4FINI ANNOUNCES WILLIE NELSON’S COUNTRY THROWDOWN TOUR 2011

FEATURING WILLIE NELSON, JAMEY JOHNSON, RANDY HOUSER, LEE BRICE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – January 20, 2011 – 4 FINI, Inc., producers of the wildly successful Vans Warped Tour, announced today Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour 2011. The second annual outdoor amphitheater trek will feature a diverse lineup that brings together iconic and emerging artists in the country music scene as well as a full concourse of lifestyle attractions and vendors (to be announced soon) with an affordable ticket price.


With a six-decade career and 200 plus albums, headliner Willie Nelson is the creative genius behind the historic recordings of Crazy, Red Headed Stranger and Stardust. He has earned every conceivable award as a musician and amassed reputable credentials as an author, actor and activist. In 2009, his new album releases include Naked Willie, Willie and the Wheel and the critically acclaimed American Classic. This past April, Willie Nelson's Country Music, produced by Grammy and Oscar winning T Bone Burnett, was released on Rounder Records and recently received a GRAMMY Nomination for Best Americana Album. Recording artists Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell & Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real are among the initial acts confirmed to join Nelson for this nationwide country music tour kicking off in Philadelphia, PA on May 27 and running through July 4, where the tour will end with a big 4th of July bang. The only tour of its kind in the world of country, Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour mixes top country music artists with emerging singer-songwriters in a festival environment at an affordable ticket price. Country Throwdown offers a relaxing atmosphere where fans enjoy a constant stream of music on multiple stages all day long – doors open daily at 3:00 p.m. and the shows continue throughout the day until 11 p.m. In addition to the seven main artists performing on two stages (a main stage and one side stage), the Bluebird Café Stage will feature six extraordinary singer-songwriters. Fans will get to see these artists perform intimate “in the round” sets on the Bluebird Café stage throughout the day, as well as nightly performances on a specially designed stage during the main stage set changes. Artists for the Bluebird Café Stage will be announced soon. Confirmed Dates: 5/27-Philadelphia, PA @ The MANN 5/28-Gilford, NH @ Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion 5/29-Essex Junction, VT @ Champlain Valley Expo 6/3-Nashville, TN @ The Woods at Fontanel 6/4-Little Rock, AR @ North Shore Park at the Arkansas River in North Little Rock 6/11-Sparta, IL @ World Shooting & Recreation Complex 6/16-Roanoke Rapids, NC The Rapids Jam / (Part of the RAPIDS JAM three day festival)* 6/17-Simpsonville, SC @ Charter Ampitheater at Heritage Park 6/18-Waldorf, MD @ Regency Stadium 6/19–Knoxville, TN @ World’s Fair Park 6/23-Del Mar, CA @ Grandstand 6/24-Ontario, CA @ Citizens Business Bank Arena 6/25-Pozo, CA @ Pozo Saloon 6/30-McAllen, TX @ Las Palmas Race Park 7/1-Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater 7/2-Eufala, OK @ Eufala Cove Amphitheater **“MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON at www.countrythrowdown.com”** * Rapids Jam is a three day country music and camping festival in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, June 16-17-18. The first day of the festival kicks off with the Willie Nelson Country Throwdown Tour featuring Willie Nelson, etc. Single day and weekend general admission tickets, plus reserved tickets are available at www.rapidsjam.com. "I'm really looking forward to the Throwdown Tour and working with Jamey, Randy and all the folks…it will be fun,” said Willie Nelson. “Willie Nelson is an American treasure,” said Jamey Johnson. “When I was asked to return on The Throwdown Tour and was told Willie would be doing the shows, it was a simple yes.” Tour founder and co-producer Kevin Lyman says, “Much like the Vans Warped Tour, Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown brings together a collective group of diverse artists. Not only do we have the opportunity to work with the original and legendary, bad ass Willie Nelson, we’re happy to have the return of today’s bad ass Jamey Johnson. I just feel lucky to be working with all these country artists.” “We are so excited to have Willie Nelson on board this year and build on the success of last year’s tour,” says Sarah Baer, co-producer for the