New York, U.S.A - Thirty years after its eponymous debut album, ASIA ascended to the top of the Billboard Top 100 chart (where it remained No.1 for nine consecutive weeks), the legendary British classic rock band (with all original members Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer & John Wetton) returns with a brand new studio album, a 30th Anniversary edition of their debut album, 2 DVDs, and a world tour.

ASIA will release their new studio album “XXX” (pronounced Triple X) on Frontiers Records on July 3, 2012.  The new record, produced by Mike Paxman, is being hailed as ASIA’s best album since its classic early 80s releases, and features original artwork by Roger Dean.

The first single taken from the highly anticipated new album is entitled “Face on The Bridge”, released worldwide on May 14, 2012. The video clip can be seen on YouTube.

“We’re very pleased with, and confident about XXX,” says John Wetton. “It encapsulates, lyrically and instrumentally, the essence of ASIA today.  However, it is the very same four people that gave you the original, iconic album 30 years ago.  If you loved it then, you will love it now.”

“We wanted to recapture the energy of the first album,” adds ASIA’s guitarist, Steve Howe. “ASIA has always been about great songs, and fantastic musicianship. I’m sure fans of the first album, will fall in love with XXX.” In addition ASIA has also completed “Resonance”, a DVD concert film of the group’s 2010/2011 Omega World Tour, captured live in Switzerland which will be released later in the fall.

To celebrate their 30th Anniversary, ASIA will release a collector’s edition box set based on their legendary 1982 eponymous debut album, including 2 audio CDs (a re-mastered edition of the debut album, plus a CD of live rare tracks), an expansive historical booklet, a limited edition ASIA T-shirt, items from ASIA’s 1982 tour, plus a DVD of the new band documentary: ASIA - 30 Years On.  A newly commissioned painting by Roger Dean updates the symbolic dragon and pearl from 1982 to 2012.

2012 North American tour dates so far:

Oct 17 - Red Bank, NJ, Count Basie
Oct 18 - Boston, MA, Wilbur Theater
Oct 19 - Westbury, NY, Westbury Theater
Oct 20 - Philadelphia, PA, Keswick
Oct 21 - Wilmington, DE, Opera House
Oct 23 - Verona, NY, Turning Stone Casino
Oct 25 - Ridgefield, CT, Ridgefield Playhouse
Oct 26 - Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun
Oct 27 – NY, NY, Best Buy Theater
Oct 28 - York, PA, Strand Capital
Oct 30 - Annapolis, MD, Rams Head On Stage
Nov 01 - Royal Oak, MI, Royal Oak
Nov 02 - St. Charles, IL, Arcada Theatre
Nov 03 - Sloan, IA, Winnavegas Casino Showroom
Nov 08 - Santa Ynez, CA, Chumash Casino
Nov 09 - Agoura Hills, CA, Canyon Club
Nov 10 - Las Vegas, NV, Green Valley Casino
Nov 11 - San Juan Capistrano, CA, Coach House
Nov 13 - Scottsdale, AZ, Talking Stick Casino
Nov 16 - Dallas, TX, Granada Theater
Nov 17 - Austin, TX, One World Theatre (2 shows)
Nov 20 - Clearwater, FL , Capitol Theatre
Nov 21 - Orlando, FL, Fl Plaza Theatre
Nov 23 - Manistee, MI, Little River Casino Resort

Image Courtesy of   Original Asia

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The Grammy-winning American rock band Train will celebrate the release of California 37, the group’s feverishly-awaited new album on Columbia Records, with an unprecedented week-long residency on the Emmy-winning daytime talk show “Rachael Ray,” running from Monday, April 16, through Friday, April 20.

Train’s landmark engagement, a first for daytime television, gives the group a chance to play old favorites while introducing viewers to new songs from California 37.  The band’s “Rachael Ray” performances will include “Hey Soul Sister”/”Bruises” (Monday), “Drive By”/”Feels Good At First” (Tuesday), “Marry Me”/”This’ll Be My Year” (Wednesday), “50 Ways To Say Goodbye”/”Meet Virginia” (Thursday) and “Drops of Jupiter”/”Mermaid” (Friday).

California 37, featuring Train’s latest hit, “Drive By,” will be available in stores and online Tuesday, April 17.

