BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand Among Friends, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting opportunities for people with disabilities, will hold its ninth annual benefit, entitled "Food, Friends & Fine Wine," tonight at the Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton. Pompano Beach-based Cash4Gold.com, America's #1 buyer of precious metals direct from the general public, has underwritten the event as its title sponsor.
The "Food, Friends & Fine Wine" event will feature 400 wines from the 2nd Annual American Fine Wine Competition and a gourmet dinner prepared by the renowned Chef Bart Messing. There will be both a live and silent auction, and performance artist Bran Olsen will entertain guests with his "Art in Action." More than 100 guests are expected to attend.
"We are so grateful for the tremendous generosity of Cash4Gold and our other sponsors," said Stand Among Friends President and Founder Shawn Friedkin. "Without them, this event, and our ongoing effort in aiding people with disabilities, would simply not be possible."
"I've known and admired Shawn and his work for years," said Cash4Gold President Howard Mofshin. "Cash4Gold CEO Jeff Aronson and I are proud to support Shawn and his team's great work at Stand Among Friends."
Friedkin has experienced first-hand how frustrating it can be for people with disabilities to access the information and resources available to them. A few years after becoming paralyzed in an accident in 1992, Friedkin created Stand Among Friends, which has created outreach programs, an intensive practical research program, an educational television show, and informational programs for the disabled. Since its inception, the organization has raised significant dollars in support of these programs, which include topics such as Employment for People with Disabilities, Disability Sensitivity, and Injury Prevention for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury.
About Stand Among Friends
Stand Among Friends, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was formed to promote opportunities for people with disabilities. Stand Among Friends was formed in 1997 by Shawn Friedkin who, after being paralyzed in a car accident, was frustrated with the lack of information and resources available to people with disabilities. Stand Among Friends has collaborated with Florida Atlantic University to create the Center for the Study of Neurological Disabilities on FAU's campus and a program that promotes employment for graduating disabled students. The organization regularly airs an educational television show entitled "Life Without Limits," and has completed exercise studies for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injuries. Please visit standamongfriends.com or call (561) 297-4400 for more information or to make a donation.
LEBANON, Tenn., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- She's an international star, a prolific songwriter, and a beloved philanthropist, but Dolly Parton is also just an old-fashioned Tennessee girl, and that's why Cracker Barrel Old Country Store(R) is pleased and proud to be the exclusive source of a new Collectors' Edition of Dolly's latest CD, Backwoods Barbie. The album will feature three new tracks that have never been heard before and are available only on this disc, and the CD will also feature brand new photos and artwork. This Collectors' Edition goes on sale exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations on March 23rd.
The three new songs on this disc, "Rose of My Heart," "Hallelujah Holiday," and "Berry Pie" were selected by Dolly herself from her extensive catalog. "I wanted the songs I chose specifically for this release to reflect how I feel about Cracker Barrel and all the good things you can find there," said Dolly. "I think it's important for there to be an authentic connection to the heritage that Cracker Barrel and I share."
Dolly Parton is considered to be the most successful female country music artist, having released 42 top-10 country albums and earned 25 number-one singles. She has won seven Grammy(R) awards and received 42 Grammy(R) nominations. She has also received seven awards from the Academy of Country Music and 10 Country Music Association awards, and is one of only five female artists to win the CMA's highest honor, "Entertainer of the Year." Dolly is also an acclaimed movie and television actress, and her literacy program, Dolly Parton's "Imagination Library," is now in 566 counties in 36 states. It started in her home town in Sevier County, Tennessee, just up the road from Cracker Barrel's home town of Lebanon, Tennessee. "The woman is one of our national treasures, so let's cherish her for as long as we've got her...this is one Barbie who has always been for real," wrote Newsweek in 2008.
"Dolly Parton is an extremely popular and appealing entertainer, and our guests are in for some wonderful sounds when they listen to this Collectors' Edition of Dolly's latest CD, Backwoods Barbie," says Peter Keiser, Vice President of Marketing for Cracker Barrel. "We are especially pleased that Dolly herself selected the three new exclusive songs for this album and honored that these songs reflect her feelings about Cracker Barrel."
The Collectors' Edition of Backwoods Barbie with 15 tracks, including three new songs, goes on sale exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations on March 23rd, at a retail price of 11.99.
The Collectors' Edition of Backwoods Barbie is the latest project in an impressive collection of exclusive music available only at Cracker Barrel. It follows a number of exclusive releases in 2008 - November's release of Bill Gaither's Homecoming Hymns, the August release of Kenny Rogers: 50 Years, the July release of Ricky Skaggs' The High Notes and the April release of Aaron Tippin's He Believed. Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs featuring Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans, and Charlie Daniels.
About Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants provide a friendly home-away-from-home in their old country stores and restaurants. Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that's surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America's country heritage...all at a fair price. The restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n' dumplins as well as its signature biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 588 company-owned locations in 41 states. Every Cracker Barrel unit is open seven days a week with hours Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. For more information, visit: crackerbarrel.com.
BEIJING, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- CBEX (China Beijing Equity Exchange)
announced today the auctioning of the fous (an ancient Chinese percussion
instrument derived from clay potteries and bronze ware) that were used in the
grand performance of fou at the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympics Games.
According to CBEX, the first auction will be held on March 8, in which
1,000 pieces of fou will be auctioned in package.
According to Liang Yu, spokesperson and executive vice president of CBEX,
following CBEX's official disposal of Olympic assets since August 2008, the
fous used at the Olympic Games have been the focus of attention. Over the past
six months, CBEX has received thousands of telephone inquiries, and a lot of
people have expressed their intention to bid for the fous.
Before the auction, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX
Olympiad (BOCOG) has, in the form of power of attorney, guaranteed to CBEX
that the objects to be auctioned are the exact fous used at the opening
ceremony, each having a unique special code used in the "Fou Array" at the
opening ceremony. BOCOG said that from the perspective of protection of
intellectual property rights, the fou will no longer be made or mimicked in
the future, and the molds used for manufacturing the fous have been destroyed.
It is noteworthy that different from the previous disposal of
Olympic-related assets, besides onsite package auction of some pieces of fou,
the rest will be auctioned through online bidding. According to Liang Yu,
given a big number of intended buyers, CBEX will use Jinmajia online bidding
system, tailored for the disposal of Olympics-related assets, with a view to
ensuring wider, more convenient, and more effective public participation.
Intended buyers around China may, after registration and payment of deposit,
log onto the website of Jinmajia for online bidding. Online bidding is free
from the restrictions of regional and number of intended buyers of traditional
auctions, which demonstrates the Olympic spirit of full participation and fair
competition.
On Jun 25, 2008, BOCOG and CBEX signed Contract for the Disposition of
Asserts of BOCOG, and published the information of the first batch of assets
on the website of CBEX, marking the entry into formal disposal procedures of
the assets of BOCOG. Since the first Olympic asset auction on Aug 5, 2008,
CBEX has conducted 9 auctions so far, which included furniture and household
appliances at Media Village, air conditioning units, computers, servers, and
BOCOG official cars, with the disposal covering more than 500,000 pieces of
Olympic assets with total price of nearly 30 million yuan, with a value-added
rate of more than 30%.
For more information, please contact:
Coral Shuai
China Beijing Equity Exchange
Tel: +86-10-6629-5692
Fax: +86-6629-5588 x5692
Email: xsshuai@cbex.com.cn
Hurley announces 'Microphone for Youth' global t-shirt design competition at the dynamic fashion runway showdown
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Sports Illustrated 2009 Swimsuit Issue cover model Bar Refaeli joined Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, Robert Buckley of Lipstick Jungle and Frankie Delgado of MTV's Bromance and The Hills at House of Blues Anaheim last night to judge Walk the Walk, a fashion design competition developed by Hurley to inspire creativity and confidence among future generations.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/hurley/37251/
Refaeli and the star-studded panel of judges that also included Hurley founder Bob Hurley and Rosemary Brantley of OTIS College of Art and Design watched a parade of Hurley collections that had been redesigned by area high school students. The theatrical shows, which at times looked more like dance-offs, were modeled, produced and promoted entirely by student teams.
