(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) —
This year’s Voodoo Music Experience will return home to New Orleans for the first of its two back-to-back concerts. The October 29 event in New Orleans will celebrate the heroic efforts of countless individuals who have worked tirelessly and dedicated the past six weeks to the clean-up and recovery of New Orleans. It will be an invitation-only celebration (previous ticketholders exempt) for police, firefighters, National Guard, military and countless others who have aided in the recovery efforts of the city and will take place at Riverview Park (behind the Audubon Zoo).
Festivities remain in place for the October 30 event in Memphis, TN at AutoZone Park in the heart of downtown. There will also be a series of free concerts in downtown Memphis October 27 and continuing throughout the weekend.
“In the course of the past few weeks, the outpouring of support from not only the music industry, but from people from all walks of life, who want to come together to celebrate New Orleans has been tremendous,” says festival producer, Stephen Rehage. “The ability to move forward in two cities–with so much music history–is overwhelming to everyone involved with this year's event. We want to thank all the artists who have shown their support by honoring their commitment to this historic event. We all look forward to making this weekend one to remember.”
“We’ve always supported the Voodoo Music Experience," adds William Morris Agency's Marc Geiger. "This year, as we watched the events unfold, we knew that we had to do more to make this year special for music fans in both New Orleans and Memphis. We’re glad to be a part of bringing the music back to New Orleans.”
Originally scheduled for Halloween Weekend in New Orleans’ City Park, Voodoo Music Experience was displaced by the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. While plans were in full swing to move forward with relocation to Memphis, community leaders in New Orleans approached festival producers about the opportunity to move the event back home for one of its two days, as a tribute event for relief workers. Festival organizers and Memphis representatives alike agreed this was an amazing opportunity to increase the scope of the event.
The following artists generously donated their performances to this year’s event: Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, New York Dolls, North Mississippi All Stars, DJ Tiesto, Carl Cox, Cake, Digable Planets, The Decemberists, Secret Machines, The Bravery, Sevendust, Mindless Self Indulgence, LCD Soundsystem, VHS or Beta, HIM, Dan Dyer, HIM, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Better than Ezra, Cowboy Mouth, Supagroup, World Leader Pretend, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers, Something for Rockets, The Giraffes, Ivan Neville Dumpstaphunk, Rebirth Brass Band, Brotherhood of Groove, Morning 40 Federation, Michael Tolcher, Ghost, Bonerama, Fi Yi Yi Sprit of the Mandingo Warrior w/ Reverend Goat Carson, Papa Mali, Cyril Neville and Tribe, James Andrews and the Funky All-Stars, Jose Conde and Friends, New Birth Brass Band, Flaming Arrows Mardi Gras Indians, Corey Henry and the Young Professionals, Theresa Andersson, CC Adcock, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Ballzack and Big Sam’s Funky Nation.
Proceeds from the Voodoo Music Experience will benefit the New Orleans Restoration Fund (NORF), a donor-advised fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The remainder of the funds will be distributed directly to humanitarian organizations such as Mercy Corps and Habitat for Humanity as well as local organizations committed to restoring the vibrant cultural community of the greater New Orleans area, including Bring New Orleans Back, a non-profit organization to the restoration of the city of New Orleans; WWOZ, 90.7, New Orleans Roots Radio; and YA/YA, Inc. (Young Aspirations/Young Artists), a local organization dedicated to empowering future generations of young artists and community leaders.
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Voodoo Music Experience has been made possible by: PlayStation, Miller Lite, RollingStone.com, VH1, Southern Comfort, nine.com, SPIN, Windows XP, MySpace.com, Spencer’s, STA Travel, KKND, Filter, Revista Sonika, Gambit Weekly, NOLA.com, Where Y’at Magazine, Offbeat Magazine, Memphis Flyer, and WWOZ. –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
