Special Tommy Emmanuel Performance Airs on PBS This Week

“Certified Guitar Player” Performs at DeVos Performance Hall on September 29

Before he makes a stop to perform live in DeVos Performance Hall this September, fans of legendary guitarist and two-time Grammy Nominee Tommy Emmanuel can catch a glimpse of what to expect this week. US Public Broadcasting TV stations across the country will be airing “Tommy Emmanuel & Friends: Live at the Balboa Theatre.” WGVU will air the special on Wednesday, June 8 at 8PM.

Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Pam Rose was one to join Emmanuel during the February taping, performing two songs including “I’ll Still Be Loving You.” Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo also joined the fun before fellow Aussie Anthony Snape connects with Emmanuel to much of the audience’s delight.

Balboa Theatre is located in downtown San Diego, California. Built in 1924 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, Balboa Theatre served as a great place for a great performance. Click here for a promo reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlZZO6llhIY&feature=player_embedded#at=64.

Tickets to the 8pm performance on September 29 are $35 and $45. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 17 at 10am and may be purchased at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, online at ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Certified Guitar Player Tommy Emmanuel Bringing his “Finger Style” to Grand Rapids

Two-time Grammy Nominee Playing DeVos Performance Hall in September

Legendary guitarist and two-time Grammy Nominee, Tommy Emmanuel has garnered hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide. A household name in his native Australia, Emmanuel will play several North American shows including a stop in Grand Rapids’ DeVos Performance Hall on September 29 at 8PM. The Grand Rapids performance will include special guests, Pam Rose and Anthony Snape.

Tickets are $35 and $45. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 17 at 10 AM and may be purchased at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, online at ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Known for his unique style—what he calls “finger style”—Emmanuel plays the guitar the way a pianist plays the piano. Using all ten fingers to perform the melody, rhythm, bass, and drums, Emmanuel can use his sole guitar as a whole band. His versatility has taken Emmanuel from international Jazz Festivals to shows with the Sydney Philharmonic, The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and performances for the Masai people in remote areas of Kenya.

Born into a musical family, Tommy was considered a child prodigy. In 1962, Tommy heard Nashville guitarist Chet Atkins' music for the first time and was riveted by the complexity of Atkins' solo sound. He spent hours trying to figure out the "fingerpicking" style and gobbled up each of the American star's albums as they came out.

After Tommy's appearance with his brother Phil in the Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney Olympic Games and his debut at the famous Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, in late 2000, Americans wanted to know who this mysterious Australian guitar virtuoso was. In 2001, Emmanuel released his first solo-acoustic album, ONLY, and in 2002 it debuted in the U.S. Emmanuel's popularity in the US has grown by leaps and bounds, aided by a non-stop touring schedule and increasing exposure in the media. Since 2005, Tommy was inducted into the National Thumbpickers' Hall of Fame in Muhlenberg, KY (the only non-American ever to be selected) and awarded with Thumbpicker of the Year and Album of the Year by the group, as well. He played Carnegie Hall for Les Paul's 90th birthday Tribute Concert. His ‘The Mystery’ album earned a Grammy nomination in 2006 for Best Country Instrumental for 'Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag'. In 2008, Guitar Player Magazine and Acoustic Guitar Magazine named him Best Acoustic Guitarist and Gold Medalist - Fingerstyle category in the Readers' Choice and Players' Choice Awards, respectively.

In Nashville in 1999, Tommy was honored by his mentor, Chet Atkins with the title of “Certified Guitar Player” for his contribution to fingerstyle guitar, a rare distinction shared by only three other people in the world (Jerry Reed, Steve Wariner and John Knowles). It was a crowning moment for Emmanuel and a title the self-proclaimed "humble, uneducated, country kid" from Down Under takes very seriously.

Stomp, the Smash Hit Returns to Stomp Out Hunger

May 20-22, 2011 at DeVos Performance Hall

STOMP, the international sensation, is making its triumphant return to Grand Rapids, MI at DeVos Performance Hall from May 20-22, 2011. Broadway Grand Rapids and STOMP are partnering to STOMP Out Hunger. Every full priced adult ticket purchased to STOMP using the code: HUNGER, a $5 donation will be made to Access of West Michigan. Tickets are now on sale and are available at ticketmaster.com.

Access of West Michigan provides a place for the community to act—for those with resources and talents to interact and problem-solve with the big issues of poverty and people in need. The mission of Access is to be a faith-based leader in linking congregational, individual, and community resources to eliminate hunger and reduce the impact of poverty in Kent County. Learn more at www.AccessofWestMichigan.org.

