Jan 23, 2015 | Entertainment, General News, Special Events, Sports
“King Mo” Lawal vs. Cheick Kongo replaces Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson and Andre Santos steps in for Douglas Lima to battle Paul Daley at “Bellator: The British Invasion”
UNCASVILLE, CT (January 23, 2015) — Injury has forced the delay of a heavily anticipated matchup between Bobby Lashley (12-2) and James Thompson (20-14) but Bellator MMA officials have announced a blockbuster fight to replace it in Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (14-4) vs. Cheick Kongo (22-9-2). Also Andre Santos (37-9) has stepped in for the injured welterweight champion Douglas Lima (26-5), and will now face the always-dangerous Paul Daley (35-13).
The new contest is scheduled for the televised portion of “Bellator: British Invasion,” which takes place on Friday, February 27th, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The night’s main card airs live on Spike TV, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.
Tickets for “Bellator: British Invasion,” which start at just $25.00, are already on sale at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Additional bouts are expected to be announced shortly.
“We’re disappointed we had to delay these fights between Bobby Lashley and James Thompson, and Douglas Lima and Paul Daley, but I have no doubt that these matchups will be fantastic once they eventually come to fruition,” Bellator MMA CEO Scott Coker said. “Fortunately, we’re able to replace the bouts with equally entertaining contests for our fans.”
“King Mo” Lawal fights for the 10th time for Bellator MMA and has established himself as one of the most recognizable superstars in the sport. A standout wrestler who normally competes at light heavyweight, the former NCAA Division I All-American and Pan American gold medallist has earned 11 of his 14 career MMA wins by knockout, including recent striking stoppages of Joe Vedepo and Dustin Jacoby. The former Bellator MMA tournament winner and Strikeforce light heavyweight world champion now moves up to heavyweight for the first time since 2009 to challenge himself against Kongo.
Kongo, a 6-foot-4 Frenchman, is a former professional kickboxer who boasts black belts in both Karate and Kendo. A multiple-time world champion in kickboxing, Kongo now focuses solely on MMA and has built a 4-1 record under the Bellator MMA banner. Training at Wolfslair MMA Academy in London, Kongo most recently flashed his well-rounded game by scoring a first-round submission over fellow striker Lavar Johnson in a September matchup. Kongo’s lone Bellator loss came in a five-round contest for the Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Championship, in which he went five full rounds with Vitaly Minakov but came up short in a decision result.
Paul Daley is a highly feared and respected veteran with dynamite in both fists, which earned him the nickname “Semtex.” The 31-year-old from Nottingham, England has won an impressive 74% of his 35 victories by way of knockout. Having fought for Scott Coker under the Strikeforce banner, rejoining him at Bellator was a no brainer. Daley took to the Internet to share his feelings on the injury to Lima, stating: “Nervous, Scared??…..I understand, preparing to fight me…. I would be. It’s ok…. guess you get to have a few more photo shoots with the belt…. My focus has shifted, same date, new opponent…. British Invasion at Bellator 134.”
The new opponent his focus has shifted to is Andre “Chatuba” Santos. A veteran of the sport in his own right, the Rio De Janeiro fighter has two more wins than Daley in four less fights. Santos defeated James Terry at Bellator 129, in what was his first fight on American soil. He now has his sights set on Daley, with hopes to win his seventh straight fight.
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
More information on media credential requests are located here: http://credentials.bzapr.com/credentials/MVS/
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked 3rd in the U.S. and 5th in the world by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 and 2010 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” Venues Today also ranked Mohegan Sun Arena #3 in the Nation and #3 in the World for top stops in 2013 and also ranked the Arena in the top six of “Top Stops of The Decade” in 2012. 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.
Jan 23, 2015 | Entertainment, General News
An intimate evening of music with Paramore and their friends Copeland; Spring trek to hit North America Theaters, Arenas and Festivals; Mohegan Sun Arena plays host Saturday, May 9th
UNCASVILLE, CT (January 23, 2015) — Fueled By Ramen recording group Paramore has announced “PARAMORE: WRITING THE FUTURE,” an intimate evening of music with Paramore and their friends Copeland, set to kick off beginning in late April. “It feels right to bring the Self-Titled era to a close,” said Hayley Williams. “We’ve had a very personal and hugely triumphant journey with this one. What wouldn’t feel right is saying goodbye to this time in the band’s career and not celebrating it with our fans in some special way. So we’ve decided to do one last little run with it. Smaller shows, beautiful theaters… and we’re not calling it a tour, by the way. Each night will be a little event, or as we said just a few seconds ago, a celebration.” Paramore and Copeland come through Mohegan Sun Arena for a 8:00pm concert on Saturday, May 9th.
