America

at: Mayo Civic Center - Arena

5/4/2007 7:30 PM

ROCHESTER, MN - Davies Printing and KTTC present Grammy winning Folk/Rock legends America on Friday, May 4, 2007 at 7:30 PM in the Mayo Civic Center - Arena.



The world discovered America in 1972 when a nameless horse began its gallop across the international airwaves. If this sounds like some sort of fairy tale, it seemed like one for the young musicians who harmonized their way to the top of the charts on the strength of their signature song. "A Horse With No Name" made America a global household name, paving the way for an impressive string of hits following in its wake. Slightly more than a year after launching the group, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek were bona fide superstars, thanks to a timeless sound that seamlessly assimilated strands of rock, pop and folk elements into a thrilling musical stew.



America's journey has found them exploring a wide variety of musical terrain. Their best-known tunes, which also include "I Need You," "Ventura Highway," "Don't Cross The River," "Tin Man," "Lonely People," and "Sister Golden Hair" were cornerstones of 70's Top 40 and FM rock radio. Yet beyond their impressive catalog of hits, listeners would discover there was always much more to America than surface perceptions. The combination of Gerry Beckley's melodic pop rock and Dewey Bunnell's use of folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted well with Dan Peek's more traditional country-rock leanings and highly personal lyrics.



America's albums--six certified gold and/or platinum, with their first greatest hits collection, History, hitting four-million in sales--displayed a fuller range of the trio's talents than did their singles. Their material encompassed an ambitious artistic swath; from effects-laden rockers to oddball medleys to soul-bearing ballads, America displayed a flawless blend of disparate genres and styles as wide-open as the great American plains.



In the midst of their fourth decade of music making, America have been perennials on the concert circuit for 34 years, pleasing their loyal fan base and attracting new generations of followers. The band's new 2-CD set, Here & Now is a spectacular distillation of the group's signature sound past and present, comprising one studio record of all new material and a second live disc taped at XM Radio featuring renditions of songs found on the group's multi-platinum greatest hits album, History.



Single tickets are $25 & $18, with a variety of discounts available, and can be purchased at Riverside Concerts in City Hall, the Mayo Civic Center and all Ticketmaster outlets including Macy's, charge by phone through Riverside Concerts (members only) at (507) 285-8076 or (800) 657-3980, or through Ticketmaster at (507) 252-1010, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Riverside Concerts Box Office hours are Monday ? Friday, 9am ? 4pm. Tune in to Government Channel 19 for a sneak preview airing daily at 7am, 12 noon, 6pm and 11pm. For more information, call (507) 285-8076 or (800) 657-3980 or visit us online at www.riversideconcerts.com.