COUNTRY THROWDOWN TOUR 2010 PRESENTED BY ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK ANNOUNCES INTERNET PRE-SALE NOW UNDERWAY

DT:      MARCH 8, 2010

FR:      LIBBY COFFEY/MITCH SCHNEIDER/CHELSI SCHRIVER

 COUNTRY THROWDOWN TOUR^® 2010
Presented by Rockstar Energy Drink

FIRST ANNUAL MULTI-STAGE COUNTRY TOUR ANNOUNCES
INTERNET PRE-SALE
NOW UNDERWAY AT WWW.COUNTRYTHROWDOWN.COM

TOUR COMMENCES MAY 14 IN TAMPA, FL
AND WRAPS-UP JUNE 20 IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

 MONTGOMERY GENTRY, JAMEY JOHNSON, LITTLE BIG TOWN, JACK INGRAM
ERIC CHURCH, ELI YOUNG BAND, THE LOST TRAILERS, HEIDI NEWFIELD, RYAN BINGHAM AND
THE DEAD HORSES JONATHAN SINGLETON & THE GROVE  AND EMILY WEST

THE BLUEBIRD CAFÉ TENT WILL FEATURE NINE EMERGING
SINGER-SONGWRITERS

 NEW WEBSITE FEATURING THE LATEST ARTIST NEWS, VIDEOS, FREE MP3’s AVAILABLE NOW AT:
WWW.COUNTRYTHROWDOWN.COM

The COUNTRY THROWDOWN TOUR®  Presented by Rockstar Energy Drink–the first annual multi-stage country tour from 4 FINI, Inc., producers and creators of the hugely successful Vans Warped Tour–will commence May 14 in Tampa, FL and wrap June 20 in Mountain View, CA (see the full list of tour dates, cities and venues below, with more to be announced). Pre-sale tickets are available now for June 17 at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in San Diego, CA and June 19 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.  The second pre-sale wave will begin March 12th covering the majority of the tour dates. Pre-sale tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations and www.CountryThrowdown.com. Fans can sign up now via http://media.musictoday.com/ticketing/CountryThrowdown/registration.htm to get first notice on the pre-sale in their city. With a unique commemorative 3D ticket design, the pre-sale ticket also serves as a jump-the-line pass allowing fans into the venue first through a separate line.

COUNTRY THROWDOWN is anchored by headliners Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town and Jack Ingram. Other artists confirmed for the first annual multi-stage country tour include Eric Church, the Eli Young Band, The Lost Trailers, Heidi Newfield, Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses, Jonathan Singleton & The Grove and Emily West. They will be performing on three stages (one main stage and two side stages).   Check out new videos from the artists, full band profiles, and free Mp3s, all up now at http://www.countrythrowdown.com/bands.

In keeping with the COUNTRY THROWDOWN spirit of discovering new artists, the tour has partnered with The Bluebird Café–an iconic music club in Nashville–to feature nine emerging singer-songwriters. The Cafe is world-renowned for launching the careers of Garth Brooks–who went on to become the biggest selling solo artist in the history of music–Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift, to name a few.  The Bluebird Café tent will feature Ashley Ray, Brad Tursi, Cory Branan, Dave Pahanish, Jedd Hughes, Sarah Buxton, Troy Olsen, Heather Morgan and Walker Hayes. Fans will get to see these extraordinary up-and-coming-artists perform intimate “In the Round”-type sets–whereby musicians take turns performing together while briefly describing their songcraft–in the Bluebird Café Tent throughout the day, as well as see them play nightly on a specially designed stage during the main stage set changes. To learn more about these emerging acts, visit: http://www.countrythrowdown.com/bands. More info about The Bluebird Café is listed below.

The outdoor amphitheater trek features a diverse lineup bringing together established and emerging artists in the country music scene, as well as a full concourse of lifestyle attractions and vendors–all with an affordable ticket price. Doors will open daily at 1:00pm and fans are encouraged to come early to win the chance for a front-row seat upgrade; join in the pre-show party at the Throwdown Happy Hour; get autographs from their favorite artists; and watch the Bluebird Café tent artists.  Also, by bringing an empty Rockstar Energy Drink can, fans will be able to get in early through the separate Rockstar entry. In addition, fans that spend $30.00 on Wrangler jeans (in participating retail locations) will receive a COUNTRY THROWDOWN tour poster and will be entered for the chance to win concert tickets and meet-and-greets with their favorite tour artists.