Tickets are $35.00 and go on sale Friday, January 30th at 10:00am through Ticketmaster and Livenation.com. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Saturday, January 31st, subject to availability.
American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Monday, January 26th at 10:00am through Thursday, January 29th at 10:00pm. The tour dates will also see the GRAMMY® Award-nominated band appearing at an array of spring festivals, including Gulf Shores, Alabama’s Hangout Music Festival.
The upcoming tour follows the recent release of PARAMORE: SELF-TITLED DELUXE, an expanded new digital edition of their chart-topping 2013 blockbuster. PARAMORE: SELF-TITLED DELUXE is highlighted by a wide range of previously unreleased material, a new version of the PARAMORE favorite, “Hate To See Your Heart Break,” featuring duet vocals from Joy Williams (formerly of The Civil Wars). The release also includes the never-before-heard 2012 demo, “Tell Me It’s Okay,” two bonus tracks “Escape Route” and “Native Tongue” and eight electrifying live tracks recorded this past summer at Denver’s world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Paramore recently earned yet another GRAMMY® Award nomination, with “Ain’t It Fun,” the RIAA platinum-certified, Top 10 hit single from PARAMORE, receiving a “Best Rock Song” nod for the upcoming 57th Annual GRAMMY® Awards. In addition, Paramore singer/songwriter Hayley Williams was named the first winner of Billboard’s Trailblazer Award, honoring her as a standout female artist who breaks from convention to make a unique mark and pave the way for new talent. The Trailblazer Award was presented last month in New York City as part of the ninth annual Billboard Women In Music Awards.
PARAMORE exploded to the apex of the SoundScan/Billboard 200 upon its April 2013 release – the GRAMMY® Award-nominated band’s first #1 album to date. PARAMORE showcased a string of smash singles, including two Top 40, platinum-certified hits, “Still Into You” and the aforementioned “Ain’t It Fun.” The latter track proved one of Paramore’s biggest singles to date, ascending to #2 at Top 40 outlets nationwide as well as to the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 – the band’s first ever Top 10 hit and their highest peaking song thus far on both charts.
For up-to-the-minute news and information, please visit paramore.net.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
Jan 22, 2015 | Entertainment, General News
Tickets on sale tomorrow
UNCASVILLE, CT (January 22, 2015) — The incredibly gifted guitarist, singer and songwriter Shawn Mendes is set to play Mohegan Sun Arena for the first time come Sunday, June 7th. The concert is scheduled for 7:30pm. Mendes’s hit songs “Show You” and “Life of the Party” currently have over 20 million views combined. Jacquie Lee will be a special guest.
Tickets are $25.00 and go on sale Friday, January 23rd at 10:00am through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Saturday, January 24th, subject to availability.
Hailed by Billboard as “Music’s First Vine Star” and TIME Magazine as one of the “Most Influential Teens Of 2014,” singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes has emerged from teen viral sensation to major best-selling status almost overnight. Soon after artist manager Andrew Gertler discovered & introduced Mendes to now-label Island Records in early 2014, Shawn’s debut single “Life Of The Party” broke records, topping the iTunes charts and selling over 150,000 copies in its first week due to his legions of fans. The success of the song made Shawn the youngest ever artist to break into the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 25 with a debut single. Then, just a month later, Mendes released his self-titled debut EP, which also hit the #1 spot on iTunes once again, and entered at #5 on the Billboard Album charts, showing the staying power of the young artist. Now fresh off of his sold out first headline tour dates and soon to be embarking on Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour as well as releasing his debut album in 2015, Shawn has quickly become one of music’s most promising young stars.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
Jan 21, 2015 | Breaking News, Entertainment, General News
Uncasville, CT (January 21, 2015) – Mohegan Sun regrets to announce the cancellation of the Linkin Park concert scheduled for Friday, January 30th in Mohegan Sun Arena.
In a statement by the band:
“Linkin Park regret to inform their fans they must cancel the remaining dates of The Hunting Party tour through February 14th, due to a leg injury of lead vocalist Chester Bennington. The injury requires immediate medical attention making it physically impossible for Bennington to perform. Chester says, ‘I’m really disappointed this injury has made it impossible to continue with this tour. The first couple of shows were just magical. We will truly miss not being with our fans for the next few weeks. Hope to see you again soon.’”
