Easyriders Rock-N-Blues Festival Gears Up for Lap of Honor
17 September 1999
Easyriders Rock-N-Blues Festival Gears Up for Lap of Honor; Festival Finale to Benefit Sixth Annual American Red Cross Motorcycle Rally
AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Sept. 17, 1999-- Easyriders Inc. (AMEX:EZR) Friday announced the final stop of the Easyriders Rock-N-Blues Festival Tour '99, a nationwide event featuring music and motorcycle mayhem nationwide.Festivities skid into the Greenville County Fairgrounds in Greenville, S.C., Sept. 17-19.
This festival is a benefit for the Sixth Annual American Red Cross Greenville Motorcycle Rally, sponsored by BMW. Included will be a Mega Poker Run Ride, with riders departing the BMW Manufacturing Corp. following a 100-mile route through the South Carolina upstate area and ending at the Easyriders Rock-N-Blues Festival Party.
Sign-up for the Mega Poker Run Ride begins Friday at the Greenville County Fairgrounds at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The tour jump-starts Friday at 5 p.m. with the rodeo and bike-show sign-ups for all those die-hard daredevils who love the thrill of the ride. Other events over the weekend include Barstool Races and a Motorcycle Rodeo Competition, sure to bring out the very best Greenville has to offer.
The price for Friday admission is $15, Saturday admission is $20, and Sunday admission is $15. Weekend passes for all three days are available for $30.
Greenville will also be the site of Easyriders' grand-prize drawing, Sunday at 6 p.m., where four lucky winners will be awarded either a one-of-a-kind Easyriders Captain America replica Bike or one of three custom Easyriders American Standard Stratocaster Fender Guitars, each with its own bomber-jacket guitar case. (Note: Fender Guitar is one of the many sponsors of the Easyriders Rock-N-Blues Festival Tour '99.)
All attendees of the tour were eligible to enter the giveaway at each of the local tour venues, and winners need not be present. The American Red Cross will also be awarding $2,500, $1,000 and $500 to the three riders who finish with the best hands in the Mega Poker Run Ride.
"Everyone loves good music, and motorcycles have grown to become an integral part of our popular culture nationwide," explained Maurice Minno, president of Easyriders Special Events. "The Rock-N-Blues Festival Tour will entertain enthusiasts of the open road from all walks of life and all ages."
This finale would be only half complete without the live Rock-N- Blues performers featured over the course of the festival, starting with the Power Blues sound of the Sonny Moorman Group, entertaining the crowd all three days, and a Blues Spotlight showcasing myriad home-grown talent, such as Paula and the Pontiacs, Elijah Prophet, The Dice Band and Michael Pierce.
Friday, the Eddie Bush Group, featuring frontman Eddie Bush, will dazzle the crowd with his own unique modern-rock style, making him a hit with audiences of any age.
Saturday fans will be treated to a double feature with Billboard Chart toppers The Georgia Satellites belting out their hit "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," followed by the New Orleans funk blend that creates the original sounds of Tinsley Ellis, making him a musical tour de force.
Sunday, Rick Derringer, Grammy-winning producer and former member of The McCoys, famous for their summer-of-'65 hit "Hang On Sloopy," will entertain the crowds with everything ranging from grinding slow blues to steaming shuffles that reveal just how far his music has come.
"I've been in this business a mighty long time, and let me say there's nothing like going back to what I do best -- hard-edged blues music," reflected an excited Derringer.
About the Rally Benefit
The money raised by the rally will be used by the Greenville chapter of the American Red Cross to provide programs and services such as free emergency disaster relief, armed-forces communications, CPR and first-aid training, free blood-pressure screenings, HIV/AIDS prevention training and much more.
Sponsors of the rally include the American Red Cross, BMW, Easyriders, Dick Brooks Honda, 62 WASV, News Channel 7, WSSL 100 FM, Rock 101, Hampton Inn and Dal-Kawa Cycle Center.
About Easyriders
Easyriders is a publicly traded, diversified company with publishing, retail, restaurant and entertainment interests dedicated to serving the independent, free-spirited motorcycling and related lifestyles market.
Easyriders currently publishes more than a dozen popular motorcycle, special-interest and lifestyle magazines, with a total worldwide readership of more than 6 million. The company also owns, operates and franchises Easyriders retail stores throughout the United States, and owns and operates the El Paso Bar-B-Que restaurant chain.
