Anastasio, Harper to Headline Zooma Tour

Anastasio, Harper to Headline Zooma Tour
April 18, 2005 - Reuters/Billboard
By Ray Waddell

Former Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals will headline this summer's inaugural Zooma tour.
Twenty to 25 guest acts will rotate performances throughout the tour, with at least four guest acts playing on each date. Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment, creators of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, are assembling the tour.
"No one act will play any more than five dates," Jonathan Mayers, president of Superfly, told Billboard.
The Zooma tour will begin June 16 and play amphitheaters in at least 28 major North American markets, concluding on July 31. A multifaceted entertainment event, the tour will feature two performance stages and an activity village with vendors and attractions.
A confirmed list of dates and performers will follow in the next few weeks. Ticket prices will be in the low-$30 range for lawn seats, and in the mid-$40 range for pavilion seats, Mayers said.
Bonnaroo, which takes place in Manchester, Tenn., has been the top-grossing festival in the U.S. in each of its first three years. Headlined last year by Dave Matthews, the Dead and Anastasio, the event grossed $14.5 million.
This year's Bonnaroo is set for June 10-12 and will feature Widespread Panic, the Allman Brothers band, Dave Matthews Band, Gov't Mule and the Black Crowes, among many others.
The festival's vibe should carry over into the touring realm for Zooma, according to Mayers. "Bonnaroo is a different event, so we knew we wanted a different name for this tour," he said. "We feel like the spirit of Bonnaroo is more than just an event in Tennessee. It's an overall concept of a good buy for the bands, diversity of the music, and other activities."
Zooma is the second major jam-band tour to be announced for this summer. On Friday, it was announced that the String Cheese Incident will headline the BIG Summer Classic 2005, which will launch July 2-3 at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colo.

Article Copyright © 2005 Reuters/Billboard