Fans can seek refunds at point of purchase.
Jan 20, 2015 | Entertainment, General News
Pop icons team up with TLC and Nelly for the ultimate summer concert ticket; Mohegan Sun Arena set for June 12th; The Main Event to kick off May 1st with tickets on sale January 31st at Livenation.com and Ticketmaster.com
UNCASVILLE, CT (January 20, 2015) — New Kids On The Block are stepping into the ring for 2015! The Pop phenoms stopped by Good Morning America this morning to announce THE MAIN EVENT, a summer headlining tour featuring very special guests, Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling artists TLC and Nelly. NKOTB surprised viewers with a special reveal of TLC and a personal message from Nelly (who is currently overseas with the armed forces). The groups hinted at possible collaborations and other exciting possibilities while on the road this summer, sending fans into a frenzy across social media. The tour, promoted by Live Nation, kicks off on May 1st in Las Vegas, Nevada and will stop in over 30 cities across North America, including Mohegan Sun Arena for a 7:00pm concert on Friday, June 12th.
Tickets are $99.50 and $59.50 and go on sale Saturday, January 31st at 10:00am through Ticketmaster and Livenation.com. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Sunday, February 1st, subject to availability.
American Express card members can get advance tickets beginning this Friday, January 23rd at 10:00am (local time). Fans will have additional opportunities to purchase tickets early starting Wednesday, January 28th by signing up for a Facebook RSVP at http://smarturl.it/NKOTB_RSVP. Tickets can be purchased starting January 31st on www.livenation.com.
After announcing the tour on Good Morning America, NKOTB took over the LIVE! with Kelly and Michael set to step in and play a mix of super hits and new fan favorites throughout the entire hour on air. The morning TV whirlwind was followed up with an NKOTB/TLC media blitz. The groups shut down Chase Plaza at Madison Square Garden for a press conference filled with media and ecstatic fans, talking with outlets like Access Hollywood, E!, Entertainment Tonight, EXTRA, Associated Press and BuzzFeed. Social media has been abuzz ever since the official reveal with no signs of slowing down.
“We always have something special up our sleeves,” said NKOTB member Donnie Wahlberg. “Our fans keep asking us to come back out on the road and we want to keep giving them what they want! We wanted to make sure it was something new and fresh and fun and totally worthwhile for all of our supporters year after year. This year, we are making it The Main Event. And we promise, it will be the ticket of the summer.”
With all-new and top-notch production elements, this tour is sure to be the ultimate summer concert ticket as promised. The highlights will include a 360-degree stage “in the round.” With no obstructions, the stage set up will offer optimal viewing. The bands have worked hard on the show and staging concept to make sure that everyone in the house has a part of the action, up close and center.
“We are thrilled to be able to join Pop icons NKTOB and Nelly on tour. We are equally excited to be back on the road connecting with our fans in such huge arenas,” said TLC.
Please visit www.NKOTB.com, www.livenation.com or www.ticketmaster.com for up to date information or join the discussion at #themainevent.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK sold more than 80 million albums worldwide — including back-to-back international #1 songs, 1988’s “Hangin’ Tough” and 1990’s “Step By Step” — and a series of crossover smash R&B, pop hits like “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” “Cover Girl,” “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” “Hangin’ Tough,” “I’ll Be Loving You,” “Step By Step” and “Tonight.”
The group shattered concert box office records playing an estimated 200 concerts a year, in sold out stadiums throughout the world. They still hold many of these records to date. They were Forbes highest paid entertainers of 1990, beating out Michael Jackson and Madonna. The band boasted an extensive and highly profitable merchandise line which included everything from lunch boxes and sleeping bags to comic books, marbles and dolls. More Information is available at www.nkotb.com.
