Beatfest 2002 festival Official Sponsor - Vibe
FOR RELEASE: April 11, 2002Pontiac Vibe To Star In Beatfest 2002 Tour
DETROIT - Pontiac is the official sponsor of the Beatfest 2002 festival and road trip, taking place throughout April. The Pontiac Vibe, a fresh and fun new car for younger buyers will be prominently featured throughout the tour. Beatfest will celebrate the "Beat Generation" through music and poetry. During the tour musicians and poets spanning several generations will pay homage to an era of free spirits and self-expression. The tour is inspired by Jack Kerouac's On The Road, his novel that captures the essence of the Beat movement.
Beatfest kicks off today with a four-day celebration in New York City, and will stop at 15 more cities across the U.S. Beatfest finishes with an eight-day event in Los Angeles (April 27 - May 4). Venues for performances along the tour will be at the Knitting Factory (New York City and Los Angeles) and at Borders Bookstores, coffee shops and cafes. Artists will perform music, spoken word and slam poetry. In addition to Beat-inspired music performances and live readings, a select number of films and documentaries will be shown as late night free screenings at the Knitting Factory clubs.
"Self-expression and individuality are consistent themes in our conversations with young buyers," said Linda Pesonen, Pontiac Vibe brand manager. "Since Vibe was specifically designed for the youth market, Beatfest is a great venue to reach our target."
Vibe is the newest Pontiac entry and went on sale earlier this year. Vibe is a uniquely combined vehicle offering a highly flexible interior, sporty looks and a surprising level of performance.
The Pontiac Vibe will be featured in event advertising materials and banners, including the tour's official website and a CD-ROM with music tracks from Beat-inspired artists and Vibe video footage that will be distributed at the tour venues. Vibe poetry magnets, designed to allow attendees to create their own poetry, will also be distributed to attendees at each concert.
A trio of musicians called, appropriately enough, "Vibes" will journey from New York to Los Angeles in a Salsa (color) Pontiac Vibe. The Trio will perform at each venue and will be featured in the daily diary uploaded to the Beatfest 2002 website www.beatfest2002.com/vibe . Musicians in the "Vibes" Trio are New Yorkers Bill Ware (vibraphone), Brad Jones (bass) and EJ Rodriguez (drums and percussion). The group's first studio album, the band's second album, is entitled "With Drawn" by Knitting Factory Records.
The Beatfest events resemble poetry slam competitions, where writers perform their own writings and compete for prizes. Appearing writers will read a short excerpt from a Beat work and then read their original poetry. Each live reading will be accompanied by live music from Vibes, and hosted by Gary Glazner, the nationally recognized poet and master of poetry slams. Audiences will decide on the prize winners of the Slam, who can also "publish" their poetry on the Beatfest website www.beatfest2002.com/vibe.
TOUR SCHEDULE
April 11-14: Main Show, Knitting Factory in New York
April 14: New York, Knitting Factory (Vibes will play at the Beatfest show)
April 15: Philadelphia, Borders. 7pm
April 16: Pittsburgh; Existing Slam Event at The Brew House. 8pm
April 17: Cleveland, Borders. 7:30pm
April 18: Ann Arbor, Borders. 7pm
April 19: Indianapolis, Borders. 8pm
April 20: Chicago, Borders. 5pm
April 21: Madison; at the University of Wisconsin Student Union. 2pm
April 21: (second show) Milwaukee, Borders. 7pm
April 22: St. Louis, Borders. 7pm
April 23: Kansas City, Borders. 7pm
April 25: Denver, Existing Slam Event at Mercury Cafe. 8pm
April 26: Albuquerque, Borders. 6pm
April 27: Tucson, Existing Slam Event at Mat Bevel Institute. 9:30pm
April 28: San Diego, Borders. 5pm (tentative time)
April 29: Encinitas, Existing Slam Event at 101 Artists Colony. 7pm
April 30: LA, Knitting Factory (Vibes will play at the Beatfest show). 8pm
April 27-May 4: Main Show, Knitting Factory in LA
