August 11, 2004

Nintendo Fusion Tour Rocks America with Story of the Year; Multi-City Tour Features Video Games and Other Top Bands

from http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Aug/1064544.htm

REDMOND, Wash. --(Business Wire)-- Aug. 11, 2004 -- The Nintendo Fusion Tour -- merging cutting-edge music with the hottest gaming technology -- is set to launch its second outing Sept. 18 in Phoenix. This year's 37-city tour brings together alternative and punk rock music and gaming with hotly tipped headliners Story of The Year and support acts lostprophets, My Chemical Romance, Letter Kills, Anberlin and Autopilot Off.

Two special shows are on tap for Seattle (Oct. 7 and Oct. 8), when Taking Back Sunday (whose new album, "Where You Want To Be," entered the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at No. 3), Fall Out Boy and Matchbook Romance join the tour's regular lineup. Tickets for most shows are priced at less than $20, plus applicable service charges, and go on sale Saturday, Aug. 14 (for specific prices and on-sale information, check www.nintendofusiontour.com).

At each tour stop, the Nintendo Fusion Tour will transform the lobby of the venue into an immersive entertainment space with music, custom lighting and specially designed gaming kiosks featuring the hottest upcoming Nintendo GameCube(TM) games. There will be giveaways at each show, and one lucky radio station winner will have the opportunity to compete against a member of Story of The Year. Fans also will get a sneak preview of the new Nintendo DS(TM), an innovative dual-screen, wireless, hand-held video game system.

Story of The Year's debut album, "Page Avenue" (Maverick Records), is rapidly approaching platinum, spurred by the singles and videos "Until The Day I Die" and "Anthem of Our Dying Day," which was a buzzclip at MTV, as well as constant touring. The band headlined its own U.S. tour earlier this year. Check them out at storyoftheyear.net.

"We're excited to take part in the second annual Nintendo Fusion Tour this fall with our friends," says Story of The Year singer Dan Marsala. "Touring with these bands means there's a whole new group of guys we can beat up on while playing Nintendo video games on the bus!"

"Start Something," lostprophets' critically-acclaimed gold-certified album, features the single "Last Train Home," which reached the No. 1 slot on the Modern Rock chart, as well as the new single "Wake Up (Make A Move)," currently climbing the Modern and Active Rock radio charts.

My Chemical Romance recently released its "impressive" (The New York Times -- June 7, 2004) major-label debut, "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" (Reprise Records), which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Heat Seekers chart, and continues receiving praise for its live shows. In a review, Rolling Stone (Aug. 5, 2004) noted: "The New Jersey rockers were mesmerizing as they nailed powerful takes of songs such as, 'I'm Not OK (I Promise)'."

Letter Kills' debut CD, "The Bridge" (Island), produced by Jim Wirt (Incubus, Hoobastank) and mixed by Tom Lord-Alge (Blink-182, The Rolling Stones), debuted high on Billboard's Top 200 chart. The Bridge offers guitar-driven rock 'n' roll with a fresh edge. In its "100 Bands You Need To Know in 2004" issue, Alternative Press called Letter Kills' sound, "Big, swinging, Rage Against The Machine-style riffs mating with speedy '70s punk chord progressions."

Anberlin's debut CD, "Blueprints for the Black Market" (Tooth And Nail), has already sold nearly 40,000 copies. The band captivates audiences with their infectious pop choruses and has won over crowds while touring with bands like The Juliana Theory, Further Seems Forever and Fall Out Boy. Look for the brand new album from Anberlin in early 2005.

Autopilot Off's full-length Island release, "Make A Sound," was produced by Greig Nori (Sum 41) and features tracks co-written with Tim Armstrong of Rancid. Stuff magazine called the album "a bold, stylistic stretch that reaches from arena anthems to down 'n' dirty club rockers," and named it "Album of the Month."

The Nintendo Fusion Tour is produced by Clear Channel Entertainment and booked by Ken Fermaglich at The Agency Group. The tour includes exclusive sponsors, such as the fastest-growing music magazine, Blender, North America's No. 1 specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances, Best Buy, and LAUNCH, the music destination on Yahoo!

Clear Channel Entertainment and The Agency Group also handled the 2003 debut Nintendo Fusion Tour featuring Evanescence (whose debut album is now quintuple platinum), Finger Eleven, Cold, Revis and Cauterize.

For ticket availability, up-to-date tour dates, news and a chance to win a trip to see the Nintendo Fusion Tour in Seattle, visit www.nintendofusiontour.com.

About Nintendo

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video games and more than 170 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid(R), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

About Clear Channel Entertainment

Clear Channel Entertainment Properties (CCEP), a division of Clear Channel Entertainment, markets the organization's vast network of assets -- venues; music, motor sports, action sports and theatrical properties; exclusive special events, exhibitions and Emmy(R) award-winning television production services -- to corporations seeking unique brand positioning. In addition, Clear Channel Entertainment Properties specializes in creating custom, high-impact marketing programs and special events that provide flexibility for client budget and timing parameters. Services include advertising, strategic marketing and content development, national and local sales programs, product and service launches, and television/broadcast programming. The resources and reach of CCE Properties have already made them among the most sought-after partners for business and consumer marketing in live entertainment today. Parent company Clear Channel Entertainment, a leading producer and marketer of live entertainment events, promotes and/or produces over 29,000 events, attended by more than 65 million people. The company currently owns, operates and/or exclusively books approximately 130 live entertainment venues, including more than 100 in North America and 30 in Europe. More information may be found by visiting www.cc.com and www.clearchannel.com.

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