Unsigned Band Boys Win Guitar Center On-Stage: Jane's Addiction, Will Open for Alt-Rock Pioneers in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its support of aspiring artists, Guitar Center (http://www.guitarcenter.com), the world's largest retailer of musical instruments and equipment, and Jane's Addiction today announced Boys as the winner of Guitar Center On-Stage: Jane's Addiction unsigned artist competition.  After an intense 8-week period of peer judging through OurStage.com, Jane's Addiction personally selected the winning band from the top 100 artists entered, giving Boys, from Denver, CO, the potentially career-altering opportunity to open for the band in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

Boys will open for the LA rock legends on the following dates:

9/24 – Chicago, IL – Metro

10/3 – Los Angeles, CA – VENUE TBA

10/17 – New York, NY – VENUE TBA

In addition to the incredible opening slot opportunity, Boys also won:

• $20,000 in new gear from Gibson and Epiphone
• A $10,000 Guitar Center shopping spree
• A mentoring session from Prospect Park, the management team behind Jane's Addiction

"We were honored that so many bands entered the contest, and we really think that Guitar Center deserves to be recognized for stepping up in a big way to help new talent get a chance to be heard," said Jane's Addiction in a joint statement from the band.

The Denver, CO based Boys (http://www.ourstage.com/profile/boys) mix hook-laden rock with an ominous undercurrent and the wailing vocals of lead singer Amanda.  They'll get a career boost from the break Guitar Center has provided through On-Stage, with the chance to open for LA rock legends in three major cities.

"This is honestly pretty crazy," says Ross, guitarist in Boys.  "Everybody in the band can't believe it.  I saw Jane's Addiction two years ago and was completely amazed by their performance, so for Guitar Center to give us the chance to open for such a legendary, influential band is just mind-blowing.  It's great to see a company like Guitar Center take such an interest in helping an unsigned band like us, especially with how easy it is to get overlooked these days."

Guitar Center On-Stage: Jane's Addiction is another example of Guitar Center's ongoing commitment to developing unique programming that provides unsigned artists and bands career altering opportunities.  Previous editions of Guitar Center On-Stage featured Motley Crue and KISS, with the Motley Crue winning band, The Last Vegas, going on to win iTunes critics' 2009 "Rock Single of the Year" with their hit single "I'm Bad".

Over the course of their 25-plus year career, Jane's Addiction merged alternative and rock like no one before, becoming the first alternative rock band and creating a new sound and attitude in the process. Writing the rulebook for alternative music and culture through their combination of genre-defying classic songs and trademark cinematic live experience, Jane's Addiction has sold over seven million records in the U.S. alone, garnering Grammy nominations and spearheading the movement of modern American festival culture by launching and headlining Lollapalooza.

2011 marks another momentous year for Jane's Addiction, with the band set to tour the world and release new album The Great Escape Artist (Capitol) on October 18, produced by Rich Costey (Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol) with TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek brought on as part of the creative team on bass.  The group was also recently inducted into Guitar Center 's RockWalk in Hollywood, joining other equally accomplished musicians and innovators such as Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Elvis Presley, Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash, Van Halen, AC/DC, Bonnie Raitt, Aerosmith, Carl Perkins, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Run-D.M.C and Queen, among numerous others.  

About Guitar Center

Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of musical instruments and equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates 220 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

The Guitar Center logo is a registered trademark of Guitar Center, Inc. Other brand or product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

About Jane's Addiction

Forming in 1985 in L.A., JANE'S ADDICTION has been firmly embedded in the collective pop culture consciousness for 25 years now. Perry Farrell stands out as one of music's most forward-thinking and enigmatic frontmen. Dave Navarro remains a veritable guitar god. Drummer Stephen Perkins' tribal stomp has also influenced a generation of percussionists. The hugely influential Los Angeles-based band has sold in excess of seven million records in the U.S. alone. When lead singer Perry Farrell created the traveling Lollapalooza festival, it galvanized the alternative rock movement and brought it to a whole new level.  JANE'S ADDICTION have written the rule book for alternative music and culture through a combination of genre-defying classic songs and a cinematic live experience. Great bands break rules, but legends write their own.

Look For THE GREAT ESCAPE ARTIST On Sale October 18 on Capitol Records

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SOURCE Guitar Center