Of four competing schools, Fountain Valley High School took home top honors and a $5000 donation to its art & music program. Gahr High School won a special design challenge and could see their two original head-to-toe designs featured in a future Hurley collection.
The evening also served to launch the Hurley Microphone for Youth t-shirt design competition, a platform for young people to express themselves creatively and win exciting prizes. Now through March 30, aspiring designers and artists can upload their artwork to www.Hurley.com and the public can visit the site to vote for their favorite. The designer of the winning t-shirt will be announced on April 1, 2009 on Hurley.com and will receive $5,000 and see their design sold through Hurley's online store.
Refaeli, a face, voice and spirit of Hurley, will choose her favorite design and that winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles in June to meet Bar and Hurley team athletes, and attend Hurley Walk the Walk Grand Championship.
About Hurley: Founded in 1999, Hurley is a leading youth brand rooted in surf, skate, art, music and beach cultures. Driven by creativity and freedom of expression, Hurley develops world-class products for guys, girls and kids, including sportswear, footwear, eyewear, accessories, swimwear and wetsuits. A wholly owned, independently run subsidiary of Nike, Inc., Hurley's corporate headquarters are located in Costa Mesa, CA, with international offices in Tokyo, Sydney, Barcelona and Bali.
NEW YORK, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Forty-five years after The Beatles and
The Rolling Stones first came to America, an extraordinary collection of
"lost" photos of the young bands has just been discovered. The 3500
photographs -- extraordinary, intimate and unpublished -- were taken by Bob
Bonis, their U.S. Tour manager, during their first U.S. tours (1964, 1965 and
1966) and document perhaps the most critical point in their careers: coming to
America.
The Bob Bonis Archive of photographs is now exclusively represented by the
Not Fade Away Gallery, which has announced its first show, "The British Are
Coming: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones 1964-66," to inaugurate the
Gallery, March 4-April 14. The Not Fade Away Gallery is located in New York
City at 901 Broadway, 2nd floor, at the corner of 20th Street.
The Gallery's first exhibition will feature 50+ images of The Beatles and
The Rolling Stones that establish the unparalleled access and close friendship
Bob Bonis (1932-1991) had with the young men who became the most significant
rock musicians of the 20th century. Revealing a private, behind-the-scenes
glimpse into the early days of rock 'n' roll, the photos show the boys in
candid, intimate shots on stage, in rehearsal, in concert, backstage (tuning
up, waiting to go on stage and clowning around), dressing and relaxing, on
vacations or en route to shows or cities, getting haircuts, bowling, recording
in the studio, at press events and just hanging around being themselves.
"The discovery of so many never-before-seen photographs of the two most
influential bands in rock history, captured at the most pivotal time in their
careers, is a once-in-a-lifetime event," says Larry Marion, founder/director
of Not Fade Away Gallery (http://www.NotFadeAwayGallery.com) and an
acknowledged expert in the field of music memorabilia. "In more than twenty
years as a rock 'archeologist,' I've never come upon a discovery of this
magnitude -- thousands of extraordinary unpublished photographs of The Beatles
and The Rolling Stones -- young, innocent and unguarded. This is likely the
largest single trove of such important unknown photographs ever uncovered."
For over forty years, the negatives and slides were safely stored away
unbeknownst to anyone but Bob Bonis' family. Bob's son Alex recently
unearthed them and brought them -- along with his father's collection of
memorabilia from his Tour Manager days -- to Larry Marion for appraisal. In
fact, the photos were at the bottom of a duffel bag of memorabilia -- brought
out almost as an afterthought. Now, Alex Bonis is one of the partners in Not
Fade Away Gallery, which will begin to make these images available for
exhibition and for sale as museum-quality fine art photographic prints (both
black-and-white and color), in extremely limited editions, printed on
era-appropriate paper, utilizing traditional photographic printing methods.
A private man, Bob Bonis never sought publicity and wasn't interested in
pursuing attention based on his past exploits. He started out as a New York
City talent agent in the late 1950s and through a series of unremarkable
circumstances, he came to hold an extraordinary position at a pivotal time in
rock history -- U.S. Tour Manager for both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones
during their first U.S. tours in 1964 and continuing through 1966. Since his
personal passion was photography, he took his camera along wherever he could
and took photos of everyone he worked with -- capturing incredibly intimate
photos that the world is about to see for the very first time.
In addition to more than 3,500 photos he took of The Beatles and The
Stones, Bob photographed Simon & Garfunkel, The Hollies, Cream, The Lovin'
Spoonful, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra and many of the jazz greats he worked
with. Not Fade Away Gallery has upcoming shows of these photographs scheduled
for the coming year.
The extraordinary private moments Bob Bonis captured are now available for
all fans and collectors of music and fine art photography to see and
experience at Not Fade Away Gallery, honoring the life and work of Bob Bonis.
"The British Are Coming: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones 1964-66"
Not Fade Away Gallery, 901 Broadway (at 20th Street)
March 4th-April 14th
All photographs by Bob Bonis, copyright 2009 by 2269 Productions, Inc.
This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further
information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.
Multi-platinum performer's first tour in four years to feature four singing proteges and spectacular imagery
BURBANK, Calif., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ --
B-ROLL/PERFORMANCE FOOTAGE FEED AVAILABLE THURSDAY FEBRUARY 26: 10:30AM - 10:45AM EASTERN & 1:00PM TO 1:15PM EASTERN
COORDINATES FOR BOTH FEEDS GALAXY 3C TRANSPONDER 21 (C-BAND) analog / DLF:4120 H PLAYOUT FACILITY: OTSP 646.292.3244
Multi-platinum recording artist Yanni is gearing up for his first U.S. tour in 4 years. Long known for his engaging and spectacular live performances, Yanni brings a new and exciting dimension to the show with the addition of four young, extraordinary vocal talents - Nathan Pacheco, Chloe, Ender Thomas and Leslie Mills - discovered and mentored by Yanni and all featured on his upcoming new CD releases YANNI VOICES and YANNI VOCES, the latter featuring Yanni and his four "voices" along with Latin music superstars. Both albums are due out March 24, 2009 on Disney Pearl Series.
The YANNI VOICES tour will feature Yanni's most popular fan favorites accompanied by an explosion of dynamic visuals, dazzling choreography and show-stopping vocal performances by the four "Voices" who bring to life Yanni's most masterful musical compositions, new and old. The tour will also feature Yanni's acclaimed orchestra comprised of musicians from around the globe.
Throughout his extraordinary career, Yanni has staged multiple world tours performing in such world-renown locales including the Acropolis, the Taj Mahal and Beijing's Forbidden City thrilling millions of fans worldwide. His U.S. tours in 1995, 1998 and 2003-2005 each finished in the Top 10 concert tours of the year, as ranked by Performance Magazine and Pollstar.
The dates for the first leg of the tour are below.
