— Industry-Standard JBL VerTec Loudspeakers Selected for Use in Concert Audio System —
WOODBURY, NY, June 7, 2004 — JBL, the leading manufacturer of professional and consumer loudspeakers, today announced it is the official sponsor of the upcoming North American summer tour of Eric Clapton, one of the most influential musicians in rock-music history.
Eric Clapton has been renowned as one of the world’s finest guitarists since the early Sixties when he first gained prominence with the Yardbirds and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, astonishing listeners with his remarkable, emotionally powerful playing. After subsequent albums with Cream, Derek and the Dominos and others, Clapton launched an extraordinary solo career that earned him multiple Grammy awards, and that continues today with his just-released Me and Mr. Johnson album. The only triple inductee of the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Eric Clapton recently received the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) award in honor of his musical and humanitarian accomplishments.
As the official sponsor of Eric Clapton’s North American tour, JBL is supporting the tour with a major sponsorship program, maintaining a highly visible presence at all of the tour’s stops. To coincide with the tour, the company is launching its “Eric Clapton Chooses JBL” sweepstakes, which features a grand prize of two tickets to the tour’s final concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, on August 2. To qualify for the prize drawing, consumers are required to audition JBL Northridge E Series loudspeakers at a participating retailer and fill out an online entry form. In addition to the grand prize, a number of additional prizes will be awarded. Details are available on the JBL Web site, www.jbl.com.
JBL’s acclaimed VerTec (Vertical Technology) line-array professional audio loudspeakers were chosen for exclusive use in the tour sound system. Since their introduction, JBL VerTec loudspeakers have established themselves as an industry standard for professional concert sound reinforcement, thanks to their advanced-technology drivers and components, compact size, modular installation flexibility and — above all — their extraordinary sound quality.
Sound services for the tour will be provided by Sound Image of Escondido, California, a leading supplier of concert sound system services worldwide. The systems, which can deliver more than 350,000 watts of amplifier power, are configured to optimize sound quality and coverage in the 15,000- to 20,000-seat arenas that will host the tour. The touring system includes a total of 48 JBL VerTec VT4889 loudspeakers, arranged as line arrays in a typical configuration of two main forward arrays of 14 units each, and two side arrays of 10 units each. The main loudspeakers are augmented by 16 VT4880 arrayable dual-18-inch subwoofers, and onstage monitors.
Eric Clapton’s U.S. tour dates will begin with a performance at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, to be held in Dallas, Texas, from June 4 — 6. The North American arena tour starts June 9 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is scheduled to conclude with the August 2 Hollywood Bowl concert.
Paul Bente, president of JBL Consumer Products, noted, “JBL could not be more proud to be the sponsor of the Eric Clapton North American tour. Eric Clapton and JBL loudspeakers have both had a major impact in defining the sound of rock and roll — Clapton as a ‘guitarist’s guitarist’ and consummate musician, and JBL as the foremost supplier of high-quality loudspeakers for concert halls, recording studios and home listening. We are proud to take part in bringing audiences a thrilling concert experience from Eric Clapton and his band.”
Robert Collins, front-of-house mixer for the tour, said, “With JBL’s VerTec loudspeakers in the system, the sound quality on this tour is better than ever. The VerTec speakers’ clarity, resolution, on- and off-axis frequency response and high-power-handling capability are exceptional, and they excel at reproducing the full sonic spectrum from the deepest lows of the bass and kick drum to the most subtle high-frequency nuances. In fact, the sound is so good we can now provide our concert audiences with the same level of audio quality Eric Clapton and his band are able to achieve on recordings and in the studio.”
The tour will begin with a performance at the Crossroads Guitar Festival to be held in Dallas, Texas, from June 4 — 6. The North American arena tour dates and locations are as follows (subject to change):
Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center June 9
Little Rock, AK Alltel Arena June 11
New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena June 12
St. Petersburg, FL St. Petersburg Times Forum June 14
Ft. Lauderdale, FL Office Depot Center June 15
Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena June 16
Atlanta, GA Phillips Arena June 18
Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center June 19
Washington, DC MCI Center June 21
Albany, NY Pepsi Arena June 23
Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center June 26
New York, NY Madison Square Garden June 28
New York, NY Madison Square Garden June 29
New York, NY Madison Square Garden June 30
Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center July 3
Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center July 4
Toronto, ON, Canada Air Canada Centre July 7
Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena July 9
Cleveland, OH Gund Arena July 10
Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena July 12
Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills July 13
Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse July 15
Chicago, IL United Center July 17
St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center July 18
Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center July 20
Omaha, NE Qwest Center July 22
Denver, CO Pepsi Center Arena July 24
Seattle, WA Key Arena July 27
Portland, OR Rose Garden Arena July 28
San Jose, CA HP Pavilion July 30
San Jose, CA HP Pavilion July 31
Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl August 2
The Harman Consumer Systems Group (HCSG) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a wide range of high-fidelity loudspeakers, audio and video components, and multimedia systems for use in homes and automobiles, and with computers. The group’s brands include JBL, Infinity, Harman Kardon, Mark Levinson, Revel, Audioaccess and Lexicon.
HCSG is a division of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. Harman International (www.harman.com) is a leading manufacturer of high-quality, high-fidelity audio products and electronic systems for the consumer and professional markets. The company’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “HAR.”
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For additional information, contact:
Frank Doris
FM Group Public Relations
631-612-2400
frank.doris@fm-group.net
JBL and VerTec are registered trademarks, and Northridge is a trademark, of Harman International Industries, Incorporated.
Grammy is a registered trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., also known as the Recording Academy.