To keep the festival affordable for all concertgoers, COUNTRY THROWDOWN is proud to announce the Throwdown Ticket Takeover which gives fans a chance to get up close and personal for one fair ticket price. Instead of the traditional front-to-back tiered ticketing–where fans who pay more get closer–THROWDOWN is splitting the seats down the middle. For a limited time during the pre-sale beginning March 5, fans who purchase tickets early via www.CountryThrowdown.com can select the Ticket Takeover-priced ticket and be as close as the front row; regular tiered ticketing will still be available for purchase for half of the amphitheater seating. In addition, a select number of COUNTRY THROWDOWN shows are included in the 2010 Country Megaticket package. This limited-time offer gives fans the same seat of their choice in the same venue for several top shows throughout the year including Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts and Tim McGraw. To see if your local venue is included in the Country Megaticket package, visit: www.megaticket.com. COUNTRY THROWDOWN is also teaming up with Tickets-for-Charity^® to offer fans premium seats and exclusive VIP Packages to benefit great causes. Fans can now purchase this special selection of premium seats and VIP Packages by visiting www.ticketsforcharity.com or calling Tickets-for-Charity at 1-866-567-4576.

Sign up now for the iPhone/iPod Touch COUNTRY THROWDOWN scheduler app on iTunes. Featuring tour news, Twitter, info on all the artists, links for music download it here for free: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-official-country-throwdown/id357104328?mt=8.

The full list of COUNTRY THROWDOWN dates is listed below (more dates to be announced). To receive the pre-sale reminder for your city, sign up here: http://media.musictoday.com/ticketing/CountryThrowdown/registration.htm.

The COUNTRY THROWDOWN TOUR® is made possible through the support of presenting sponsor Rockstar Energy Drink, supporting sponsors such as: Wrangler, Best Buy, Affliction, media sponsors GAC TV and PEOPLE Country, NAMM, BMI, Capitol, Warner Bros Nashville and Show Dog Universal.

About 4FINI, INC. and Kevin Lyman:
Kevin Lyman is the producer and creator of the hugely successful Vans Warped Tour, the longest running traveling music and extreme sports festival in the world today. With the Vans Warped Tour, Lyman pioneered the successful integration of corporate sponsors with the extreme lifestyle, creating a blueprint for sponsorship integration widely duplicated in the marketplace today. In 2005 Kevin teamed up with John Reese to form Taste of Chaos, LLC (TOC, LLC) and produce the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour.  In 2007, TOC, LLC presented the first annual Rockstar Mayhem Festival, a summer metal festival featuring 15 metal bands including headliners Slipknot and Disturbed.  A success by all standards, Rockstar Mayhem Festival perhaps most notably integrated the camaraderie Lyman had created on The Vans Warped Tour into a metal festival.   Kevin and his company 4 Fini, Inc. have produced numerous other successful tour productions. Kevin is a music industry authority on multiple corporate branding projects, helping companies maintain the valuable street level credibility that endears their products to the youth market.

About Rockstar Energy Drink:
Rockstar Energy Drink is looking forward to expanding into country music by presenting this year’s Country Throwdown Tour. Rockstar has been heavily involved in touring over the past few years including Rockstar Taste of Chaos, Rockstar Mayhem Festival and the Rockstar AP Tour. Rockstar Energy Drink is the world's most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, Rockstar is scientifically formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles–from athletes to rock stars.