DATE CITY VENUE
4/10/09 Ft. Lauderdale Bank Atlantic Center
4/11/09 Tampa St. Pete Times Forum
4/13/09 Gainesville O'Connell Center
4/14/09 Orlando Amway Arena
4/15/09 Estero Germain Arena
4/17/09 Jacksonville Jacksonville Memorial Arena
4/18/09 Duluth (Atlanta) Gwinnett Center
4/19/09 N. Charleston N. Charleston Arena
4/21/09 Greenville Bi-Lo Center
4/22/09 Nashville Sommet Center Arena
4/24/09 Raleigh RBC Center
4/25/09 Baltimore 1st Mariner Arena
4/26/09 Reading Sovereign Center
4/28/09 Wilkes-Barre Wachovia Arena
4/30/09 New York Radio City Music Hall
5/1/09 New York Radio City Music Hall
5/3/09 Boston Agganis Arena
5/5/09 Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard
5/6/09 Manchester Verizon Wireless Arena
5/8/09 Quebec City Colisee Pepsi Arena
5/9/09 Montreal Bell Centre
5/10/09 Toronto Air Canada Centre
5/12/09 Pittsburgh Mellon Arena
5/13/09 Rochester Blue Cross Arena
5/15/09 Albany Times Union Forum
5/16/09 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
5/17/09 Mashantucket MGM Coliseum at Foxwoods
5/28/09 Minneapolis Target Center
5/29/09 Chicago Sears Center Arena
5/30/09 St. Louis Scottrade Center
5/31/09 Green Bay Resch Center
6/2/09 Grand Rapids Van Andel Arena
6/3/09 Cleveland Quicken Loans Arena
6/5/09 Detroit Palace at Auburn Hills
6/6/09 Cincinnati US Bank Arena
6/7/09 Columbus Nationwide Arena
6/9/09 Kansas City Sprint Center
6/10/09 Witchita Hartman Arena
6/13/09 Houston Toyota Center
6/14/09 Dallas Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie
6/16/09 Denver Pepsi Center
6/17/09 Salt Lake City Energysolutions Arena
6/26/09 Sacramento ARCO Arena
6/27/09 Oakland Oracle Arena
6/28/09 Anaheim Honda Center
6/30/09 Los Angeles Nokia Theatre
American Idol Contestant Teams up with SendOutCards.com to Raise Money for Struggling Single Parents
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Megan Joy, the 23 year-old Utah native turned American Idol sensation, is already proving herself to be an on-stage favorite this season. But for many, it's her recent off-stage performance that is truly winning over America's heart. Known initially for her powerful, Amy Winehouse-like jazzy vocals, it was when Megan's strong single-mother status began to gain media attention that she found a creative way to help others in her situation - she turned her incoming fan-mail into non-profit, cash donations for struggling single-parents like herself.
Megan recently began receiving hundreds of support cards from members of Utah based SendOutCards.com, a company she and her family have been closely involved with for years. Touched by such an overwhelming response, Megan shortly found herself on the phone with the group helping to spearhead a fundraising effort for single parent programs like the national non-profit, Parents Without Partners Inc.
Taking the company mantra literally, "Changing Lives One Card at a Time," SendOutCards has rallied their network of more than 60,000 card senders to participate in the fundraising activity. Set up under the non-profit 'SOC Gives' division of the company, senders are now able to donate on a one-time or weekly basis for as long as they choose.
"When we started working with Megan, you could see this was an issue she felt strongly about," says Kody Bateman, founder and CEO of SendOutCards. "She has so much on her plate right now, but her dedication to do what she can while still in the contest continues to inspire us. We were blown away last week when she told us she was still researching non-profits to find where the money might be used best."
Megan will find out after tonight's performance whether she'll be moving on to the next round, but says despite the outcome she plans to continue her outreach. Through the help of Megan, the kindness of strangers, and support from the more than 60,000 people across the SendOutCards network, the group hopes to make a positive impact on as many people they can.
RETURNS FEBRUARY 26-28 TO LEGENDARY HILTON THEATER
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Barry Manilow, who has made the Las Vegas Hilton his home since February 23, 2005, returns to kick off his fifth year February 26-28 in the legendary Hilton Theater.
"Barry Manilow's talent and catalog of hits make him an exceptional entertainer who has no peer," said Rudy Prieto, CEO and general manager of the Las Vegas Hilton. "While many performers rest on their laurels, Manilow continues to show that his creativity never stops."
"Boy, time sure flies when you're having fun!" says Manilow. "The Las Vegas Hilton is a wonderful place to play. Now I know why Elvis never wanted to leave."
Manilow began his long-term engagement with the Hilton in 2005 with "Manilow: Music and Passion." His new show "ULTIMATE MANILOW: The Hits" debuted in August of 2008. "ULTIMATE MANILOW: The Hits" is filled to the brim with the chart-topping music that is the soundtrack to all our lives. With the vast catalog Manilow can draw upon, his show is different every night.
An added bonus to Manilow's performances is the "Ultimate Bar," a working bar located inside the Hilton Theater that features many of Manilow's gold and platinum records from his personal collection and great career photos. The Manilow Store, located inside the Hilton, features the infamous Copacabana jacket and dozens of Manilow products.
Manilow began his long-term engagement with the Las Vegas Hilton after more than three decades of performing and a career that has produced more than 50 albums.
Manilow performs at the Las Vegas Hilton through 2009, generally on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. in the legendary Hilton Theater. Stage seat tickets are $225 (plus tax and service charge). The seats are up close and personal with 34 located on each side of the stage and at the same level. Main orchestra tickets are $145-175 (plus tax and service charge); rear orchestra tickets $96-$125 (plus tax and service charge) and balcony $115 (plus tax and service charge). Tickets can be purchased at the Las Vegas Hilton box office, online at www.lvhilton.com, www.vegas.com, www.ticketmaster.com and www.Manilow.com or by calling 702-732-5755 or 1-800-222-5361.
Live TV-Like Quality Internet Broadcast Will Bring the Annual Beacon Theatre (NYC) Event to the Band's Global Audience
POMPANO BEACH, Fla., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Onstream Media Corporation (Nasdaq: ONSM), an online service provider of live and on-demand Internet video, today announced it will be web-casting the Allman Brothers Band's 40th anniversary 15-day concert series, live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City beginning on March 9, 2009. Each three-hour concert will be unique and feature surprise, celebrity musicians in tribute to Duane Allman, the band's original leader, who passed away in 1971.
This combined in-person and online historic event marks a significant shift in the world of music as more and more bands choose to offer broader and more targeted audiences the opportunity to enjoy the live music experience from the comfort of their homes. The online web-casting format also enables bands to increase profit margins by eliminating costly music production and distribution channels.
"We wanted a way to share our special anniversary series with all of our fans worldwide, not just the ones who are able to join us in-person at the Beacon Theatre," said Butch Trucks, drummer and original band member for the Allman Brothers Band. "Onstream Media is a long-standing leader in managing and producing complex, live web-casting events. We would have had to work with multiple service providers to find the type of capabilities that Onstream Media solely provides."
Leveraging the world-class Akamai content delivery network, Onstream Media will use its highly scalable and reliable web-casting solution to stream the events live over www.Moogis.com. The band is also using Onstream's pay-per-view commerce capabilities to charge a fee for individuals to view all 15 concerts live. The events will also be archived for subsequent playback and subscribers can replay any of the concerts for 6 months following the live event. At press time, the entire 15 show series at the Beacon Theatre was sold out and the on-line webcast is now the only way for Allman Brothers fans to experience the entire concert series.
"As an Allman Brothers fan myself, I am thrilled we are able to provide our services to support the band during its historic Beacon Theatre run," said Randy Selman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Onstream Media Corporation. "This is a very special concert series for the band and for its fans, and with our help, their live performances will be shared with thousands around the globe in rich TV-like quality over the Web."
"With Onstream Media, this event also demonstrates a new, viable business model for the changing world of music," added Trucks. We hope that both new and old bands alike start following our lead in order to stay connected with their fans and to generate more direct income from their music."
Onstream Media is also helping to promote the Allman Brothers Band web-casting event through a national, integrated marketing and communications campaign, including targeted email promotions, select online promotions and ongoing public relations efforts. For more information about the Allman Brothers March 9-28, 2009 concert series, please visit www.Moogis.com, and to learn more about Onstream Media and its services, please visit www.Onstreammedia.com.
