‘A Celebration of Taylor’ with the All-American Rejects and Reed Waddle to be held at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center in Niceville, FL
Niceville, Fla. (February 27, 2009) – The Taylor Haugen Foundation announces “A Celebration of Taylor,” a special tribute concert featuring a rare acoustic performance by the multi-platinum recording artist The All-American Rejects on Wednesday, March 18th at 6:30pm at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center in Niceville, Fla. Local favorite Reed Waddle will perform the opening act. Tickets go on sale March 3rd and are $40 per person. To reserve tickets, visit www.mattiekellyartscenter.org. Seats are limited and all proceeds from the event will directly benefit the Taylor Haugen Foundation.
All American Rejects
All American Rejects
“We are so thrilled that The All-American Rejects were gracious enough to agree to perform a benefit concert in T’s honor,” said Brian Haugen, father of Taylor Haugen. “The All-American Rejects were one of his favorite bands and together with Reed Waddle we can’t imagine a more special way to celebrate T and those who were touched by his life. The concert date also holds significance for us because it will take place just two days after what would have been T’s 16th birthday.”
Originally from Oklahoma, The All-American Rejects have released three studio albums in the last eight years and have since become one of the country’s most popular multi-platinum artists achieving success with their self-titled studio debut album followed by their multi-platinum sophomore cd Move Along. The band’s latest album When The World Comes Down was released on December 16th, 2008 and the band is currently on a world tour which kicked off in January. The first single off their new album, ”Gives You Hell” is #5 on the charts with digital sales in excess of $1.7 million.
The idea for the tribute concert was birthed during one of the initial Taylor Haugen Foundation meetings back in October of last year. “We were discussing different ideas for hosting a special event that would both commemorate Taylor while also creating awareness about the foundation and its purpose,” added Madra Medina McDonald, a public relations representative for the foundation. ”After approaching The All-American Rejects, they were immediately receptive to the idea. For them it was never a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ they could work it into their schedule. To say we are grateful for their willingness to perform would be an understatement.”
“I was actually in the Panhandle area at the time of Taylor’s death, and remember reading about the tragedy,” said Tyson Ritter, lead vocalist of The All-American Rejects. “We love the area and feel honored that we are able to support the Taylor Haugen Foundation through this concert.”
The selection of opening act Reed Waddle was an easy choice for the foundation. A close friend of the Haugen family, Waddle knew Taylor well and his performance will add a personal note in what is sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime concert. The Destin native just returned from Aspen, CO where he recorded his fourth album Piece by Piece with the assistance of multi-platinum pop icon John Oates of the famed duo Hall & Oates, and producer Jamie Rosenberg.
For more information on The All-American Rejects, visit www.allamericanrejects.com. To learn more about Reed Waddle, visit www.reedwaddle.com.