Rockstar Energy Drink is available in thirteen amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced, Guava, Pomegranate, Punched, Punched Citrus, Cola, Recovery, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, and Roasted Light Vanilla. Rockstar Energy Shots are available in Wild Berry and Tropical Punch Flavors and just released, Rockstar Energy Gum in Iced Mint and Iced Orange. Rockstar Energy Drink is available at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Finland and throughout the United Kingdom. Jason May, Executive Vice President for Rockstar Energy Drink, says, “We are really excited to broaden our horizons into the country music genre. We are hoping that this first year introduction will lead to a long relationship with country music and its fans.” www.rockstar69.com 

About the Bluebird Café:
The Bluebird Café–an iconic music club in Nashville, Tennessee which opened in 1982–is famous for intimate, acoustic music from both established singer-songwriters as well as composers who write hit songs performed by other artists. Kathy Mattea was the first star to be identified with the Bluebird Café, which is renowned for launching the careers top artists including Garth Brooks–who went on to become the biggest selling solo artist in the history of music–Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift, to name a few. In 1985, the cafe began a Sunday “Writer’s Night” whereby new songwriters received the chance to audition and perform their music before a special guest writer. “Writer’s Night” and the Monday “Open Mic” nights further evolved the club into a vital and supportive part of the Nashville artists’ community. Grammy-winning songwriters that have “cut” songs for Johnny Cash, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Faith Hill, Patti Loveless and many more continually grace the Bluebird’s stage. In 2008, founder Amy Kurland donated the cafe to The Nashville Songwriters Association International (www.nashvillesongwriters.com) assuring the club will continue to remain an integral part of the Nashville music scene. www.bluebirdcafe.com

About Wrangler^®:
Wrangler® Western Wear is available at over 2,500 western specialty, mid-tier and workwear stores nationwide that provide quality men’s and women’s apparel and accessories.  For more information regarding the Wrangler® family of products or to locate the Wrangler® retailer nearest you, visit www.wrangler.com or call 888-784-8571.  

About Great American Country (GAC):
Great American Country is the leader in country music entertainment. GAC delivers to viewers the widest variety of country music, its artists and the lifestyles they influence. GAC broadcasts original country music programming, country music performance specials, live concerts and music videos. GAC is available in more than 58 million households and online at http://www.GACTV.com. GAC is owned by Scripps Networks, the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet, including HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network and Fine Living Network. Scripps Networks is based in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta and Nashville, and is a unit of Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE:SNI).

About PEOPLE Country:
PEOPLE Country provides fans access to the latest news, behind-the-scenes features, photo galleries, reviews, and free music downloads from the industry’s legends and hottest rising stars.  These newsstand-only issues offer a look into the lives of Country’s hottest stars and the Country lifestyle.  PEOPLE Country will publish 6 issues in 2010.  As the Presenting Print Media Sponsor, PEOPLE Country editors are producing the Official Country Throwdown Tour Program.

About BMI:
BMI's sponsorship of the Country Throwdown Tour exemplifies the organization's continued dedication to fostering auspicious new talent. BMI's layered approach to songwriter development comprises educational, creative and promotional opportunities and  includes sponsorship of premier festivals Lollapalooza, South By Southwest, the Key West Songwriters Festival, the Austin City Limits Music Festival and more.  Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that represents more than 400,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. The U.S. corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents. www.bmi.com

About Tickets-for-Charity^®
Tickets-for-Charity works with some of the biggest names in entertainment to offer fans access to fantastic concert seats, at typically the same or better price they find elsewhere, while supporting great causes in the process. In collaboration with artists such as Billy Joel, Brad Paisley, Coldplay, Elton John, James Taylor, John Mayer, Kenny Chesney, the Rolling Stones, The Police and Barbra Streisand, Tickets-for-Charity has generated over $3.4 million in donations. Tickets-for-Charity partners with over 30 of the world’s most respected non-profit organizations, including Feeding America, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Natural Resources Defense Council. To learn more about Tickets-for-Charity and its complete list of partners and current Charitable Sale™ events, please visit www.ticketsforcharity.com.

For COUNTRY THROWDOWN TOUR publicity contact, MSO, (818) 380-0400:

Libby Coffey                                        LCoffey@msopr.com                         ext. 224
Mitch Schneider                                  MSchneider@msopr.com                   ext. 235
Chelsi Schriver                                    CSchriver@msopr.com                      ext. 231

www.countrythrowdown.com

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