Huey Lewis and the News, REO Speedwagon + Melissa Etheridge Announce Tour

Iconic rock acts Huey Lewis and the News, REO Speedwagon and Melissa Etheridge have teamed up for a three-date tour of New Zealand in January. The shows are part of the Summer Concert Tour 2016, which last year saw Heart, Foreigner and Three Dog Night making their way around the country. Like last year, the concert series will see these incredible acts perform in the idyllic surrounds of Taupo Amphitheatre, Whitianga Waterways Arena, and the Gibbston Valley Winery. Here are the details...

Huey Lewis and the News, REO Speedwagon and Melissa Etheridge

Saturday 23rd January 2016, Gibbston Valley Winery, Queenstown
Saturday 30th January 2016, Taupo Amphitheatre, Taupo
Sunday 31st January 2016, Whitianga Waterways Arena, Whitianga

Here's Huey Lewis and the News with the video for their classic hit 'Power of Love'...

Take a look at the video for 1980 hit 'Keep on Loving You' from REO Speedwagon...

And here is 'Come To My Window' by Melissa Etheridge...

PRESS RELEASE:

Three of rock’s supreme heavy weight artists confirm dates for New Zealand as part of the Summer Concert Tour January 2016. Huey Lewis and the News, REO Speedwagon & Melissa Etheridge all bring their original line ups in an unmissable three date tour!

GREENSTONE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 6th JULY
Three of rock’s supreme heavy weight artists confirm dates for New Zealand as part of the Summer Concert Tour January 2016. Huey Lewis and the News, REO Speedwagon & Melissa Etheridge all bring their original line ups in an unmissable three date tour!

Returning after last year’s huge success, Greenstone Entertainment brings the Summer Concert Tour back to Queenstown, Taupo and Whitianga. Audiences will not be disappointed with next year’s line-up featuring; American rock icon Huey Lewis and the News, classic rock legends REO Speedwagon and Grammy Award winning Melissa Etheridge. Classic rock lovers are not going to want to miss this one!

With audiences nearing 40,000 in 2015, Gibbston Valley Winery, Taupo Amphitheatre, and Whitianga Waterways Arena, will again rock out as thousands flock to hear the sounds of the ORIGINAL band members of these rock legends. Hot off the success of last year’s incredible line-up Heart, Foreigner and Three Dog Night, Greenstone are set to celebrate their 6th year in Queenstown and 5th year in Taupo.

Amanda Calvert, CEO of Greenstone Entertainment says, “We are excited to announce the 2016 Summer Concert Tour line up, with it being the first time that both REO Speedwagon and Huey Lewis and the News have been to our beautiful country. These three legendry artists together, bring a huge song list and will have everyone rocking throughout the day. Showing the commitment to our customers, we’ve again kept the price the same as it’s been for a number of years now, only $89 for local tickets or $99 through ticketek. We believe this offers fantastic value for money, you’d be happy to pay $100 to see just one of these amazing artists.”

Huey Lewis and The News are truly one of America’s great rock & roll bands. As they enter their 36th year together, their contagious brand of music has outlasted countless trends, and is as fresh today as ever. Formed from two rival Bay Area bands in 1979, they continue to thrill audiences worldwide, selling over 20 million albums in the process, earning them the right to mark their place on the pop history map. These are the Grammy Award winners that have brought you ‘If This is It’, ’Heart and Soul’,‘I Want A New Drug’ and ‘Power of Love’ As great a recording career as the band has had, there is something extra special about a Huey Lewis & The News live show. They incorporate a variety of musical influences including R&B and soul to create their own unique sound. Frontman Huey Lewis' unmistakable voice has a rich, textured quality that lends itself well to not just their hits, but also to the variety of other songs featured in the show.

Formed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by iconic vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO Speedwagon is a band where the main constant over the decades is a never-ending desire to give their all to their fans, year in and year out. The band’s younger fans might not realize the sheer impact REO has had on music and the culture of rock ‘n’ roll. Released in 1980 Hi Infidelity’s millions in sales were fuelled by massive hit singles such as “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run.” Thirty–plus years later, the nine-times certified platinum Hi Infidelity still remains a high-water mark for rock bands; the album spent 15 weeks in the #1 slot, a feat simply unattainable in music today. Alongside frontman Kevin Cronin bandmates are rock legends; Bruce Hall on bass, keyboardist Neal Doughty, Dave Amato on lead guitar and drummer Bryan Hitt. REO has remained busy since the band celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007.

American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist Melissa Etheridge has been charming hearts with her raspy, smoky vocals since she first released her self-titled album Melissa Etheridge in 1988. Going from strength to strength she has been nominated seventeen times for Grammy Awards, winning twice for her well known hits ‘Aint it Heavy’ and ‘Come to My Window’ as well as receiving an Academy Award for Best Original Song ‘I Need to Wake Up’ in An Inconvenient Truth. Her latest album This is ME is her 12th collection of new material. For this vibrant collection she teamed with some of the most creative, inventive figures on the music scene: Jerrod Bettis (Adele, One Republic, Eric Hutchinson, Gavin DeGraw), Jon Levine (Nelly Furtado, K’Naan, Selena Gomez), JerryWonda (Grammy Award-winning producer of the Fugees, Mary J. Blige, Akon) and Roccstar (Usher, Chris Brown) at the forefront. Audiences can expect to hear both the Melissa they know and love and her latest and greatest.

www.greenstoneentertainment.co.nz

HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS, REO SPEEDWAGON and MELISSA ETHERIDGE play
Queenstown – Gibbston Valley Winery, January 23rd 2016
Taupo – Taupo Amphitheatre, January 30th 2016
Whitianga – Whitianga Waterways Arena, January 31st 2016

TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 6TH JULY THROUGH TICKETEK.CO.NZ
$99 (plus booking fees)