About Onstream Media:
Onstream Media Corporation (Nasdaq: ONSM) is an online service provider of live and on-demand internet video, corporate web communications and content management applications. Onstream Media's pioneering Digital Media Services Platform (DMSP) provides customers with cost effective tools for encoding, managing, indexing, and publishing content via the Internet. The DMSP provides our clients with intelligent delivery and syndication of video advertising, and supports pay-per-view for online video and other rich media assets. The DMSP also provides an efficient workflow for transcoding and publishing user-generated content in combination with social networks and online video classifieds, utilizing Onstream Media's Auction Video(TM) (patent pending) technology. In addition, Onstream Media provides live and on-demand web-casting, webinars, web and audio conferencing services. In fact, almost half of the Fortune 1000 companies and 78% of the Fortune 100 CEOs and CFOs have used Onstream Media's services.
Select Onstream Media customers include: AOL, AAA, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, Bonnier Corporation, BT Conferencing, Dell, Deutsche Bank, Disney, National Press Club, NHL, MGM, PRNewswire, Rodale, Inc., Shareholder.com and the U.S. Government. Onstream Media's strategic relationships include Akamai, Adobe, eBay, FiveAcross/Cisco and Qwest. For more information, visit Onstream Media at http://www.onstreammedia.com or call 954-917-6655.
Certain statements in this document and elsewhere by Onstream Media are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such information includes, without limitation, the business outlook, assessment of market conditions, anticipated financial and operating results, strategies, future plans, contingencies and contemplated transactions of the company. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause or contribute to actual results of company operations, or the performance or achievements of the company or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed, or implied by the forward-looking statements. In addition to any such risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed elsewhere herein, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause or contribute to actual results differing materially from those expressed or implied for the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to fluctuations in demand; changes to economic growth in the U.S. economy; government policies and regulations, including, but not limited to those affecting the Internet. Onstream Media undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth in Onstream Media Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Onstream Media Relations: Onstream Investor Relations:
Chris Faust Brett Maas
FastLane Communications Hayden Communications
973-226-4379 646-536-7331
cfaust@fast-lane.net brett@haydenir.com
Last Summer's Most Successful Rock Festival Returns; Public Ticket Pre Sale Begins March 2nd
'Crue Fest was the top touring rock festival of the summer in 2008. Motley Crue ruled the road!' - Rolling Stone
NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Motley Crue, along with some of rock's top touring acts, will hit the road again this summer for Crue Fest 2: The White Trash Circus. The Live Nation produced tour will visit cities across North America beginning July 19th in Camden, NJ through September 5th in Darien Lake, NY. Full tour details, including the line up, will be revealed at a major press conference broadcast from FUSE TV studios in New York on March 16th, before Motley Crue hits the stage at Madison Square Garden that evening.
Crue Fest 2 pre sale tickets will be available exclusively to Motley Crue fan club members beginning on February 25th. Beginning on March 2nd, pre sale tickets will be available to the public. Fans can go to www.cruefest2.com for all pre sale information.
Last summer's multi-artist inaugural Crue Fest was the most successful touring rock festival of the summer season, Crue Fest was also the number ten tour overall for the summer of 2008, according to Rolling Stone. Featuring Motley Crue, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx:A.M. and Trapt, the festival played for nearly half a million rock fans to Live Nation amphitheaters and arenas in 40 cities across North America. Crue Fest attracted strategic partners including MTV's Rock Band Game, FUSE Television, JVC Mobile Electronics, Clear Channel Radio, Best Buy and Fender Guitars, which resulted in a nomination for a 2008 Billboard Award for Concert Marketing & Promotion. Strategic marketing and the wide demographic range both Motley Crue and the other acts represent added to the success of the festival.
Says Motley's Tommy Lee, "Last year at Crue Fest, we set out to have more fun than humans are allowed to have. We succeeded beyond that. This year, we are going to top that and I guarantee we will."
As part of the robust integrated marketing and partnerships, the activities surrounding the announcement of this year's line-up and ticket on-sale include launch parties in local venues and in-theater special screenings of a performance documentary on Crue Fest 1, which will also be released on DVD on March 24th. More details on all of these activities are available at www.motley.com.
About Motley Crue
Motley Crue recently returned to the top of the charts with Saints of Los Angeles, their first new studio album with the original line-up -- Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Tommy Lee and Vince Neil -- in a decade and the ninth studio album in their career. Based on the band's New York Times bestseller The Dirt, the disc debuted at #1 on the Independent Album chart and was the top debut of the week on the Billboard Top 200 albums at #4. "Saints of Los Angeles," which was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at this year's Grammy Awards, was also noted as the #1 Rock Song of the Year in 2008 by iTunes critics.
For more information on Crue Fest 2: The White Trash Circus, please visit: www.cruefest2.com. For more information on Motley Crue, please visit: www.motley.com.
For live footage from Motley Crue's performance at last year's Crue Fest, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnlL5ExbJ0Q.
Crue Fest 2: The White Trash Circus Tour Dates
JULY
19 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
21 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
22 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
24 Minot, ND North Dakota State Fair (Motley Crue only)
27 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
28 Portland, OR The Amphitheater at Clark County
30 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
31 San Bernardino, CA San Manuel Amphitheater
AUGUST
1 Las Vegas, NV The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
3 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
4 Englewood, CO Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
5 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
7 Spring, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center
9 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
11 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - St. Louis
12 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
14 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
15 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
16 Pittsburgh, PA Post Gazette Pavilion
19 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
21 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach
Amphitheater
22 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavilion
23 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
29 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre
30 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
SEPTEMBER
1 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
3 Syracuse, NY New York State Fair (Motley Crue only)
4 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion
5 Darien Lake, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
SYDNEY, February 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nokia's (NYSE: NOK)
revolutionary digital music offer, Comes With Music, will be commercially
available in Australia on 20 March 2009 together with the highly anticipated
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia's first mass market touch screen device.
"While the hot-selling Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has already sold a million
devices worldwide*, Australians we will be among the first in the world to
get their hands on a Comes With Music-enabled Nokia 5800 XpressMusic when it
hits the stores next month," said Emile Baak, General Manager, Nokia
Australia and New Zealand.
"We believe that Comes With Music offers great value and will
revolutionise the way music lovers can explore, discover and enjoy music. By
combining Comes With Music with the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic we are providing a
great music great offer on a great device," he said.
The Australian Nokia Music Store has over 4 million tracks from local and
international artists. Consumers can either download direct to their 5800
XpressMusic handset or direct to PC and transfer the music across to the
device and, unlike most subscription services, anything they download is
theirs to keep.
"The fact that you get to keep your downloaded music is what makes Comes
With Music unique and great value," Baak said.
Music lovers can stay connected to the music they like, yet no longer
worry about the cost of purchasing music by single tracks or album. The
freedom and simplicity of the service is unparalleled.
Nokia's other Comes With Music markets to date are the United Kingdom and
Singapore.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
As a handset, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offers all the music essentials,
including a graphic equalizer, 8GB memory for up to 6000 tracks and support
for all main digital music formats, and a 3.5mm jack.
Built-in surround sound stereo speakers offer the industry's most
powerful sound.
The touch screen interface features an innovative 'Contacts Bar' which
lets consumers highlight four favorite contacts on their home-screen and,
through a single touch, track a digital history of recent text messages,
emails, phone logs, photos and blog updates.
As people around the world use their phones in different ways, the Nokia
5800 XpressMusic offers a variety of input methods including a virtual
alphanumeric keypad, a virtual computer-style QWERTY keyboard, a pen stylus
-- and for true music enthusiasts, a plectrum will also be included in box.
The 3.2" widescreen display brings photos, video clips and web content to
life in vibrant color and true clarity. With a 16:9 aspect ratio and 30
frames-per-second playback and 25 fps recording, the device is ideal for VGA
quality video recording and playback.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic also features a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl
Zeiss lens and, with a single touch, images or videos can be shared via a
favorite online community, such as Share on Ovi, Flickr, or Facebook.
Pricing and Availability
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic will be available on various service provider
plans and from leading retailers from 20 March 2009.