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Live Nation Media & Sponsorship and Artist Nation Management. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
Follow us @twitter.com/LiveNationInc
SOURCE: Live Nation Entertainment
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
Jan 20, 2015 | Entertainment, General News
Band announces details of 2015’s last leg of their “Final Tour,” 34 North American Dates To Mark 34 Years of Mötley Crüe; New single and video clip “All Bad Things” out today; Bestselling Greatest Hits album available for free via Google Play this week only
UNCASVILLE, CT (January 20, 2015) — Iconic Rock band Mötley Crüe announced today on Fox and Friends the details of their final performance. This will mark the end of their touring career and will conclude their two year Final Tour cycle at the end of 2015 on New Year’s Eve, December 31st at Staples Center in their hometown of Los Angeles where the band’s career began 34 years ago. The band will be celebrating this week’s big announcement with a performance on The Tonight Show on January 22nd. Mohegan Sun Arena welcomes back the Final Tour for a Sunday, August 16th concert beginning at 7:00pm.
Tickets are $99.00 and $79.00 and go on sale on Friday, January 23rd at 10:00am and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Saturday, January 24th subject to availability.
Mötley Crüe first announced plans for their 2-year Final Tour by signing a Cessation Of Touring Agreement at a press conference in Los Angeles in January 2014, solidifying the end of their Final Tour at the end of 2015.
The 2014 leg of the Final Tour was one of last year’s top grossing tours, selling close to a million tickets across 72 cities and grossing more than $45 million. “Mötley Crüe’s Final Tour has been a massive global success and a true testament to the popularity of this legendary
Rock band,” says Rick Franks, Live Nation’s Regional President of North American Concerts. “New Year’s Eve 2015 will mark the end of an era in Rock history but there’s no doubt that Mötley Crüe’s music will influence generations of artists for years to come.”
After thirty-four years performing together, the 2015 leg of the Final Tour will see the band play Japan in February, then Australia/New Zealand in spring. In June, Mötley Crüe will say farewell to the European Festival circuit with 3 massive performances at Download (UK), Sweden Rock (Sweden) and Novarock (Austria) Festivals before taking their can’t-miss show back to the U.S., Canada and Mexico this summer for 34 final North American shows due to tremendous fan demand.
The North American dates will see the band visit cities such as Chicago, New York, Toronto, Atlanta, Mexico City and will be taking place in arenas exclusively to ensure fans in all cities get to experience the full show production of the Final Tour:
“In some of the cities, we could only reach a fraction of the fans who wanted to come see us play last year because of ticket demand so we’re coming back to those places to bring them our full production including the Crüecifly drum coaster, as well as all pyro and every other bell and whistle. Even despite the overwhelming fan demand we can only add so many new cities in North America because of our commitment to take the Final Tour global on our final year,” says Nikki Sixx (bass).
Audiences can also expect a high-energy performance from very special guest Alice Cooper, who joined the band for the Final Tour in 2014. He will be tearing up the stage for crowds across North America once again. The pairing has been roundly praised as a must-see by fans and media alike.
The band’s exclusive VIP Packages (including opportunities to meet band members, exclusive merchandise and more) and Fan Club pre-sales for these dates start tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21st at 10:00am EST, with a special Citicard member pre-sale beginning at 5:00pm EST the same day.
Local pre-sales start this Thursday, January 22nd at 10:00am local time before the public on-sale begins on Friday, January 23rd at 10:00am local time. For VIP packages and ticket information, go to www.motley.com.
Following the North American summer shows, the band will take the Final Tour on more international dates this fall before “all bad things come to an end” for good on New Year’s Eve 2015.
Coinciding with today’s announcement and the theme of the Final Tour, the band also released its new single “All Bad Things” this morning which is available for sale digitally here: http://smarturl.it/MC_AllBadThings. The single is accompanied by a video clip of highlights of Mötley Crüe’s 34-year career which premiered today on The Tonight Show’s blog – http://fallontonight.tumblr.com/ to preview the band’s national TV appearance on the show this Thursday.
To give back to the fans for their support over the years, Mötley Crüe will give away their best-selling Greatest Hits album for free in partnership with Google Play for one week only. Download the album through Tuesday, January 27th here: http://goo.gl/3hg3Qw. The compilation album includes classic hits like “Dr. Feelgood,” “Home Sweet Home,” “Kickstart My Heart,” amongst many more – check out a special message here: http://youtu.be/Fj03fG7ngas.
Mötley Crüe are also in the process of putting together the ultimate collector’s album package for the fans to be released later this year which will include the new track, “All Bad Things” amongst many other surprises, details of which will be announced in the near future.
Since 2015 is all about celebrating the legacy of Mötley Crüe, the band and fans from around the world will also be able to share their memories, pictures, thoughts and stories of 34 years of Mötley Crüe online at www.motley.com using #RipMotleyCrue.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. 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.
