Bon Jovi names 'Have a Nice Gig' winner
Bon Jovi has crowned Detroit's Jody Raffoul Band the winner of its "Have a Nice Gig" opening-act competition.
The victory means that Raffoul and company will open for Bon Jovi during the multi-platinum rockers' summer concert at Giants Stadium, and will also receive a demo-recording contract, according to a press release.
Sponsored by XM Satellite Radio, the competition gave 24 unsigned artists from 17 cities the chance to open for Bon Jovi during stops on the band's late-2005 tour. The Jody Raffoul Band beat out hundreds of other unsigned Detroit-area artists to score the opening set at Bon Jovi's concert in that city, and was among four finalists from which Bon Jovi had to select a winner for the recording deal and Giants Stadium show.
Audio and performance footage of The Jody Raffoul Band and the other three finalists is available at the contest's website.
Bon Jovi and XM will soon announce details of the winners for the tour's in-progress winter leg, according to a press release.
Bon Jovi is nearing the end of the tour's latest leg, which backs the group's latest album, "Have a Nice Day." The band, which expects to remain on the road throughout 2006, will launch a European trek in May, details about which are posted at the official Bon Jovi website.
"Have a Nice Day" surfaced last September and moved 201,881 copies during its debut week, marking a career-high first-week total for the group.
March 2006
1 - Fresno, CA - SaveMart Center
3 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
5 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena
6 - Seattle, WA - KeyArena
9 - Glendale, AZ - Glendale Arena
11 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
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