Author: Velvet Kelm
Published: July 19, 2006
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MERCYME TO LAUNCH ˜COMING UP TO BREATHE™ NATIONAL TOUR THIS FALL
So Long Self Continues to Rule Christian AC Radio and Top 20 Mainstream AC Chart
iTunes 16-week Podcast Series Features MercyMe
NASHVILLE, TN.7/19/06..As their new hit single 'So Long Self' hits mainstream AC radio's Top 20 (No. 17 BDS) and No. 1 on the Christian AC Mediabase/R&R Chart, and they make their second appearance on The Tonight Show this week, MERCYME has announced their national fall Coming Up to Breathe Tour in support of their latest, best-selling CD of the same name. Debuting at No. 13 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Charts selling nearly 60,000 units, COMING UP TO BREATHE has remained strong on both the Billboard Top 200 and Contemporary Christian SoundScan charts for the 12 past weeks since its release.
THE TOUR:
Hitting over 30 cities this fall (tour dates attached) including New York City's Nokia Theater, Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena, Los Angeles The Pond, The Dodge Theater in Phoenix, and Houston's Berry Center, the line up will also feature industry veteran band Audio Adrenaline and criticially acclaimed newcomer, Phil Wickham.
About hitting the road again and doing so with Audio Adrenaline, MercyMe's Bart Millard had this to say: Words cannot express how excited we are to have Audio on this tour! They have played a huge part in getting MercyMe its start, so getting the chance to take them out for their final farewell is a no brainer. This tour is really going to rock.
The last 15 years have been nothing short of a miracle, commented AudioA's lead singer and founding member Mark Stuart. Every moment...every concert...every song was such a gift from God. We can't think of a better way to say goodbye to the greatest fans in the world than doing it on tour with our best friends, MercyMe.
This tour will be the final tour for one of the industries top bands, Audio Adrenaline, and also adding a final chapter to its substantial career will be ADIOS: The Greatest Hits, releasing Aug. 1. After 15-years, over three million records sold, 18 No. 1 singles and four Dove Awards, Audio Adrenaline is saying adios, offering one more nod to its considerable fan base with the album and this tour. AudioA's acclaimed ninth studio album, Until My Heart Caves In, released last August and grabbed the coveted GRAMMY this year, marking back-to-back GRAMMY wins for AudioA. Their first GRAMMY was for it's 2004 release, Worldwide. The band's Bloom recording was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1999 and they were awarded the prestigious Song of the Decade crowning in the 90s for Big House by CCM Magazine. The band is also well known for its humanitarian aid and will continue its Hands and Feet Project, a non-profit organization and orphanage they formed dedicated to the health, welfare and education of orphaned children of Haiti.
Phil Wickham, a Southern California native, is the second artist to sign and release on MercyMe's Bart Millard and producer Pete Kipley's label Simple Records. This singer/songwriter brings to the table a refreshing mix of emotional lyrics and shimmering melodies on his national debut. Growing up in a strong musical family, Phil began leading worship for his youth group and the young age of 12. This past April, Phil Wickham released his self-titled project, which landed on the Billboard Top 200 and Heatseekers chart after a strong first week of sales.
iTunes:
MercyMe will also be included in the 16 week Podcast series campaign on iTunes. This is a weekly series of 10-12 minute pro-produced Podcasts and will feature MercyMe and COMING UP TO BREATHE. The first podcast debuted last week, and can be found at: read more
RADIO HITS/ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ONLINE:
With 'So Long Self' hitting Top 20 on mainstream AC (their fourth consecutive mainstream hit), No. 1 on Christian AC (BDS), and pushing Top 5 on the Christian CHR Mediabase/R&R chart, things should heat up even more this week as The nationally-syndicated John Tesh Radio show has added 'So Long Self' to its regular rotation.
In addition, Entertainment Tonight is currently featuring MercyMe on their website, where fans can win COMING UP TO BREATHE. Go to http://et.tv.yahoo.com/contests/ to check it out!
www.mercyme.org
www.myspace.com/mercyme
