Line-up announced for 2004 See Spot Rock Tour

The See Spot Rock Tour, one of last year’s most successful live rock events, returns this year with a brand new 2004 multi-artist lineup. Launching March 5, in Birmingham, Ala., the 2004 See Spot Rock Tour is headlined by hard-hitting fan favorites 12 Stones, who are joined by critically-acclaimed rock band Skillet, rap-core rockers Pillar, hip-hop innovators GRITS and post-grunge rock band Big Dismal.

The See Spot Rock Tour appeared on Pollstar magazine’s Top 50 Tours chart and in the current issue of CCM Magazine (January 2004) readers voted See Spot Rock as their “Favorite Live Show” of 2003. This year’s event lineup has already created a major buzz in fan e-mails generated through the tour’s Web site (SeeSpotRock.com). 

Not unlike last year’s See Spot Rock Tour debut, this year’s events will bring together five acts that have individually continued to generate huge underground followings and audience loyalty.  “We’re very excited and looking forward to getting back out on the road,” says 12 Stones drummer Aaron Gainer, “and the See Spot Rock Tour will be a great show.  Can’t wait to see everybody!”

“I am not typically a fan of concerts with more than a couple of bands, as there is usually only one or two that I would care to see,” says Skillet’s John Cooper.  “However, when I was informed of the line-up for See Spot Rock, I was excited because of the great rock bands that will be on that stage creating an incredible evening of rock and roll!  I can't think of a lineup that would rock harder than this one, and we’re proud Skillet can be a part of it.”

Created and produced by Alabaster Productions, a division of Alabaster Arts, The See Spot Rock tour is slated to hit more than 40 cities across the country between March and May including Birmingham, Orlando, Nashville, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Jacksonville and more.  Tickets can be purchased online through iTickets.com.

“After the success of the initial See Spot Rock Tour in 2003 we were all so thrilled that it only seemed obvious to turn Spot loose in 2004,” says William Morris agent Mark Guynn.

“Considering the competition, it’s quite a compliment that CCM readers voted See Spot Rock their favorite live show of 2003.  This year’s lineup is guaranteed not to let Spot fans down.  Together, Alabaster Productions and William Morris Agency have secured some amazing, cutting-edge talent and fans should have great expectations for 2004.”

Extensive marketing efforts for the See Spot Rock Tour are already in motion, including a promotional partnership with Interl’inc.  National street teams involved with Wind-Up Records, Gotee Records, Flicker Records and the individual bands will also work together to promote the dates in each tour market across the country.

Hailing from Mandeville, La., hard rock quartet 12 Stones has quickly made its mark on the Christian and mainstream music scene since the release of its self-titled debut album in 2002. Signed to Wind-Up Records (home to bands like Creed, Evanescence, Big Dismal and more) within 15 months of forming, 12 Stones caught the attention of music fans everywhere with its hit singles, “Broken” and “Crash.” The band also appeared on the soundtrack to the hit motion picture Daredevil, starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. 12 Stones lead singer Paul McCoy made a guest appearance on the Evanescence smash hit single and video, “Bring Me to Life.” The band is currently recording a new album scheduled to release this summer.

While slugging out over 200 concert dates a year on the college and club circuit, Skillet has earned a vast underground army of fans it calls “Panheads” since the band’s formation in 1996.  The group’s newest release, Collide, is its most critically-acclaimed album to date, generating rave reviews from media sources across the country.  The album’s first single, “Savior” has remained at the No. 1 position on R&R’s Christian Rock chart for nine weeks in a row, and the band has been named one of the “Top 10 Artists to Watch in 2004” by Christian Music Planet magazine.

Straight from the heartland, Pillar lives up to the name, standing tall and strong since forming in 1998. In its first incarnation on Flicker Records, Pillar’s album Fireproof generated a pair of No. 1 Christian rock singles in 2002 and won the band widespread acclaim. Not only did the album hit #6 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, the title track perched at No. 1 for an astounding 11 weeks straight.  By year’s end, the band had won R&R’s “Rock Record of the Year” award and was later re-released on MCA Records.  The band is currently recording a new album, slated to release in June.

As Christian hip-hop’s fan favorites, GRITS built a national underground following of loyal supporters over the years.  But the group’s last two albums, Grammatical Revolution (1999) and the critically-acclaimed The Art of Translation (2002) put GRITS on the national rap radar in a big way.

Accumulating a slew of Christian and mainstream rap hits, the group’s videos have been prominent on “Yo! MTV Raps,” MTV2 and BET’s “Rap City,” among others. The Art of Translation has earned praise from critics and fans alike, and the group is considered one of the most innovative hip-hop acts in the Christian music industry today.

Wind-Up Records’ post-grunge rock band Big Dismal released its debut project, Believe, in mid-2003, and quickly generated a buzz in music industry circles. The young Tallahassee-based rock quartet was named R&R’s “Christian Rock Artist of the Year” for 2003, and the band’s smash hit single “Remember” was named “Christian Rock Song of the Year.”

For more information on the See Spot Rock Tour and tour updates, please log on to www.SeeSpotRock.com.  See a current list of tour dates below.
More dates to be added.

SEE SPOT ROCK TOUR 2004

03/05/04 Birmingham AL Alabama Theater
03/06/04 Orlando FL The Last Wave
03/07/04 St. Petersburg FL Jannus Landing
03/09/04 Nashville TN Rocketown
03/12/04 Tipp City OH The Avenue
03/13/04 Philadelphia PA Electric Factory
03/19/04 Pittsburgh PA Club Laga
03/20/04 Cleveland OH Allen Theatre
03/23/04 Royal Oak MI Royal Oak Theatre
03/26/04 Minneapolis MN Club 3 Degrees
03/27/04 Orange City IA Northwestern College
04/08/04 Jacksonville FL Florida Theatre
04/09/04 Atlanta GA Six Flags Over Georgia
04/13/04 Albuquerque NM Sunshine Theater
04/14/04 Phoenix AZ Celebrity Theatre
04/15/04 Tucson AZ Rialto Theater
04/21/04 Spokane WA Spokane Arena
04/22/04 Salem OR Salem Armory Auditorium
04/23/04 Seattle WA Seattle Pacific University
04/27/04 Denver CO The Fillmore Auditorium
04/29/04 Norman OK Lloyd Noble Center
04/30/04 Tulsa OK Cain's Ballroom
05/06/04 San Antonio TX Sunset Station

More dates to be added.  Please log on to SeeSpotRock.com for concert updates.