Local Band Lakshmi to Perform Opening Set As Winner of 96.5TIC FM’s “Wanted…Opening Band for Bon Jovi” Contest

Bon Jovi’s 2011 Tour, promoted by AEG Live, returns to Mohegan Sun Arena on May 7th for the fourth and final Uncasville show of the tour. With this concert, the legendary band earns the status of being the highest grossing act ever to perform at the venue. Local rockers Lakshmi, recently chosen as winners of 96.5TIC’s “Wanted… Opening Band For Bon Jovi” contest, will take the stage at 8:00pm.
Lackshmi beat out three other finalists at the Black Bear Saloon in Hartford to earn the opening slot.  Drummer Jake Siberon says, “We are so incredibly thankful to WTIC, Mohegan Sun and Bon Jovi for this incredible opportunity.  We work really hard as a band and to be able to represent ourselves on this kind of stage, at this kind of event, is an amazing feeling.”  
With comparisons to Paramore, Kelly Clarkson, No Doubt, Coheed and Cambria, and Dream Theater, Lakshmi covers a wide spectrum of music to provide listeners with a unique experience. Heartfelt and passionate lyrics, catchy melodies and riffs, dance rhythms and grooves make up the Lakshmi sound.  Lakshmi released their self-titled debut LP in August of 2010.  Since then, they have been performing in Connecticut venues including Toad’s Place, The Space, Webster Theater and The Heirloom Arts Theatre.  For more information, please visit lakshmimusic.com.
Nearing three decades of an incredible career and currently in the midst of their biggest tour yet, Bon Jovi shows no sign of slowing down. Globally, the band has sold more than 125+ million albums to date, and has performed more than 2,700 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 35 million fans.  In 2010, for the second time in just three years, Bon Jovi was named the #1 worldwide touring act, according to both Pollstar and Billboard (an honor which has only been achieved by three acts in history – Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones and The Grateful Dead).  Bon Jovi Greatest Hits debuted at #1 around the world last November, with the band’s three-decade-spanning retrospective charting higher and selling more copies in its first week than their 1994 Cross Road release, which has sold more than 21+ million copies to date. For more information on all things Bon Jovi, visit bonjovi.com.
About AEG Live
AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance. AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions, fifteen regional offices and thirty state-of-the-art venues. The company is currently producing tours and productions including Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas.  The concert tour roster includes artists such as Taylor Swift, The Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Justin Bieber, Leonard Cohen, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Wisin & Yandel, Britney Spears, Kenny Chesney, P!nk and Paul McCartney. AEG Live is the largest producer of music festivals in North America from the critically acclaimed Coachella Music & Arts Festival to Stagecoach and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. For more information, go to aeglive.com.
About Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked the 4th best venue by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 and 2010 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com.  For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.