Released as a digital download in January, “Drive By” has become Train’s newest bona fide international sensation with heavy chart activity in Australia (where the single is certified platinum), Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand (where it’s been certified gold), Sweden and the US (where the record’s currently #13 on the Billboard Hot 100).

“Drive By” continues to climb the radio charts and has entered the Top 10 at both the AAA and HOT AC formats, selling more than 750,000 copies since its release. The “Drive By” video premiered on February 18 on VH1, where it has gone into rotation, with support from VEVO.

Train will preface its historic “Rachael Ray” residency with the San Francisco 2012 Tour, a special hometown run of intimate club shows starting April 10 at Cafe Du Nord and finishing up April 15 at theFillmore.

The multi-platinum band Train made its mark on music history with the Grammy Award-winning song “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” and chart-topping singles like “Meet Virginia” and “Calling All Angels.”  Train earned its third Grammy in 2011 for the worldwide smash “Hey Soul Sister” from Save Me, San Francisco.

The top-selling single of 2010, “Hey Soul Sister” hit #1 at radio in the US and in 15 countries abroad. Save Me, San Francisco has sold over one million albums worldwide and over ten million tracks.

In addition to taking the sales and radio worlds by storm, Train has made numerous television appearances, performing on the NFC Championship Game, American Music Awards, the Grammy Nomination Concert, Crossroads, The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Monday Night Football, A&E Private Sessions, America’s Got Talent, The View, Dancing With The Stars, and Live With Regis and Kelly, Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Bachelor, Rachael Ray and more.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/Train

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Rock legends Chicago and The Doobie Brothers will share the stage this summer for an evening of classic rock hits spanning both artists’ extensive repertoire of chart topping and award winning hits. Doubling the value for fans this summer, both bands will co-headline the 21 date U.S.tour kicking off on July 11th in Tuscon, AZ at the Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre with confirmed dates through August 24th at the Toyota Pavilion in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Each band will perform individual sets, playing their biggest hits, and then both Chicago and The Doobie Brothers will join together for a thrilling grand finale encore, playing each other’s songs at the end of each of these summer shows.  Tickets for the Live Nation promoted tour go on sale in select markets beginning March 2nd at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

Chicago, the legendary band with horns, and the highest charting American band in Billboard Magazine’s list of Top 100 artists of all time, will once again allow a winning bidder to have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing the band’s classic hit song, “If You Leave Me Now” onstage with Chicago at every concert.

This is the third consecutive year that Chicago has teamed up with the American Cancer Society to create “Sing With Chicago,” a highly successful promotion that has raised over $130,000 to fight breast cancer.  Fans in every market will be able to bid on a package that includes a meet and greet with the band, two premium tickets and a chance to sing onstage in concert with the band.

Previous year’s winners were so moved by the experience that they launched the Facebook group, “I Sang With Chicago,” where they shared stories about their experiences and videos of themselves onstage singing with the band.  Each winner has an incredible story to tell.

As was done last year, the money raised this year is in honor of Chicago’s friend Paqui Kelly, the wife of Notre Dame’s head football coach Brian Kelly, who is a breast cancer survivor. Chicago has generously supported other charitable causes in the past, including the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation and Hannah & Friends, started by Maura Weis and her husband, Charlie Weis, the current coach at the University of Kansas.

Northern California’s Doobie Brothers are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their propulsive roots-based, harmony laden, guitar driven style that sold an estimated 40 million records over the course of four decades.

In 2010, original members Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston, and 30-year member John McFeemarked a new chapter with the delivery of a potent album – World Gone Crazy (HOR Records), featuring a guest appearance by the legendary Willie Nelson.  It’s their first new album in a decade, and it produced the Top 20 track “Far From Home” and the Top 5 GAC Video “World Gone Crazy.”

Their current single, “A Brighter Day,” is #22 on the AC charts, and continues to climb the charts. The band recently returned from an extremely successful tour in New Zealand. Forty thousand tickets were sold (3 shows)—almost 1% of the entire population of New Zealand. Over the past year, The Doobie Brothers made several stops into Nashville to appear on the Grand Ole Opry and to film a Crossroads special with Luke Bryan. Bryan and the Doobies performance of “China Grove” was in heavy rotation on the CMT channel.

For additional information, visit:  ChicagoTheBand.com and DoobieBros.com.

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