The recommended retail price for Nokia 5800 XpressMusic with 12 months
subscription to Comes With Music is 979 AUD. The 5800 XpressMusic will also
be available with selected service providers with an 18 month Comes With
Music subscription at an RRP of 1109 AUD.
Press photos of devices are available at http://www.nokia.com/press
*Nokia announced on 23 January 2009 that it has shipped its millionth
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic device.
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and
growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a
wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to
experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business
mobility and more. Developingand growing our offering of consumer Internet
services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a keyarea of
focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications
networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.
Fan club presale begins February 26; National on-sale begins March 7th
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Grammy-winning superstars No Doubt today announced the dates for their much-anticipated summer tour. The tour kicks off May 3 at the Bamboozle Festival in East Rutherford, NJ and runs through August 1 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA, stopping in 45 cities across the country. As previously announced, the band will be joined on the road by special guests Paramore, (and The Sounds, Janelle Monae and Bedouin Soundclash on select dates). No Doubt tickets go on-sale to the public beginning March 7th, visit www.nodoubt.com and www.livenation.com for ticket on-sale information.
To guarantee No Doubt fans get the best seats in the house, the No Doubt
Tour Club has been created. Fans will have special access to presale tickets beginning February 26 at 4pm (local time) through March 1st at 4pm (local time). Fans can now validate their email address to be eligible to join, visit nodoubttourclub.musictoday.com for full details. Tour club ticket quantities are limited.
A unique No Doubt widget launches on February 25th with new exclusive video content direct from the band featured every day from February 28th through March 6th as part of Seven Days of No Doubt. The widget is accessible at www.nodoubt.com and will be activated on February 25th with a special contest running through March 17th during which time fans can join the contest to share the widget with as many friends as possible. Fans who share the widget the most will win prizes including a coveted chance to meet the band, a luxurious limousine ride to the show or rare and collectible No Doubt items. The widget will remain active with new content throughout the tour with additional contest opportunities to be announced.
The tour will also feature $10 and $25 tickets for shows at select amphitheaters throughout the tour.
Tickets for the Bamboozle Festival on May 3rd are currently on sale.
No Doubt 2009 Summer Tour:
5/03/2009 East Rutherford, NJ Meadowlands Sports Complex*
(Bamboozle Festival)
5/16/2009 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center
(Tiger Jam XII)**
5/19/2009 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
5/20/2009 Bakersfield, CA Rabobank Arena
5/22/2009 San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
5/23/2009 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
5/25/2009 Salt Lake City, UT The E Center
5/27/2009 Denver, CO Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
5/28/2009 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
5/30/2009 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center
5/31/2009 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
6/02/2009 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre
6/03/2009 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
6/05/2009 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre
6/06/2009 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
6/08/2009 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
6/10/2009 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
6/11/2009 Philadelphia, PA Susquehanna Bank Center
6/13/2009 Pittsburgh, PA Post-Gazette Pavilion
6/14/2009 Washington, DC Nissan Pavilion
6/16/2009 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
6/17/2009 Montreal, QC Centre Bell
6/19/2009 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
6/20/2009 Boston, MA Comcast Center
6/24/2009 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
6/26/2009 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center***
6/27/2009 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
6/29/2009 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
7/02/2009 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Amphitheater (Summerfest)
7/03/2009 Detroit, MI Palace Of Auburn Hills
7/05/2009 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
7/06/2009 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre
7/08/2009 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/10/2009 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
7/11/2009 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/13/2009 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
7/15/2009 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
7/16/2009 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
7/18/2009 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place
7/19/2009 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre
7/21/2009 Concord, CA Sleep Train Pavilion
7/24/2009 Sacramento, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre
7/25/2009 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/31/2009 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8/01/2009 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
MIAMI, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Spanish Broadcasting System ("SBS")
(Nasdaq: SBSA) announced today that the final round of open auditions to find
the newest member of the popular XM2 Group begin this week in Los Angeles. In
May, Mega TV, along with Worldvibe Entertainment, will broadcast the new
primetime musical reality show "Batalla de las Americas" to find the newest
member of the popular XM2 Group. Auditions have already taken place in Miami,
New York and Puerto Rico.
Males between the ages of 18-30 can participate in the auditions. They
will be asked to show off their triple threat abilities: sing, dance and of
course demonstrate their personality for the judges.
Los Angeles auditions will take place at the Avalon Studio on February
27th from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and on February 28th from 10:00 A.M. to
6:00 P.M. Several popular SBS Latino 96.3 FM and KLAX DJ's like Raq-C, DJ
Eddie One, Brando, David Rolas, Alysha Del Valle, Sandra Pena, DJ Mingo,
Barzon and Denisse Garcia will be at each audition to judge the talented
contestants.
Four contestants will be chosen to represent Los Angeles in the grand
finale of the show. The grand finale of the US musical competition will take
place at the "La Covacha" on Thursday, March 19 starting at 8:30 P.M. The
grand finale will include the four semi-finalists from Miami competing against
the four semi-finalists from Los Angeles and New York. The judges will choose
one winner, who will represent the United States in the musical show "Batalla
de las Americas."
The reality show "Batalla de las Americas," similar to America's "Making
the Band," was created to find the new member of the XM2 Group, which already
includes former Menudo members Rawy Torres, Jonathan Montenegro and Sergio
Blass. The show will have a total of 20 contestants from over 15 countries
battling in fields such as originality, creativity, heart and talent to become
the newest member of XM2.
Do not miss this week's final round of open auditions in Los Angeles and
the opportunity to be part of this once in a lifetime musical competition,
"Batalla de las Americas" -- only on Mega TV.
Media and Press:
Isabel Bucaram-Montana
Director of Marketing and Communications
Spanish Broadcasting System
Direct Line: (786) 470-1656
imontana@sbscorporate.com
www.mega.tv
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Yoogli, Inc., a software technology company with recent breakthroughs in semantic search, announced today the Beta release of its new music discovery site www.YoogliMusic.com, a free social networking and automated music playlist generation site. YoogliMusic uniquely integrates patented personalization technology with its automated playlist services, daily updated blog, new artist recommendations, aggregate news feeds, wiki-generated artists' pages, and social networking capabilities all on one site. YoogliMusic seamlessly synchronizes with iTunes and provides new music recommendations and recently played music to the user's personal Yoogli profile.
YoogliMusic's entry into the music space allows users to find and create playlists that match their music library and music tastes. In addition, using patented personalization and search technologies, new artists and customized playlists are continuously recommended to the user from a database of over 7,000,000 songs and 400,000 artists.
YoogliMusic creates custom playlists automatically and will spin a unique playlist that matches the user's mood and musical interests on demand. The technology can either create a unique music playlist completely out of the user's own library or a separate playlist that contains new track recommendations gleaned from the Internet and YoogliMusic's database to meet a user's immediate listening needs. Independent artists are able to promote their music via their own free personal music site on YoogliMusic thus offering a fresh new venue in which to showcase their music on the Internet.
"The entire process of personal playlist generation takes less than a few seconds and the new playlist can easily be uploaded into the user's iPod," said Jonathan Kerwin, YoogliMusic's co-founder. "The site is an ideal vehicle for music lovers because it has great insight into the particular types of music that the user is interested in at an exact moment in time. Users can share their customized playlists with their friends as well as collaborate in building out artist profiles to help promote the music and bands they love. All of this allows YoogliMusic to be a comprehensive music experience for all involved."
About Yoogli, Inc.
Yoogli is delivering the next generation of Internet search products. Yoogli's patented meaning-based semantic search technology advances beyond current keyword search technology by producing a deep understanding of users and semantic meaning. Yoogli's team of engineers has created pioneering methods to connect people directly with information that is most valuable and useful to them. In addition, the Company's patented collaborative filtering technology is at the forefront of "semantic networking" the next step beyond "social networking" used today by Facebook and MySpace. This breakthrough technology is scheduled to be released in March 2009. Yoogli is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. For more information, visit www.yoogli.com.
