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INAUGURAL STEELJAM FESTIVALâ„¢ LINEUP ANNOUNCED

DATE: April 29, 2011
CONTACT: Mark Demko, ArtsQuest, 610-332-1300, ext. 342, or mdemko@artsquest.org

INAUGURAL STEELJAM FESTIVALâ„¢ LINEUP ANNOUNCED

Umphrey's McGee, Keller Williams, Railroad Earth & Ozomatli

Headline List of Over 45 Acts Performing at SteelStacks in Bethlehem Sept. 2-5 BETHLEHEM, PA--Umphrey's McGee, Keller Williams, Railroad Earth and Ozomatli headline the first SteelJam Festivalâ„¢ at the new SteelStacks arts and cultural campus in Bethlehem, Pa. Sept. 2-5. Festival passes and single-day passes for the festival will go on sale starting Tues., May 3, 10 a.m., to ArtsQuest Members and Fri., May 6, 10 a.m., to the public. They will be available at www.artsquest.org and 610-332-3378.

At SteelJam, audiences will experience four days of live music by more than 45 different national, regional and local artists. Concerts will take place on four stages: PNC Plaza, Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks and the ArtsQuest Center's Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling, as well as the Air Products Town Square, which will feature free shows each day. Other acts slated to perform during SteelJam's four-day run include San Francisco-based Tea Leaf Green, California jam band ALO, former Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, New Jersey's From Good Homes, singer-songwriter/guitarist Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Realm, and Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, which serves up a creative blend of jazz, funk, R&B and hip-hop.

Railroad Earth, which takes to the PNC Plaza stage Sept. 2, 9 p.m., is one of America's most popular roots rock bands. For the past decade, this New Jersey-based sextet has blended rock, Celtic, bluegrass and Cajun influences into its own unique style. Critics hailed the group's most recent album, "Railroad Earth," as its finest work yet. The record earned the band its first Billboard 200 debut, as well as a No. 5 spot on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

On Sept. 3, 8:30 p.m., SteelJam welcomes Keller Williams to the PNC Plaza stage. Since he first appeared on the scene in the early '90s, Williams has defined the independent artist. Most of his career has been spent performing as a one-man band—his stage shows are built around Williams singing his compositions and choice covers while accompanying himself with an acoustic guitar connected to a Gibson Echoplex delay system that allows him to simulate a full band. He has also released 16 albums during his 15-plus year career, delighting listeners throughout the nation.

Headlining SteelJam Sept. 4 is Umphrey's McGee, which will take to the PNC Plaza stage for an 8 p.m. show. Since forming in the late '90s, the musically muscular and relentlessly inventive Umphrey's McGee has cultivated an impressive presence both live and in the studio. Lauded by critics and adored by fans, the band continues to draw in new listeners with its singular style: virtuoso playing and acrobatic tempo changes and rhythmic shifts complemented by dazzling song craft and composition, memorable hooks, anthemic guitar lines and rock solid rhythms. Now in its second decade, the group continues to wow fans globally and remains a top billed act on the festival circuit. It has performed at U.S. festivals such as Bonnaroo, ROTHBURY, Summer Camp and Lollapalooza; toured Europe multiple times and performed at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival.

On Labor Day, Sept. 5, 8:30 p.m., SteelJam comes to a thunderous close with a 90-minute set at PNC Plaza by Ozomatli. Formed in Los Angeles in the 1990s, this dynamic group serves up an incredible sound that draws inspiration from hip-hop, salsa, funk, Jamaican ragga and more. In 2007, Ozomatli was invited by the U.S. State Department to serve as official Cultural Ambassadors on a series of government-sponsored international tours to Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East. While visiting countries such as Tunisia, India, Jordan and Nepal, the band not only performed in concert, it also offered musical workshops and master classes and visited arts centers, summer camps and youth rehabilitation centers. For the past 15 years, the group has spread its message of peace, communication and understanding through music, delighting audiences from coast to coast.

Gates for SteelJam will open at 4 p.m. Sept. 2 and 11 a.m. Sept. 3-5; music begins at 5 p.m. Sept. 2 and noon all other days. Four-day festival passes are $75 in advance and $85 at the gate. Single-day passes for Friday are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate; single-day passes for Saturday, Sunday and Monday are $30 in advance and $35 at the gate. Special VIP Festival Packages, including access to the Artist Meet & Greet Tent, ticket to a special Sunday brunch, a reserved parking pass and more, are also available.

Click here for full lineup

ABOUT ARTSQUEST

ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks™ arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest's programming reaches more than 1.5 million people annually.

For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300.