Cage The Elephant, Silversun Pickups & More to Embark On Spring Fling Rock AF 2016

This March, Cage The Elephant, Silversun Pickups, Foals, and Bear Hands will embark on Spring Fling Rock AF 2016. The 15-city U.S. arena tour packages some of the best and brightest names in alternative music today, and harkens back to the days when artists crisscrossed the country together on package tours - often hitting cities and towns that otherwise wouldn't have access to live music from so many artists at one time.

Spring Fling Rock AF 2016 kicks off in Fresno, CA on March 11, 2016 at Save Mart Center and will wind down on April 1st in Providence, RI at Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, RI - also hitting markets such as Sacramento, CA, Tulsa, OK, Buffalo, NY, and more along the way. Tickets for Spring Fling Rock AF will be available for purchase beginning this Friday, January 15th at 10:00 AM local time. Spring Fling Rock AF is produced by Frank Productions and Goldenvoice.

Grammy-nominated Kentucky rock band Cage the Elephant's highly anticipated fourth studio album, Tell Me I'm Pretty, was recently released on December 18th and debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts. The album, which Rolling Stone called "their best yet," was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys & The Arcs (Lana Del Rey, Ray LaMontagne, The Black Keys, The Arcs), mixed by Tom Elmhirst (Amy Winehouse, Adele, Florence + the Machine) and recorded at Easy Eye Sound in Nashville, TN, near the band's home town of Bowling Green, KY. The band recently performed their new single "Mess Around" on The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Tell Me I'm Pretty follows Cage the Elephant's third album Melophobia, which had two Number One singles on the Alternative charts and was nominated for a Grammy, their sophomore album Thank You Happy Birthday, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and their self-titled debut album. Cage The Elephant consists of singer Matt Shultz, guitarist Brad Shultz, bassist Daniel Tichenor, and drummer Jared Champion.

"There's a real sense of camaraderie and a shared philosophy amongst all of us on this tour," said Cage The Elephant front man Matt Shultz. "We come from all over the world, but we share a love of music and being on the road. These shows will celebrate that spirit."

Silversun Pickups is among the most dynamic and creative rock bands of the modern era, hailed far and wide for their inimitable merging of ethereal melodies and pure sonic force. From the indie rock opening salvo of 2005's Pikul EP to 2012's far-reaching Neck of the Woods, each successive release has seen the Silverlake, CA-based band boldly venture into uncharted terrain, bravely pushing their imagination and ability towards new and surprising summits. Better Nature marks the debut release from Silversun Pickups' own New Machine Recordings. The label - which takes its name from the Pikul favorite, "...All The Go Inbetweens" - allows the ever-autonomous band to fully determine its own course without any interference from on high.

"It's going to be so fun to be able to play with these bands who are like family to us," said Silversun Pickups' lead singer Brian Aubert. "We're all going to keep each other on the top of our game. A great game. Let the games begin."

Foals current album What Went Down was released this past August on Warner Music and emerged to the best reviews of the band's career as it debuted at #3 and commanded a Top 20 chart position for four weeks in the UK. Shortly after the album's release, the band won 'Best Act In The World' at the Q Awards and received a BBC Music Award Nomination for 'British Artist of the Year'. Foals was also nominated for four awards at the 2016 NME Awards, including 'Best British Band', "Best Live Band', 'Best Album', and 'Best Track'. What Went Down is an album that grapples with questions that are a world away from the bland bleatings of homogenized pop: permanence and impermanence; life and death; solitude; vulnerability; intimacy; passion; rage; humanity - weighty issues that make demands of the people creating that music, and of all those who listen to it, too. Sonically, it's an album that precariously seesaws between primal aggression and naked vulnerability.

"We're juiced to be able to hit the road with this group of musicians," added Foals' Yannis Philippakis. "We all put an emphasis on delivering a high-energy live show to our fans and with four bands on the bill each night... you do the math."

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Bear Hands was formed in 2006 by college classmates Dylan Rau (vocals/guitar/keys) and Ted Feldman (guitar/keys) along with prominent local musicians Val Loper (bass) and TJ Orscher (drums). Following 2007's Golden EP, the band released their full-length debut Burning Bush Supper Club in 2010, which they supported touring with artists as diverse as Passion Pit, GZA and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Bear Hands then released the free EP Songs From Utopia Vol. 1 on July 4th, 2012 as a gift to fans. After a short hiatus, the band came back together to release 2014's Distraction, featuring the hit singles "Giants" and "Agora." After the release of Distraction, the band hit the road headlining across North America and Europe, including appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Reading & Leeds, Made In America, Life Is Beautiful and Firefly Festival. Recently the band has been putting the finishing touches on their third full-length album, the details of which will be announced soon.

"I feel lucky I get to see this lineup of bands play every night for a month," said Bear Hand's Dylan Rau. "Everybody's personality colors the way they perform music and it's always fascinating to see how people transform from backstage brushing your teeth in the parking lot to wailing on guitar or beating up the drums. I hope the tour never ends."

Spring Fling Rock AF 2016

March 11 - Save Mart Center - Fresno, CA
March 12 - Sleep Train Arena - Sacramento, CA
March 13 - Radobank Arena - Bakersfield, CA
March 16 - Don Haskins Center - El Paso, TX
March 18 - Cox Business Center - Tulsa, OK
March 19 - Landers Center - Southaven, MS
March 20 - Freedom Hall Civic Center - Johnson City, TN
March 22 - Richmond Coliseum - Richmond, VA
March 23 - Constant Convocation Center - Norfolk, VA
March 25 - Petersen Events Center - Pittsburgh, PA
March 26 - Main Street Armory - Rochester, NY
March 28 - First Niagara Center - Buffalo, NY
March 30 - XL Center - Hartford, CT
March 31 - Cross Insurance Arena - Portland, ME
April 1 - Dunkin' Donuts Center - Providence, RI

*Tickets on sale Friday, January 15th at 10:00 AM (local)

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