- Register online today at www.CLIOAwards.com to see Barry Manilow and Matthew Weiner accept their Honorary CLIO Awards in Las Vegas -
NEW YORK, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The CLIO Awards, one of the world's most prestigious international advertising and design competitions honoring creative excellence and innovation in the industry, today announced that Barry Manilow, Emmy Award-winning singer and songwriter, and Matthew Weiner, Emmy Award-winning creator and executive producer of AMC's MAD MEN, will accept Honorary CLIO Awards live at the 50th Anniversary CLIO Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, May 12 - 14.
"To celebrate 50 years of excellence in advertising, design and interactive, the CLIO Awards are honored to recognize Barry Manilow and Matthew Weiner for their distinguished contributions to the industry," said Wayne Youkhana, director of the CLIO Awards. "We're thrilled to present honorary awards for the 50th Anniversary CLIO Awards to individuals who have each created bodies of work that have evolved into cultural phenomena acknowledged around the world."
Barry Manilow, who has produced some of the most famous advertising jingles of all time for companies such as State Farm, Band-Aid, Tab and Stridex, will accept his Honorary CLIO Award during The Moving Image Awards on Thursday, May 14th. In 1976, Manilow was the recipient of two CLIO Awards for his well-known television and radio commercial jingles. He received a CLIO for Best Television/Cinema Commercial for his composition of the jingle "Stuck on Me" for Johnson & Johnson's Band-Aid brand (Young & Rubicam, New York), as well as an award for Best International Radio Commercial for his performance in the jingle "Countdown" for Coca-Cola Company's soft drink, Tab (McCann-Erickson, Toronto). Best known for his musical recordings including "Mandy", "Weekend in New England" and "Copacabana", Manilow has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio&Records) and Billboard magazines.
Matthew Weiner, winner of four Primetime Emmy Awards and Executive Producer and Creator of AMC's MAD MEN, will accept his Honorary CLIO Award during the Communications Awards on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiner will be recognized as one of the most powerful storytellers to ever tackle the rise of advertising in America through a critically acclaimed original television series. The show, set in 1960s New York, follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive world of Madison Avenue advertising executives. MAD MEN, which has one won two Golden Globes for Best Television Drama, is returning to AMC for its third season in summer 2009. Prior to his work on MAD MEN, Weiner was the Executive Producer of HBO's hit drama series THE SOPRANOS during the final seasons in which the show won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
The final entry submission deadline for all advertising, design, interactive, strategic communications/public relations work appearing between January 1, 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 is due Monday, March 2.
For more information about the 50th Anniversary CLIO Awards or to register online for the festival, please visit www.clioawards.com.
Find us on our page on Facebook and on our group on LinkedIn.
About The CLIO Awards
The CLIO Awards is one of the world's most recognized awards competition for advertising, design and interactive. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2009, the CLIO Awards has maintained its original commitment to celebrate and reward creative excellence, honoring a powerful form of communication and its impact on modern culture. At the same time, the CLIO Awards remains focused on evolving with the industry in order to acknowledge the most current, breakthrough work. To this day, CLIO's iconic statute is the most widely recognized and coveted symbol of the industry's creative accomplishments. The CLIO Awards are produced by Nielsen Business Media, a part of The Nielsen Company, a global information and media company.
About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.
CLIO Awards Media Contact:
Lauren Bobrowich, Coburn Communication
212.536.9838
lauren.bobrowich@coburnww.com
LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- A brand-new Steinway & Sons showroom piano gallery will host a series of Grand Opening events March 5-8, 2009. The Grand Opening will coincide with the 156th Anniversary of Steinway & Sons, makers of the finest pianos in the world.
The Steinway & Sons Piano Gallery, Long Island, joins the ranks of Steinway showroom galleries in Paramus, NJ, Westport, CT and Miami, FL, as well as our landmark showroom, Steinway Hall in New York City. The new 9,000 square-foot Long Island gallery features new and used Steinway pianos as well as sales consultation, recital space and plans for an education center for private and group lessons.
"This is a fantastic showroom location," said Gordon McNelly, Gallery Manager. "It's also an opportunity for us to reach out to the music community in this region. There are so many piano teachers and musicians in our area; we want to be a resource for them."
In addition to a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 5, 2009 featuring representatives of the Melville Chamber of Commerce, the new Long Island Piano Gallery will mark its grand opening with a full weekend of musical events, including:
Steinway artist Judy Carmichael, Friday March 6, 7:00 p.m.
Children's book reading: Henry the Steinway and the Piano Recital, by Peter Goodrich, Steinway's Vice President in charge of Concert and Artist Activities, Saturday, March 7, 10:00 a.m.
"The History of Steinway & Sons," by Miles Chapin, great-great-grandson of Henry Z. Steinway and the author of 88 Keys - the Making of a Steinway Piano, Saturday, March 7, 2:00 p.m.
"Broadway's Next Hit Musical," an improvised musical comedy, Saturday, March 7, 8:00 p.m.
Steinway artist and author Carol Montparker, Sunday, March 8, 1:00 p.m.
The New Millennium Piano Etude Beginner Children and Adult Piano Lessons with Lawrence Spiro, Sunday, March 8, 3:00/5:00 p.m.
These events are free and open to the public. Evening events will feature light hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.
"We hope more people than ever will experience the joy of a Steinway piano through this new location," said Todd Sanders, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Steinway & Sons. "The new piano gallery is a sign of our growth and our commitment to the music community. We're especially pleased to celebrate our 156th Anniversary with the opening of this fine new gallery."
The Steinway & Sons Piano Gallery, Long Island, is located at 505 Walt Whitman Road in Melville. For more information, please call (631) 424-0525.
About Steinway & Sons
Since 1853 Steinway pianos have set an uncompromising standard for sound, touch, beauty and investment value. Steinway remains the choice of 9 out of 10 concert artists, and it is the preferred piano of countless musicians, professional and amateur, throughout the world. For more information, visit www.steinway.com.
DETROIT, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- After 37 years of service to one of
Detroit's cultural jewels, Music Hall Center for the Performing Art's "first
couple" will on February 27th be honored with the dedication of the "Tina and
Leland Bassett Lounge" at Music Hall. Tina and Leland Bassett have been
tireless supporters of the historic, art-deco arts venue, helping to build it
into a nationally recognized cultural center and jazz venue.
"Tina and Leland have made an indelible mark on Music Hall and on
Detroit," said Music Hall President and Artistic Director Vince Paul. "I'm
thrilled that their unfailing dedication to preserving Music Hall and the arts
in Detroit is being recognized in this way."
Tina and Leland Bassett have served in a variety of roles at Music Hall,
beginning as volunteers, then chairing Music Hall's first strategic planning
task force in the 1980s. They now serve as trustees, Music Hall Advocates and
Founding General Co-Chairs of the Producers, Music Hall's individual major
donor group. Leland K. Bassett has also served as Chairman of the Board and
is currently Vice-Chair.
The Tina and Leland Bassett Lounge is an elegant, art-deco designed room
that echoes Music Hall's art gallery. It features a north view of the
entertainment district below and will be available as a venue for a variety of
events and meetings.
The dedication ceremony will take place before the opening performance of
Cirque Eloize's surreal homage to the elements, "Nebbia" at 8:00 p.m.
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is a national treasure, having
the distinction of being the only surviving stage theatre originally built for
live performance in the region. Built in 1928 by Matilda Dodge Wilson, the
legendary automaker and lumber baron heiress and philanthropist, the historic
art-deco building provides a stage for live performances from top-billed
artists from around the globe, including living legends such as Aretha
Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Liza Minelli, Lionel Ritchie and Smokey Robinson.
The Jazz Cafe at Music Hall features some of the most prominent jazz
musicians in the nation and is being hailed by critics as the most important
jazz venue to be built in the nation in recent history.
For more information about Music Hall, visit www.musichall.org, or call
(313) 887-8500.
