NASHVILLE |DATE: JULY 10, 1998
FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ AMANDA CAGAN
"ATTENTION ALL PARENTS:
REPORT TO YOUR LOCAL THERAPIST,
REPORT TO YOUR LOCAL CHURCH,
REPORT TO YOUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT,
IT'S GOIN' DOWN"
Yeah, that's right…and just as Ice Cube proclaims in this haunting introduction to KORN's anthemic "Children of the Korn"–from the band's forthcoming FOLLOW THE LEADER (due out August 18 on Immortal/Epic)–parents all over the world better get ready for "Family Values" to invade their town very soon.
The irreverently-titled "Family Values" tour–the brain-child of KORN, their management company The Firm (led by partners Jeff Kwatinetz and Michael Green) and John Scher at Metropolitan Entertainment Group–is finally going to become a reality.
Tentatively scheduled to launch September 23, KORN will co-headline the bill that will feature a diverse group of fellow visionaries. To wit: co-headliner Rob Zombie (whose solo release, HELL BILLY DELUXE, due out August 25 on Geffen Records, will be preceded by the first single, "Dragula"); Ice Cube (whose highly anticipated solo effort–his first since 1993, entitled WAR–will be released on Priority Records in September as part one of a two-CD anthology collection, with the second CD, tentatively titled PEACE, to be released in the beginning of 1999); Limp Bizkit (currently on the road with this year's Ozz-Fest tour in support of their Flip/Interscope debut album, THREE DOLLAR BILL, Y'ALL, which has already sold over 400,000); and Orgy (the first band signed to KORN's Elementree Records, whose debut album is set for release August 11), not to mention the countless number of other surprise events and special guests that will most definitely show up at any time along the tour route.
KORN, The Firm and Metropolitan Entertainment Group are expecting to make this a sound and sight extravaganza that no fan will ever forget. Here's a taste of what fans could look forward to: ticket prices under $30.00 in most areas; short set changes between each performance (most likely less than 10 minutes) with the help of a rotating stage; elaborate stage designs for each band; larger-than-life light and laser shows; pyrotechnics; and video screens that will not only show events transpiring on stage during each performance, but will feature special "programming" by the "Family Values" team from the moment the fan enters the arena to make them feel like they have just walked into their own personal musical playroom of sorts–with "No Parents Allowed" for the evening.
As Jeff Kwatinetz of The Firm explains, "We wanted to put together a bill that will have great bands like these performing in arenas, where they could give the kids the maximum production value. A show that makes the fan feel like they're a part of the show itself. We feel a lot of that excitement has to do with the overall experience, including the stage design and light show, as well as the great music.
It's all icing on the cake to the opportunity for them just to see their favorite band play live. We don't want kids going home and saying, `Yeah, it was good.' We want them to go home, call all of their friends and say, `This was the most incredible concert I've ever been to. If you don't go see it yourself, you're missing out.' In other words, we're going to give fans a show they'll never forget."
And John Scher of Metropolitan Entertainment further concludes: "We want each one of those kids in those arenas to feel like the entire show has been tailor-made for them. Because they're the ones we're all doing this for. Simple as that. We want kids to look forward to this every year for many years to come, as if it's their annual birthday or Christmas present to them no matter what time of the year the tour happens."
Stay tuned for all the official tour dates to be announced in the coming weeks.
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