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JULY 20, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS
TO PERFORM BENEFIT CONCERT TUESDAY, JULY 27 AT CHICAGO’S
METRO FOR MATTHEW LEONE, BASSIST FROM MADINA LAKE
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will perform a benefit concert next Tuesday, July 27 at Chicago’s Metro to raise money for medical care for Matthew Leone, bassist for Chicago band Madina Lake. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, July 21 at noon and the information is below.
Last month, Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone was hospitalized with severe brain trauma after intervening to stop a woman he passed on the street from being beaten by her husband. Matthew had left twin brother Nathan's Chicago apartment to meet a friend at a bar a few blocks away when he walked past the man beating his wife on the 1300th block of Ohio St. Even though the attacker was twice his size, Matthew immediately intervened and managed to subdue the attacker but as he waited for police to arrive, the attacker suddenly turned on Matthew, beating him severely. He then walked away with his wife, leaving Matthew unconscious on the street. Matthew was taken to UIC Hospital for emergency brain surgery wherein a third of his skull was removed to alleviate swelling. He's currently in stable condition awaiting an additional brain surgery to reapply the removed portion of his skull. Alleged suspect Justin Pivec is currently charged with Aggravated Battery Causing Serious Bodily Harm and out on bail pending a forthcoming hearing. As a musician, Matthew spends most of his life on tour and unfortunately his medical insurance had lapsed just two months prior to the incident. Friends of the band and the Chicago music community are rallying to help provide for Matthew’s medical needs.
There will be a raffle for tickets. Individuals can enter the raffle as many times as they wish for $10 each entry. A majority of the venue will be sold to raffle winners. Each winner will receive two tickets to the concert. Tickets are not transferable and winners must show ID matching their raffle entry. Raffle tickets will be available for sale through Metro website only beginning Wednesday July 21 at noon at http://www.metrochicago.com. The raffle will end at 2pm on Saturday July 24, 2010, and winners will be notified via email at 5pm on Saturday July 24, 2010.
There will also be a very limited amount of balcony VIP tickets put on sale for those fans who want to make a larger donation and ensure entry into this special event for $100 each. Balcony VIP tickets will go on sale Wednesday July 21 at noon.
Additionally, a limited amount of soundcheck VIP tickets will be available for $500 each. The soundcheck VIP event (approximately 30 minutes), set for the late afternoon, includes a meet and greet/photo with the Pumpkins and merchandise items, plus a seat at a table in the balcony for the show; this package is priced at $500 per person. Soundcheck VIP tickets will be available Wednesday July 21 at noon at http://www.metrochicago.com.
All proceeds from the raffle and concert will go to the Matthew Leone Fund at Sweet Relief. Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. For more information on Sweet Relief, visit http://www.sweetrelief.org.
Metro is the club where, on October 5, 1988, the Pumpkins truly landed on the musical map. They also chose the venue for a farewell concert on December 2, 2000, a four-hour-long show that featured 38 songs spanning the group’s career at that time. The Pumpkins have a long history of supporting other Chicago musicians.
"Matthew and I have been completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of compassion and support during this impossible time. It has proved that there are far more amazing people in the world than any other kind and we're grateful beyond words,” said Nathan Leone, Matthew’s twin brother and Madina Lake bandmate. “Being among the biggest Smashing Pumpkins fans in the world, we still haven't processed the fact that they are contributing in such an unprecedented way. Not only is this going to be a monumental event in our lives but more importantly it's a massive statement against domestic violence, violence against women and violence in general."
Tuesday, July 27: ON SALE WEDNESDAY 7/21 @ NOON:
Q101 Welcomes…
A Benefit For Matthew Leone…
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS * KILL HANNAH
$10 raffle entry, $100 Balcony VIP tickets, $500 Soundcheck VIP Tickets / All
Ages / Doors: 6:30PM /Show: 8PM
TICKETS:All tickets will go on sale Wednesday, July 21 at noon at the Metro website, http://www.metrochicago.com.
Raffle Tickets - Raffle tickets are $10 per entry and you can purchase as many entries as you wish, but you can only win one pair of tickets. Raffle ticket sales end at 2pm on Saturday July 24 and winners will be notified via email on Saturday July 24 at 5pm. Tickets to the event are not guaranteed with the purchase of a raffle ticket. Winning tickets will be redeemed the night of the show and the winner must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to claim winning tickets. All tickets are non-transferable.
Balcony VIP Tickets - A limited amount of balcony VIP tickets will be available for $100 each. There is a limit of 2 balcony VIP tickets per person. Duplicate purchases via credit card number or billing address will be cancelled. Balcony VIP tickets will be picked up at will call the night of the show and the ticket holder must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to pick up tickets. You will not receive your tickets until you enter the venue and there is absolutely no re-entry. All tickets are non-transferable.
Soundcheck VIP Tickets – A limited amount of soundcheck VIP tickets will be available for $500 each. There is a limit of 2 soundcheck VIP tickets per person. Duplicate purchases via credit card number or billing address will be cancelled. Soundcheck VIP tickets will be picked up at will call the afternoon of soundcheck show and the ticket holder must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to pick up tickets. You will not receive your tickets until you enter the venue and there is absolutely no re-entry. All tickets are non-transferable.
About Metro:Metro is one of the country’s most renowned independent concert venues. Established in July 1982, Metro has become a playground for new and developing local artists as well as showcasing the best cutting edge bands from around the globe for twenty-five years. For more information, visit www.metrochicago.com
About THE SMASHING PUMPKINS:The Smashing Pumpkins have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history and sold over 30 million albums. Formed in Chicago in 1988, they released Gish, their influential (and platinum) debut in 1991, which was followed by more platinum and multi-platinum albums including the nine-time platinum Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness and the four-time platinum Siamese Dream as well as the platinum certified 1998 album Adore. The pivotal group’s many hits defined the alternative music era and continue to resonate on modern rock radio, influencing a whole new generation. The Pumpkins returned in 2007 with their gold-certified and acclaimed sixth album Zeitgeist, which entered the charts at Number 2 in the U.S. and in the Top Ten internationally. Since their triumphant return to the stage in 2007, the Pumpkins have headlined some of the biggest events around the globe including the Reading Festival, Rock Am Ring, and the V fest. In 2008, the band was inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk. Their first post-major label release was the song “Superchrist,” issued via the Guitar Center CD Fresh Cuts Vol. 2. They subsequently recorded the song--the modern rock hit--“G.L.O.W.” for the Guitar Hero® World Tour game, marking the first time a band has recorded a new song exclusively for the franchise. In November 2008, the band released their first live DVD, If All Goes Wrong. In December 2009 The Smashing Pumpkins began releasing Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, a 44-song work with songs being released online one at a time for free (4-song physical EPs will be made available as the songs are released). The group’s BILLY CORGAN has said the new music “harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins; atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.” www.smashingpumpkins.com