Hunger Statistics:
-Within the Access Pantry Network of Kent County there are 75 food pantries that distribute nearly 20,000 food services to individuals every month.
-In 2010 there were 46,925 individuals who visited a pantry within the Access Pantry Network one or more times. This is 7.7 percent, or one in every 12 residents, of Kent County’s population.
- According to the Food Research and Action Center 1 in 6 Americans is food insecure. Kent County follows this national trend as evidenced by the over 110,000 residents who receive SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps) benefits.
-The Access Pantry Network distributed 90,000 food services to children in 2010.
-In Kent County, there are 85,000 individuals living below the poverty line (US Census Bureau 2008).

STOMP has made it its mission to partner with food banks across the country to STOMP Out Hunger. The show began its quest to reduce hunger in North America with a partnership with Philabundance, the Philadelphia region’s largest hunger relief organization, in December of 2007. The producers were looking for a way to give back to the community and with the timing of the holidays the partnership was a natural one. However, due to the current economic climate including high unemployment rates and state budget cuts, hunger organizations have seen an overwhelming demand for food assistance. As such, STOMP has dedicated itself to bringing attention to the heightened needs of food charities across the country all year round by sponsoring canned food drives and donating ticket proceeds in as many cities as possible. Cities in which STOMP has conducted a STOMP Out Hunger campaign include Philadelphia, PA, Calgary, Canada, Peoria, IL, Detroit, MI, Toronto, Canada, Jacksonville, FL, Orlando, FL, Aurora, IL and Honolulu, HI, just to name a few.

STOMP is affordably priced from $27.50 and will perform 4 shows at DeVos Performance Hall from May 20-22, 2011. The performance schedule is Friday, May 20 at 8:00pm, Saturday, May 21 at 2:00pm & 8:00pm, and Sunday May 22 at 1:00pm. Tickets are available at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or via phone at 1-800-745-3000. Groups of 15 or more save 10% per ticket! Group discount expires May 13, 2011. For group tickets call 616-742-6185 or email groupsales@smggr.com.

For more information on the Fifth Third Bank Broadway Grand Rapids Series, visit: www.BroadwayGrandRapids.com.

Straight No Chaser Sets Fall Tour; Two-Month Trek Kicks Off October 14th

Serenading DeVos Performance Hall on November 2nd at 7:30PM

ATCO/Atlantic recording group Straight No Chaser has announced plans for an extensive North American tour this fall with a stop at DeVos Performance Hall on November 2nd at 7:30PM. The dates begin October 14th at Dallas’ McFarlan Auditorium and then continue through late December.

"We can’t wait to get back out on the road and visit our fans all across the country,” said original group member Randy Stine. “The foundation of Straight No Chaser is our live performance. We pride ourselves on a show that anyone of any age or background can enjoy. This time around we will be performing new songs on a new stage - it's the biggest production we've ever put together and we are so excited to share it with our fans, since they are the ones who got us here. Overall, fans can expect the same ten fun-loving and self-deprecating Straight No Chasers singing songs they know and love."

Tickets go on sale to the public on Wednesday, May 4th at 10AM and are $27, $32, $37.50 and $45. Day of show ticket prices increase $5. Tickets can be purchased at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone: 800-745-3000.

Founded at Indiana University in the fall of 1996, Straight No Chaser’s goal was to expand the boundaries of the traditional college a cappella group. From the start, they viewed themselves more like a local band that just happened to use their voices as their instruments. As original member Randy Stine comments, “We take the music very seriously; we just don’t take ourselves too seriously.” In the process, they are reinventing the idea of a cappella on the modern pop landscape.

In 1999, the graduating members of Straight No Chaser chose their replacements, ensuring that the new tradition they had created would continue on with successive generations of IU undergrads. Then, in 2006, the unexpected happened – Indiana University decided to host a reunion concert for the original members. In honor of the event, Stine posted footage from one of their 1998 concerts online and to the group’s surprise, their version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” – interpolating Toto’s “Africa” – became the hottest viral video of the holiday season. Among the millions of viewers was Atlantic Records Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman, who tracked Straight No Chaser down and promptly signed them to the label.

Three full-length albums and one EP have since followed, cumulatively selling more than half a million copies. The group has been featured on ABC World News Tonight, HLN, and Today, among others. Straight No Chaser’s third and most recent album, “WITH A TWIST,” marked the group’s highest chart debut to date, entering the Billboard 200 at #29 upon its April 2010 release. The group celebrated the success of “WITH A TWIST” with a memorable appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, where they performed an homage to ABC’s famed “TGIF” line-up. For complete information, please visit Straight No Chaser’s official website, www.sncmusic.com.