Tina Bassett: Tina Bassett co-founded and is President of Bassett &
Bassett, Incorporated, Communication Managers and Counselors, located in the
First National Building in Detroit. She is widely recognized for her
innovative and creative high-impact communication programs. With a strong
background in consumer marketing, advertising, promotions and public
relations, she served as the City of Detroit's Director of Public Information
as an appointee of Mayor Coleman A. Young from 1974 to 1986. She formed
Bassett & Bassett, Incorporated with husband, Leland K. Bassett, in 1986.
Leland K. Bassett: Leland K. Bassett, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of
Bassett & Bassett, Incorporated, pioneered the application of communication
psychology and strategic planning to public relations, corporate communication
and integrated strategic communication management for more than a quarter
century, establishing the nation's first corporate strategic communication
management department in the mid 1970s. He also designed and taught the
nation's first graduate strategic communication program at Michigan State
University in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences in the 1980s.
MUSIC HALL
350 Madison Ave
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 887-8500 www.musichall.org
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States District Court for the Central District of California has denied the motions of Senator John McCain and the Republican National Committee to dismiss the lawsuit brought by singer/songwriter Jackson Browne for the unauthorized use of Browne's voice and famous song Running On Empty in a presidential campaign commercial. Browne filed suit in August, 2008 for copyright infringement, false endorsement and violation of Browne's right of publicity. In a series of rulings on February 20, 2008, the Hon. R. Gary Klausner, United States District Judge, rejected the defendants' arguments that the First Amendment or copyright's fair use doctrine immunizes their unauthorized use of Browne's voice and song simply because such use occurred in the context of a political campaign commercial. Among the rulings, the Court denied the defendants' special motion to strike (inaccurately dubbed a "countersuit" in some news reports) with respect to Browne's right of publicity claim. In another ruling, the Court dismissed the Ohio Republican Party from the case on jurisdictional grounds, leaving Browne free to pursue his claims against it in Ohio.
The District Court also set a hearing for late April to set a schedule for the case, including a date for the jury trial.
Browne's attorney, Lawrence Iser, of the Santa Monica, California law firm Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Andisert, comments: "The Court's decision is a solid victory for songwriters and performers and reflects an affirmation of their intellectual property rights and their freedom from being conscripted as involuntary endorsers of political candidates and campaign messages. We are happy that the Court recognized that persons and parties running for office are not entitled to violate an individual's intellectual property and publicity rights simply because they are engaged in political campaigns. We look forward to presenting Jackson Browne's case to the jury."
The Court's rulings can be found at www.kwikablog.com.
Contact: Michael Jensen at Jensen Communications, Inc. 626-585-9575 or info@jensencom.com
Best Fan-Created Video of "Single Ladies" Choreography To Be Shown On Beyonce's Upcoming World Tour
NEW YORK, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Beyonce is inviting her fans to create their own versions of her phenomenal "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" clip for the official "Single Ladies" dance video contest. Contestants should adhere precisely to the iconic "Single Ladies" dance routine performed by Beyonce and her two dancers in the original clip - no new choreography should be added.
The grand prize winner of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" dance video contest will receive $2500.00 (US) and have the winning video shown during Beyonce's "I Am..." World Tour 2009.
The "Single Ladies" dance video contest is open to all Beyonce fans 18-and-older in the United States, the UK and Japan as well as the following territories: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada (excluding Quebec province), Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland.
All submissions should be shot in either QuickTime (.mov) or AVI format in either High Definition (1080p or 720p) or Standard Definition (720x480 pixels or 640x480 pixels) in a standard frame rate (23.98fps, 25fps, 29.97fps or 30fps) on a data DVD-ROM (not a playable DVD).
Contestants should include their full name(s), address, and phone number and address submissions to:
"Single Ladies"
8033 Sunset Blvd. #948
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Submissions must be postmarked no later than March 6, 2009.
All video submissions become the property of Music World Entertainment/Sony Music Entertainment.
Please see full rules for the "Single Ladies" dance video contest at: www.beyonceonline.com.
Lensed in black and white, Beyonce's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" features the artist in leotard and high-heels, with a pair of similar-dressed back-up dancers, engaged in an intricate dance routine incorporating a variety of styles -- including hip-hop, jazz, vogue, club, tap and more.
While Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," with its themes of accountability and female empowerment, became an international chart-topper and ranked as #1 on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Singles of 2008, the artist's stark and iconic video for the song achieved its own independent notoriety when its intricate choreography launched what the Toronto Star called "the first major dance craze of both the new millennium and the Internet." Parodied by Beyonce on "Saturday Night Live" with Justin Timberlake, Andy Samberg, and Bobby Moynihan, the "Single Ladies" dance routine has been recreated in thousands of user-created YouTube videos
and counts President Barack Obama among its adherents.
Sir Elton John Performed With Special Guest Raphael Saadiq
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Sir Elton John and David Furnish hosted the 17th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) Academy Awards(R) viewing party. The event was held on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Pacific Design Center and was co-sponsored by Chopard, Jo and Raffy Manoukian and Vh1. EJAF's party to celebrate the Academy Awards(R) was one of the night's best attended parties and raised nearly $4 million.
The annual gala continues to be the leading fundraising event in Hollywood on Oscar night. This year's gala brought some exciting moments including a live performance by Sir Elton John and special guest Raphael Saadiq, as well as a emotional first-hand account by Kerrel McKay who spoke about her experiences as an HIV/AIDS activist in her home country of Jamaica. McKay also spoke about a public service campaign orchestrated by the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS, supported by the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
This year's guests included the event's esteemed co-chairs Victoria Beckham and John Walters in addition to Hollywood luminaries such as Sir Ben Kingsley, Claire Danes & Hugh Dancy, Gerard Butler, Ben Stiller & Christine Taylor, Quincy Jones, Keifer Sutherland, Whoopi Goldberg, Sharon Stone, Eva Longoria Parker, Kate Beckinsale, Carrie Underwood, Natasha Bedingfield, Chace Crawford, Olivia Wilde, Rosanna Arquette, Josh Groban, Elle Macpherson, Gordon Ramsey, Eric McCormack, Tim Allen, Rashida Jones, Molly Sims, Russell Simmons, Dita Von Teese, Zac Posen, Natasha Henstridge, Terrell Owens, Chris O'Donnell, Paz Vega, Chris Noth, Taye Diggs and Ricki Lake.
Guests arrived for cocktails followed by dinner and viewing of the 81st Annual Academy Awards in the custom-built tent adorned in black and cream hued modern "supper club" decor created exclusively by Antony Todd. The five-course meal, as created by Chef Wayne of Crumble Catering, included carnaroli risotto with dry Marsala wine and crystallized natural flowers, choice of sauteed beef filet or roasted halibut and a dessert puffed chocolate tartlet with raspberry bitter orange sauce, among others.
As is tradition, immediately following dinner, auctioneer Jamie Niven of Sotheby's led the evening's live auction. Items auctioned included the opportunity to dance with Ellen DeGeneras on her Emmy Award winning talk show, which sold for $20,000; two jewel encrusted 10th Anniversary Elton John AIDS Foundation collection watches designed by Chopard went for $250,000 each; a one-hour tennis lesson by tennis champion Andy Roddick sold at auction for $31, 000; taken directly for the Academy Award stage was the "Milk" soap box used by Hugh Jackman in his opening homage to this years' Best Picture nominees; and a three-day, four-night stay at the Normandy, France home of the Forbes family, Chateau de Balleroy, sold for $80,000.
ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION: The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) was established in the United States in 1992 (EJAF-US) and in the United Kingdom in 1993 (EJAF-UK) by founder and chairman Sir Elton John. Together, both entities have raised over $150 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention and service programs in 55 countries around the globe since inception. Today, EJAF is one of the world's leading nonprofit HIV/AIDS organizations supporting innovative HIV prevention programs, efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, and direct care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. EJAF-US's current grant-making priorities target HIV prevention programs in the Southern United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America; HIV prevention and care services for highly marginalized and vulnerable populations; and HIV/AIDS prevention education and the promotion of sexual health for adolescents.
