Buena Vista Concerts and AEG Live Announce Launch of the Disney Music Block Party Tour, A Dynamic Concert Festival Experience

Sponsored by PLAYSKOOL and NAMM, the tour features appearances in select markets by They Might Be Giants, Imagination Movers, Barenaked Ladies, Dan Zanes, Ralph's World, and Choo Choo Soul, plus special guest host Raven-Symone.

BURBANK,Calif.

Buena Vista Concerts and AEG Live announce the Disney Music Block Party tour, an engaging concert festival experience for kids and their families featuring favorite recording artists performing live on stage. Families can spend the afternoon exploring the festival grounds with fun-filled activity zones where kids can try out the latest toys at PLAYSKOOL’S Play Experience area, make their own music at NAMM’s Wanna Play? Musical Instrument area, move and shake on the dance floor, plus play games and watch Playhouse Disney programming in the Playhouse Disney tent and much more.

Participating artists on select dates will include They Might Be Giants, Imagination Movers, Barenaked Ladies, Dan Zanes, Ralph’s World, and Choo Choo Soul, plus special guest host Raven-Symone. Artist lineup varies by market; details are available on the tour Web site. The 23-date national tour embarks Friday, July 25, in Toms River, N.J., and concludes in Long Island, N.Y., on Sunday, August 24. Tickets for all dates go on sale starting Friday, May 30 at 10:00 a.m. at Ticketmaster outlets and online via the tour Web site DisneyMusicBlockPartyTour.com.

Activity areas for the tour are as follows:

PLAYSKOOL Play Experience
PLAYSKOOL, a key sponsor of the tour, celebrates its 80th anniversary this year by providing children with the imaginative and engaging PLAYSKOOL Play Experience. From petting KOTA THE TRICERATOPS to playing shop keeper in the adorable CHERRY BLOSSOM MARKET, this amazing hands-on play environment is full of exciting new toys sure to delight kids and parents alike. Children can also showcase their creativity in a sit-down environment with PLAY-DOH modeling compound, new CLIPO toys and NOODLEBORO games.

NAMM's Wanna Play? Musical Instrument Area
NAMM, the not-for-profit association of the international music products industry, will sponsor an interactive "Wanna Play?" music learning area where children can participate in an organized drum circle, an instrument petting zoo with musical instruments available for children to experiment and play, plus an interactive exhibit to experience and explore the evolution of music. In NAMM's Wanna Play? area, parents can also discover how playing musical instruments helps kids learn and grow as well as have fun.

Playhouse Disney
This tent will feature a screening area where kids can watch their favorite Playhouse Disney programs, Playhouse Disney activities and coloring area, pre-school games from Disney.com, plus photo opportunity stations—an Imagination Movers green screen section and Handy Manny. Dance Party Interactive music-based dance activities (that also include contests and giveaways). The concert dates are as follows:

Day Date City Location
FRI 25-Jul Toms River, NJ Toms River HS North Campus
SAT 26-Jul Toms River, NJ Toms River HS North Campus
SUN 27-Jul Toms River, NJ Toms River HS North Campus
TUE 29-Jul Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
WED 30-Jul Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
FRI 1-Aug Philadelphia, PA Fairmount Park
SAT 2-Aug Philadelphia, PA Fairmount Park
SUN 3-Aug Philadelphia, PA Fairmount Park
TUE 5-Aug Hartford, CT Rentschler Field
WED 6-Aug Hartford, CT Rentschler Field
FRI 8-Aug Chicago, IL Toyota Park
SAT 9-Aug Chicago, IL Toyota Park
SUN 10-Aug Chicago, IL Toyota Park
TUE 12-Aug Columbus, OH Crew Stadium
WED 13-Aug Columbus, OH Crew Stadium
FRI 15-Aug Toronto, ON Downsview Park
SAT 16-Aug Toronto, ON Downsview Park
SUN 17-Aug Toronto, ON Downsview Park
TUE 19-Aug Detroit, MI Meadow Brook Music Festival
WED 20-Aug Detroit, MI Meadow Brook Music Festival
FRI 22-Aug Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum Parking Lot
SAT 23-Aug Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum Parking Lot
SUN 24-Aug Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum Parking Lot

 

About BUENA VISTA CONCERTS
In September 2006, the Disney Music Group launched Buena Vista Concerts, its concert production arm. In less than two years, the division has been responsible for three of the most successful concert tours in recent years: The Cheetah Girls: The Party’s Just Begun Tour (2006/2007 – 86 dates), High School Musical: The Concert (2006/2007 – 52 dates) and the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007/2008 – 70 dates).

About AEG LIVE:
AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring for a variety of programming, and multimedia production. AEG Live, the nation's second-largest concert promotion and touring company, is comprised of special event, broadcast and exhibition divisions, 14 regional offices and numerous state-of-the-art venues nationwide. The company's national promotion arm is currently producing tours and productions including Bette Midler "The Showgirl Must Go On" and Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; and "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," an international tour of the artifacts of King Tut. Recent and upcoming promoted concert tours have included artists such as Justin Timberlake, Bon Jovi, Hannah Montana, the Spice Girls, Prince, Christina Aguilera, Kenny Chesney, So You Think You Can Dance, Paul McCartney, High School Musical, American Idols Live and The Color Purple. Goldenvoice, the company's Southern California-based regional promotion division, created and operates the award-winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival as well as Stagecoach: California's Country Music Festival. The company operates NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas, NOKIA Theatre Times Square, and recently opened NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE. For more information, go to www.aeglive.com.

About PLAYSKOOL:
Since 1928, PLAYSKOOL, the infant/preschool toy division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), has provided toys that help infants, toddlers and preschoolers develop and learn as they play. PLAYSKOOL believes that play is the first and most important building block for all learning, and encourages parents and grandparents to play with their children every day.

About NAMM's WANNA PLAY? Campaign
NAMM’s nationwide Wanna Play? campaign is dedicated to increasing awareness of the proven benefits of playing musical instruments for people of all ages. Since the campaign’s launch in November 2006, the key messages of why it is important to play music have reached more than 24 million people through national public relations efforts. In addition, Wanna Play? has the support of many celebrities who make music from all walks of life, including campaign ambassador Gavin DeGraw, Ashlee Simpson, Taylor Swift, Robert Downey Jr., John Taylor, the Second Amendments and Band from TV. For more information and to get involved, interested parties can visit www.wannaplaymusic.com.

About PLAYHOUSE DISNEY
Playhouse Disney, seen in a daily programming block on Disney Channel U.S. and on 10 Playhouse Disney channels around the world, encourages preschoolers to imagine and learn through original series, short-form and acquired programming that includes song, movement and entertainment. Guided by an established curriculum, Playhouse Disney supports multiple areas of child development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills as well as moral and ethical development through carefully constructed themes, storylines and endearing characters.

More information on They Might Be Giants, Ralph’s World, Imagination Movers and Choo Choo Soul can be found on DisneyRecords.com. Information on Dan Zanes can be found at danzanes.com and on Barenaked Ladies at bnlmusic.com/snacktime.


Media Contacts
NAMM Communications - John Dolak, Director
johnd@namm.org
619.735.4028

The Lippin Group for NAMM
namm@lippingroup.com
201.317.6618

About NAMM

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $19.5 billion music products industry. NAMM is comprised of 15,400 global member companies and individual professionals with a global workforce of over 475,000 employees. NAMM events and members fund The NAMM Foundation's efforts to promote the pleasures and benefits of music and advance active participation in music-making across the lifespan. For more information about NAMM, please visit www.namm.org.