC was recently inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame’s “Warped Tour Exhibit.” They also performed on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and Fuse TV.

  http://www.streetdrumcorps.com/

  About the Partners

  Major League Baseball's Access To The Show:

Now in its sixth year, “Access To The Show” is a summer festival tour featuring the MLB Road Show, a high-tech tractor-trailer that’s completely outfitted to give fans a chance to have an all-encompassing baseball experience. The truck includes pitching and batting cages, kiosks featuring the latest MLB video games, and showcases the MLB Authentic Collection line of apparel, which includes the jerseys, headwear and outerwear that are identical to what is worn by players on all 30 clubs. The MLB Road Show will be returning to Projekt Revolution as the sole professional sports league sponsor, and will receive exclusive branding rights for the MLB Authentic Collection as well as Second Stage sponsorship, bringing together music and baseball in a unique and exciting festival environment. Over the years “Access To The Show” has become a major part of the summer festival experience for music fans everywhere, having been along for the ride with festivals and tours such as SXSW, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Vans Warped Tour, Lollapalooza, Sasquatch Music Festival, Projekt Revolution, Virgin Festival, Langerado, and many more.

Monster Energy Drink

Monster Energy supports the music scene from top concert tours like Projekt Revolution to up-and-coming bands on their quest to break through. The bands are pounding down Monster more than ever. Check out the entire Monster line-up: Original Monster Energy, Monster-Lo Carb, Monster Assault and the new Monster/fruit juice hybrids Khaos, M-80 and Mixxd.

Nowwhat.com

Now What will be onsite with an interactive booth where concert goers can stop by to get their free online photo, win great prizes, and pick up their net decoder card to enter the daily and grand prize sweepstakes online. Plus, concert goers can log on to NowWhat.com after the show to watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the tour!

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 65.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

  Tour dates are as follows:

  Date  City                Venue

  7/16  Boston, MA          Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
  7/18  Pittsburgh, PA      Post-Gazette Pavilion
  7/19  Philadelphia, PA    Susquehana Bank Center
  7/20  Hartford, CT        New England Dodge Music Center
  7/22  New York, NY        Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
  7/23  Holmdel, NJ         PNC Bank Arts Center
  7/25  Raleigh, NC         Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
  7/26  Virginia Beach, VA  Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
  7/27  Washington, DC      Nissan Pavilion
  7/30  Charlotte, NC       Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
  8/1   West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
  8/2   Tampa, FL           Ford Amphitheatre
  8/3   Atlanta, GA         Lakewood Amphitheatre
  8/7   Phoenix, AZ         Cricket Wireless Pavilion
  8/9   San Francisco, CA   Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
  8/10  Irvine, CA          Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
  8/12  Denver, CO          Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
  8/15  Cincinnati, OH      Riverbend Music Center
  8/16  Chicago, IL         Alpine Valley Music Theatre
  8/17  Indianapolis, IN    Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis
  8/19  Cleveland, OH       Blossom Music Center
  8/21  St. Louis, MO       Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
  8/23  Dallas, TX          Superpages.com Center
  8/24  Houston, TX         Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

                     http://www.projektrevolution.com/

  About Live Nation

Live Nation is the future of the music business. With the most live concerts, music venues and festivals in the world and the most comprehensive concert search engine on the web, Live Nation is revolutionizing the music industry: onstage and online. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.” Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.livenation.com/ under the “About Us” section.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070220/LATU096LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]

SOURCE: Live Nation

CONTACT: Dvora Vener Englefield, +1-310-248-6161, [email protected],
or Michael Moses, +1-310-248-6171, [email protected], or Luke Burland,
+1-615-214-1490, [email protected], all for Linkin Park