GNARLS BARKLEY, JUSTICE, THE ROOTS, GZA, MGMT

AND MANY OTHER ACTS TO HEADLINE

SOCO MUSIC EXPERIENCE FESTIVAL TOUR THIS SUMMER

 

Free Festivals Bring More Choices to Summer Festival Season Across U.S.

LOUISVILLE, KY – Following thousands in attendance at its kick-off festival in Atlanta featuring Against Me!, Ghostland Observatory and other performers, Southern Comfort has announced more headliners for the upcoming SoCo Music Experience festival tour, offering multiple days of free* live music for people 21 and over. The festival tour will hit five more cities this summer, each one featuring 10 bands on two stages.  The Madison festival will be headlined by The Roots, while the Saratoga Springs, NY, festival will be headlined by the French DJ duo Justice.  Headliners for San Diego and Phoenix/Tempe are still being confirmed.

Talent booking for the SoCo Music Experience festival tour is being handled by C3 Presents, the company responsible for Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. Production duties are being handled by Mowalla Productions.

“The SoCo Music Experience festival tour was created to celebrate a growing trend as more and more American music fans plan their summer fun around destination music festivals,” said Sean Wachsman, Southern Comfort, PR Manager. "At the same time, we recognize that music fans are struggling to find ways to afford enjoying these festivals. We have the ability to provide music festivals with top talent like Gnarls Barkley and Justice, and thought it would be great to bring people together in a way that allows them to simply show up with proper ID to get in for free.”

The SoCo Music Experience festival tour will hit the following cities this summer:

Aug. 23 – San Diego, Ace Parking Lot, Petco Park
Featuring Common, The Black Keys, Kinky, Saul Williams, Grand Ole Party and other acts TBA
*Note: a donation of $5 for the San Diego Music Foundation is requested

Sept. 6 – Madison, Willow Island at Alliant Energy Center
Featuring The Roots, The Black Keys, GZA, Benevento Russo Duo, Ha Ha Tonka, Shoeless Revolution, The Selfish Gene, Roots Collective, MIKE DROHO & the Compass Rose and Dear August

Sept. 13 – Saratoga, Saratoga Race Course
Featuring Justice, MGMT, The Whigs, Lotus and Heartless Bastards

Oct. 18 – Phoenix/Tempe, Phoenix Municipal Stadium (Talent TBA)

In its fourth year, past acts at the SoCo Music Experience have included Flaming Lips, Cold War Kids, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Spank Rock, The Roots, Architecture in Helsinki, GIRL TALK, Sick Puppies, Cypress Hill, Z-Trip, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Rose Hill Drive, Galactic, Delta Spirit, among others.

Each of this year’s SoCo Music Experience festival dates will showcase 10 national performing acts and local favorites on two stages, transforming an outdoor venue into a festival setting with food, beverage, poster and t-shirt vendors, the local record shop, games of cornhole, photobooths and the SoCo & Lime Dome, among other areas.  Festival goers just need to present proper ID showing they are 21 years or older to get in.

In the SoCo & Lime Dome, people will be entertained by DJ Star Eyes on the turntables, while also having the opportunity to play in a virtual band with their friends or checking out some of their favorite sites at the computer tower.  Spin and Complex.com will be on-site with photobooths where groups of friends can take a picture together to commemorate the great day of live music.  Friends will also be able to challenge each other to a game of virtual guitar at the Death + Taxes lounge.

Whether someone makes it to the concert or not, they’ll be able to feel part of the event afterwards. Death + Taxes, Pitchfork.tv and Heavy.com will be interviewing festival goers and performers to create custom episodic content, while Paste will be blogging about the festival experience.

“It’s a long day at the festival, so we’ve tried to create a very interactive experience but also allow people to feel like they can just hang out with their friends,” said Wachsman. "Working with sites like Pitchfork.tv and Heavy.com, we’re able to take the SoCo Music Experience outside the four walls of the event and allow people to be part of it in a manner they normally experience music at these sites.”

With the SoCo Music Experience, Southern Comfort continues to back great live music experiences in 2008, including the Voodoo Experience, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Lollapalooza, Forecastle Festival and countless other live music events.

For more information and continued updates about the SoCo Music Experience, please visit www.southerncomfort.com/scmx.  Restrictions may apply.

About Southern Comfort

Southern Comfort®, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was founded in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is sold in over 90 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand.  Please visit us at www.SouthernComfort.com.  For Southern Comfort press information, please visit www.socopressroom.com.

From Sound Check to Encore, Play It Safe.  Please Drink Responsibly.
Liqueur, 21-50% Alc. by Volume, Southern Comfort Company, Louisville, KY ©2008