CHOPARD: There are few jewelers in the world whose designs are immediately recognizable. At the forefront of that list is Chopard. For over 140 years, the "World of Chopard" has embraced elegance, originality and individuality. Renowned internationally for its award-winning "Happy Diamonds" creations, the Chopard collection also includes an array of designs that adorn celebrities around the world. Meticulously crafted in Geneva, Switzerland since 1860, Chopard has distinguished itself worldwide for luxurious jewels and impeccably crafted high-precision timepieces that embody imaginative design and sophistication. To mark Chopard's 10 years of support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele has designed a new watch collection in collaboration with Sir Elton John himself. A testament to their friendship, the watch collection reflects the artist's extravagant personality as well as his tremendous generosity. A percentage of sales from these watches benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. For further information, phone 1.800.CHOPARD or explore Chopard on line at www.chopard.com.
JO AND RAFFY MANOUKIAN: Jo & Raffy Manoukian are honored to be one of the sponsors of the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards(R) Viewing Party. They have been personal friends of Sir Elton John since the early 1990s and are actively involved with the Foundation in the capacity of both Trustees and Board Members. The Elton John AIDS Foundation forms only one part of Jo & Raffy's philanthropy. Their charitable efforts span the globe with special emphasis on health, education, sports and media ventures.
Vh1: Vh1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. Vh1 is available in 95 million households in the U.S. Vh1 also has an array of digital channels and services including Vh1Classic, Vh1 Soul, Vh1 Mobile, Vh1Games and extensive broadband video on Vh1.com. Connect with Vh1 at www.vh1.com.
AMERICAN AIRLINES: American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3,400 daily flights. American Airlines is the official airline of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Contact: Christina Lee / Ivy Mollenkamp
ROGERS & COWAN
310-854-8100
COACHELLA, Calif., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- International music legend Engelbert Humperdinck is making a grand return to the Coachella Valley for a concert at Spotlight 29 Casino. Originally scheduled for March 14, Humperdinck will now appear October 24. Tickets previously purchased for the March performance will be honored, and there is no need for customers to exchange tickets they already hold.
With an ultra-smooth 3 1/2 octave range and multiple Grammy nominations to his credit, Humperdinck has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, including 64 gold and 24 platinum albums.
Dubbed music's "King of Romance," Humperdinck first leaped onto the American pop charts with his smash hit "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)." The song went to #1 in 11 countries, and was such a big hit in the United Kingdom that it managed to prevent The Beatles' two-sided hit "Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever" from reaching the top of the charts.
Engelbert has performed for Her Majesty the Queen, several U.S. Presidents and many heads of state. In 1978 he received a "Georgie Award" from the American Guild of Variety Artists recognizing him as "Entertainer of the Year," and in 1989 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Tickets are $60, $50, $35 and $25 and are available now at Spotlight29.com and at the Spotlight 29 Casino Gift Shop or by calling (800) 585-3737.
Put the spotlight on fun at Spotlight 29 Casino, the Coachella Valley's most exciting place to play. Spotlight 29 Casino is a business venture of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. Turn it on at www.Spotlight29.com.
Contact:
Paul Speirs, Steinbeck Communications
(702) 413-4278, paulspeirs@cox.net
GEORGETOWN, Texas, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Much attention is being given this year to the 200th anniversary of the births of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin.
For music scholars, 2009 marks another important bicentennial - the birth of German composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847).
Although Mendelssohn was quite well known in his day, his reputation faded as anti-Semitism rose during the late 19th and early 20th century in Europe (Mendelssohn was born to a prominent Jewish family that later converted to Christianity).
"Generations of people were programmed not to take Mendelssohn seriously," says Michael Cooper, holder of the Margarett Root Brown Chair in Music at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. "People didn't begin to take him seriously until after World War II as the 150th anniversary of his birth started coming up and people realized the nature and extent of the wrongs committed by the Nazis."
The decline in Mendelssohn's fame after his death was compounded by the fact that he was notoriously reluctant to publish his music. Of the 400 or so pieces he wrote, only about 160 survive today in published form.
"Mendelssohn only published enough to keep his name out there," Cooper says. "He didn't like to publish his music because once it was published, he lost control of it and couldn't change it. Mendelssohn was an incurable tinkerer - he liked to rework and rework his music."
Cooper is one of a cadre of scholars who have devoted their lives to trying to reconstruct Mendelssohn's work. "There is a massive amount of work to do," he says.
Cooper himself has reconstructed seven Mendelssohn pieces that were believed to be missing. His most recent endeavor was the reconstruction of a piece that Mendelssohn wrote with Ignaz Moscheles, a German pianist and composer who was a friend of Ludwig van Beethoven. The piece, titled Fantasy and Variations for Two Pianos and Orchestra on the Gypsy March from Weber's "Preziosa," was originally commissioned in 1833 to be performed in a benefit concert for the Philharmonic Society of London.
After the piece premiered on May 2, 1833, the original score for the piece was set aside. The work has been known only in an arrangement for two pianos without orchestra published by Moscheles in 1834.
Cooper says music historians now know that Mendelssohn left London as soon as the piece was performed to take another job. He left the original score with Moscheles, who bequeathed it to his son, Felix (who was named after Mendelssohn), who in turn gave it to the Russian pianist Anton Rubenstein in 1889. When Rubenstein died in 1894, he bequeathed his estate to the St. Petersburg Conservatory, which has thousands of historic music manuscripts.
"The St. Petersburg Conservatory didn't know what they had," Cooper says. "It was just something that existed in a card catalog and a weathered folder."
Cooper found a reference to the piece in an auction catalog in 1996 and contacted the Conservatory. However, at that time the curators of the Conservatory's music library were still hesitant about sharing their manuscripts with Westerners. Cooper persisted, though, and in January 2003 the Conservatory finally sent him digital scans of the piece.
Cooper spent the past several years reconstructing the piece, and the Austin Civic Orchestra will play it this month for the first time in 150 years during a concert at Southwestern University.
In the coming months, Cooper has been invited to give nearly 20 presentations and papers at conferences celebrating the Mendelssohn bicentennial. One of the first of these conferences will be held at Montana State University, March 26-28, and is expected to draw all the leading English-language Mendelssohn scholars. Additional events are being planned in Rostock and Hamburg, Germany; London; Paris; and New York. The largest gathering will occur late August in Leipzig, Germany, where Mendelssohn spent the last 12 years of his life serving as music director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, the leading European orchestra of the day.
"The academic community has been gearing up for the bicentennial of Mendelssohn's birth since 2000," Cooper says.
Cooper says he was personally drawn to Mendelssohn because his music contains great emotional extremes. "His sense of pacing and drama are flawless," he says.
Cooper says not everything Mendelssohn wrote is a masterpiece, but even his weaker pieces are ones other composers would be glad to call their own. His most famous pieces include the wedding march from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and two oratorios - "Elijah" and "St. Paul."
"Most people have heard Mendelssohn's music, just without his name attached to it," Cooper says.
In addition to a "gold mine" of music, Cooper says Mendelssohn left behind a wealth of correspondence, dating from when he was six years old to his death at age 38.
"Mendelssohn was a major figure in 19th century European life - someone who was in frequent contact not only with other major composers such as Berlioz, Chopin and Robert and Clara Schumann, but also with people from Hans Christian Andersen, Goethe and others all the way up to the Queen Victoria and the kings of Prussia and Saxony," Cooper says. "We have about 3,500 surviving letters to him and another 5,000 or so written by him - and the vast majority of those letters have never been published. For anyone who's interested in art, politics and culture in the mid-19th-century, those letters are a largely untapped source of insight and understanding. We've only just begun to really use them for what they have to teach us."
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