tour, “We are the only touring country music festival, offering a truly unique experience for country music fans who can’t travel to an event like CMA Music fest…we bring the legends and new faces closer to fan’s homes.” "To tour with someone as legendary as Willie Nelson is an honor, and to get to do that with my good buddies Jamey Johnson and Lee Brice makes this tour even better,” said Randy Houser. “I joked during my last tour with Jamey that we would need rehab after the tour, but I can safely say that this tour is going to be even crazier! It's definitely going to be a throw down out there." "I'm excited to hit the road with my friends for the Throwdown Tour,” said Lee Brice. “When asked to do this tour with the legendary Willie and great acts like Randy and Jamey…how could I turn that down? It's going to be a lot of fun." A portion of the ticket price will benefit Unite the United. Ticket pre-sale begins Friday, February 11 and sale to general public begins February 18 at 10 a.m. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.countrythrowdown.com. About 4 FINI, Inc. and Kevin Lyman: Kevin Lyman is the producer and creator of the successful Vans Warped Tour, the longest running traveling music and extreme sports festival in the world today. With the Vans Warped Tour, Lyman pioneered the successful integration of corporate sponsors with the extreme lifestyle, creating a blueprint for sponsorship integration widely duplicated in the marketplace today. In 2005, Kevin teamed up with John Reese to form Taste of Chaos, LLC (TOC, LLC) and produced the Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour. In 2007, TOC, LLC presented the first annual Rockstar Mayhem Festival, a summer metal festival featuring 15 metal bands including headliners Slipknot and Disturbed. A success by all standards, Rockstar Mayhem Festival perhaps most notably integrated the camaraderie Lyman had created on the Vans Warped Tour into a metal festival. Kevin and his company 4 Fini, Inc. have produced numerous other successful tour productions. Kevin is a music industry authority on multiple corporate branding projects, helping companies maintain the valuable street level credibility that endears their products to the youth market. About Unite the United: The Unite the United Foundation is a public 501 (c) (3) non-profit, fundraising organization founded by the producers of the Vans Warped Tour, Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown. It is our mission to encourage fans, artists and industry leaders from the music, touring and action sports worlds to work toward a positive change in our national community by supporting grassroots charities and participating in community volunteerism events across the United States. Sponsors include: HARLEY DAVIDSON, DICKIES, KEEP A BREAST and SHIRTS FOR A CURE (Additional sponsors to be announced soon) DICKIES: Dickies® is the leading global brand of innovative and trusted work wear. The brand has an unwavering commitment and proud heritage of providing tough, quality clothing to workers for more than 88 years. The Dickies brand has grown from bib overalls to World War II U.S. military uniforms to its iconic Original 874® Work Pant to footwear and much more. Embraced by workers everywhere, Dickies is defined by the people who wear our apparel–independent, no nonsense and a little rough around the edges. As the signature brand in the portfolio owned by Williamson-Dickie Mfg Co., Dickies products are available in more than 60 countries worldwide. For more about Dickies, visit dickies.com. KEEP A BREAST: Keep A Breast Mission The Keep A Breast Foundation (KAB) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to help eradicate breast cancer by informing young people about methods of prevention, early detection and support. Through art events, educational programs and fundraising efforts we seek to increase breast cancer awareness among young people so they are better equipped to make choices and develop habits that will benefit their long-term health and well-being. SHIRTS FOR A CURE: The Shirts For A Cure Project (SFAC) was launched to give voice to the social concerns of b
ands and their many fans as well as to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention. SFAC produces and sells exclusive tee shirts which we are very excited to bring to the 2011 County Throwdown Tour. Stop by our booth to check out our unique shirts and help fight cancer. www.shirtsforacure.com For more information, to purchase tickets, or to see a complete list of 2011 sponsors visit: www.countrythrowdown.com