Avril Lavigne Celebrates Album Release With Broadband Rocks Concert Live Only On
New York, NY – May 20, 2004 – On the eve of the release of her eagerly anticipated second album, Under My Skin, former AOL Music Breaker artist Avril Lavigne will perform a special live Broadband Rocks concert from New York City’s historic Webster Hall. The free, ticketed event will be broadcast live exclusively for AOL for Broadband members on Monday, May 24, America Online, Inc., the world’s leading Interactive services company, announced today. The live concert broadcast begins at 9:00 PM ET at AOL Keyword: Broadband Rocks.
“I’m really excited about my new album,” said Avril Lavigne. “AOL has been with me since the beginning and I’m really looking forward to our show as a way to say ‘thanks.'”
The full video of the show will also be available on demand immediately following the live broadcast for 10 days for AOL for Broadband members. AOL for Broadband members can listen to the show in its entirety on commercial-free, CD-quality Radio@AOL for Broadband, while AOL’s dial-up members can experience the complete concert on Radio@AOL. AOL will also make the concert available in full to all of Lavigne’s fans for a limited time on the Web. Fans will have a special opportunity to watch the entire concert for free by visiting AOL.com (www.aol.com), beginning the afternoon of May 25 and continuing through June 1, 2004.
“Since Avril first appeared as a Breaker artist, months before ‘Complicated’ was on the radio, the response from our members has been nothing short of phenomenal,” said Evan Harrison, Vice President and General Manager of AOL Music. “Avril’s first stripped down appearance on Sessions@AOL, more than two years ago, created an immediate reaction. Now, after selling 14 million records, we’re thrilled to welcome her back to perform with a full band, as part of our Broadband Rocks series the night before her new release.”
Lavigne was named an AOL Breaker artist in March of 2002, three months before the smash release of her debut album, Let Go. The innovative promotional campaign for the release included the exclusive debut of the album’s first single, “Complicated,” as well as the premiere of the video, before radio or television. The First Listen and First View debuts, along with an appearance on Sessions@AOL and a full CD Listening Party of the album, received a total of 1.1 million interactions prior to the album’s release and are considered major catalysts for Let Go’s phenomenal success. Let Go has since sold 14 million copies worldwide.
In preparation for Under My Skin, Lavigne again turned to AOL, before radio or TV, for the First Listen and First View debuts of her latest single and video, “Don’t Tell Me.” She also made a second appearance on Sessions@AOL and programmed her very own Celebrity DJ station for the AOL Radio@ Network, spinning songs from her favorite artists. The Broadband Rocks concert follows Lavigne’s recently completed nationwide mall tour, which was sponsored by AOL for Broadband. Under My Skin will be released on May 25, on RCA Records.
“The enormous success of our Broadband Rocks concerts has introduced many consumers who already have a basic high-speed Internet connection to the numerous benefits of also having an AOL for Broadband subscription,” said Shawn Hardin, Senior Vice President for AOL for Broadband. “By inviting fans on the Web to experience a great live performance from one of the world’s hottest young stars, for a limited time, we’re fully demonstrating the kind of premier and exclusive programming we offer to our AOL for Broadband members everyday.”
Lavigne’s concert follows the massive success of March’s Broadband Rocks Live concert with Usher, which was broadcast live on the night of release of his multi-platinum selling album, Confessions. AOL members streamed Usher’s concert a record-breaking 1.48 million times in one week. Throughout the month of April, Usher’s music was streamed over 11.8 million times. The individual performance of “Burn” from the Broadband Rocks concert is still featured in AOL Music’s weekly Top 11 videos. In addition to Usher, AOL’s original Broadband Rocks series has featured live concerts with diverse artists such as Foo Fighters, Hilary Duff, Alicia Keys and more.
Through the promotion of this special Broadband Rocks live concert, AOL will help raise awareness and funds for children in Africa affected with HIV/AIDS through the charitable organization Keep a Child Alive, (www.keepachildalive.org). Avril Lavigne will be featured in a public service announcement as a part of the campaign. AOL has made an allotment of tickets available for purchase through StubHub, (www.stubhub.com); with all proceeds from the ticket sales going to benefit Keep a Child Alive.
AOL will also make tickets for the event available through giveaways on Z-100 in New York City and several Infinity Broadcasting radio stations around the country. Fans can also get tickets at select NY retail outlets and from Avril Lavigne’s official fan club.
The upcoming spring lineup of previously recorded concerts appearing on Broadband Rocks includes Marc Anthony’s 2001 Concert from Madison Square Garden, matchbox twenty’s Show: A Night in the Live of matchbox twenty, a rebroadcast of Hilary Duff’s exclusive AOL Music Broadband Rocks Live concert from Los Angeles and Shania Twain’s 2003 concert, Up! Live from Chicago. New Broadband Rocks concerts premiere each Thursday afternoon. One song from each of the Broadband Rocks concerts will be available to AOL members on a narrowband connection, as well as to users of the Netscape, AOL Instant Messenger and CompuServe services.