BROBDINGNAGIAN BARDS LORD OF THE RINGS TRIBUTE CD RELEASE AT THE CACTUS CAFE

Austin-based Celtic Folk duo the Brobdingnagian Bards will make an exclusive performance to celebrate the release of their sixth studio album, "Memories of Middle Earth" on Tuesday, July 15th at 8:30pm with free admission.

For Immediate Release 6/17/2003

BROBDINGNAGIAN BARDS LORD OF THE RINGS TRIBUTE CD RELEASE AT THE CACTUS CAFE

Austin TX--Austin-based Celtic Folk duo the Brobdingnagian Bards will make an exclusive performance to celebrate the release of their sixth studio album, "Memories of Middle Earth" on Tuesday, July 15th at 8:30pm with free admission.

"Memories of Middle Earth" was a CD began in response to the success of the Brobdingnagian Bards hit song "Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings)" which was first released to MP3.com in 2000. The song has subsequently had over a million downloads. This makes the Brobdingnagian Bards one of the Top 10 unsigned bands on MP3.com.

The album features sixteen original songs inspired by the movie, including a new recording of their hit single. Though the album is mostly-instrumental, their first hit off the album was "The Ring of Hope" which climb to #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts when it was pre-released to MP3.com. It is an original song written about the struggles faced by Sam Gamgee as his master Frodo Baggins leaves with the elves after destroying The One Ring that is the center of the quest of the "Lord of the Rings".

The Brobdingnagian Bards are well-known in Celtic and Renaissance Festivals circles for their traditional and not-so-traditional music. They have released six full-length studio albums since they started in 1999. Their popularity is largely based around their extensive giveaways of over an album of free MP3s. However, they are best known for their fun live performances.

The Cactus Cafe is one of Austin's great acoustic music traditions. It is an intimate live music performance venue, and since the current performance format was adopted in February, 1979, the Cactus has acquired a national reputation as a folk singer and songwriter club. Billboard magazine listed the Cactus as one of the only fifteen "solidly respected, savvy clubs" nationwide "from which careers can be cut, that work with proven names and new faces."

Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen and Nanci Griffith are among the singer-songwriters who appeared frequently at the Cactus stage early in their careers. Over the last twenty years many well-known singers have graced the Cactus stage. Among them: Allison Krauss, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Townes Van Zandt, Loudon Wainwright III, Darden Smith, Alejandro Escovedo, Ani Di Franco, Don Walser with his Pure Texas Band and Clandestine.

The Cactus is a non-smoking venue and has a full bar. Coffee, bagels, muffins, empanadas, pitas, pizza and sandwiches are available at the Cactus during the day.

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For interviews email marc@thebards.net or call 512.470.4866

For more information, articles and downloadable color and black & white photos, http://www.bardbooking.com/ or http://www.thebards.net/