INDEPENDENT VOICES TOUR begins with Three National ARTISTS

As the music industry continues to feed up on itself. More and more artists are leaving the major labels and doing-it-them-selves...often with greater results. Three such artists are Happy Chichester (from Royal Crescent Mob and Howlin' Maggie), Brian Vander Ark (from The Verve Pipe), and Shawn Smith (from Brad and Satchel). They each petitioned t be released from their major label contracts and are releasing CD's under their own separate labels. Now they have banded together to bring a rocking tour to the masses via THE INDEPENDENT VOICES TOUR.

The Independent Voices Tour was founded out of a need to contribute to the quiet revolution going on in the music world. As the industry continues to eat itself, it leaves fans and artists scrambling for an outlet : for a place to discover and develop music created with an ear to ideas, experimental sounds, and convictions, a place where music lovers can find music created and performed by artists with imagination and passion rather than those chasing the looks and sound du jour.

   To this end, Happy Chichester (from The Royal Crescent Mob, & Howlin' Maggie), Shawn Smith (from Brad and satchel), and Brian Vander Ark (from the Verve Pipe) are each releasing solo albums under their own labels and have united together to pool resources so they can afford to bring this music to music fans across the US. They hope to level the touring field while creating an exciting and unique show and yet keeping ticket prices LOW! ($10 in most cities). The collaborative effort is further realized as there is no "featured headliner" ...each act plays 45 minutes a night and they rotate the line-up through out the tour. They are currently performing 10 dates on the West Coast and in January 2004, the tour will pick up in the Midwest and South, as Dave Pirner and others rotate into the line-up.
THE dates Are :
DEC 11 : SEATTLE                SUNSET TAVERN       
DEC 12 : SEATTLE                SUNSET TAVERN       
DEC 13 : BELLINGHAM, WA          TBA              
DEC 14 : PORTLAND,OR             MT TABOR THEATER      

DEC 16 : BERKLEY, CA                BLAKES         
DEC 17 : SAN FRANCISCO, CA          CAFE DU NORD    
DEC 18 : LOS ANGELES, CA             TROUBADOUR      
DEC 20 : SAN DIEGO, CA                HARD ROCK- LAJOLLA

THE CD's ARE :

Happy Chichester : " Live at the Aladdin Theater, Portland , OR 3/28/03" -- release date Jan 20
Shawn Smith : " Shield of Thorns "    --- release date Dec 22
Brian Vander Ark : " Resurrection '.... available now