Posted on: April 1, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

THE ORIGINAL ASIA will be playing the House of Blues, 308 Euclid Avenue, in Cleveland on April 19.  The venue phone is 216-523-BLUE.  Tickets are $35 and $47.50.

In addition to the tour, the group is releasing PHOENIX, its first studio album since 1983.  Recorded last August by all four original members,
PHOENIX will be released on CD and digitally by EMI America
Records in North America and by Frontiers Records in the rest of
the world. Since 1982, ASIA has sold more than 15 million albums
globally,  and the band has announced a world tour to support the
release of PHOENIX, with U.S. dates confirmed for April and
May.

PHOENIX marks a return to the classic ASIA sound, with some
surprising contemporary twists. “Everything that was there 25
years ago is still there, and quite simply, if you liked it then, you’ll
love it now,” says ASIA’s singer and bassist John Wetton. “It does
exactly what it says on the tin.” “The recording has gone very well,
especially since John is writing, singing and playing great,”
adds guitarist Steve Howe. “I believe we’ve all found the teamwork
creatively rewarding and we look forward to playing some new
songs onstage.” Phoenix is a collection of songs that speak to the
millions of core ASIA fans who, like the group, have come a long
way since the dawn of the MTV age in 1982.

“We’re older now, and our audience has grown up with us,” says
drummer Carl Palmer. “I think the lyrical themes on this
record are some of the best John has ever developed. One track in
particular, ‘Extraordinary Life,’ is among the best tracks we’ve ever
recorded, and I believe could go on to be another ASIA
classic.”

PHOENIX has a very poignant underlying theme placed at the
intersection of love, discovery and reflection, no doubt due, at least
partly, to Wetton’s unexpected serious health issues (which
included open heart surgery), and forced the cancellation of ASIA’s
2007 West Coast North American tour and a sold-out tour of the
United Kingdom.

“It kind of knocked me sideways on another level,” said Wetton of
his recent surgery and physical rehabilitation, in an interview with
journalist Jeb Wright. “You tend to become very aware of your
mortality and your vulnerability.” Fortunately for his fans, Wetton
has recovered fully and his band mates say he is singing and
playing better than ever. “John is a survivor,” adds ASIA
keyboardist Geoff Downes. “He has proved that a few times now.
There was never any doubt in our minds that he would recover and
be better than ever. We all look forward to hitting the road once
again.”

Says Carl Palmer: “The last few years since we reunited have been a
very natural process. The recording started and ended on a big
high with the sense that Asia now was truly reborn and ready to
move forward once again – onto the global stage where we all feel it
justly belongs.”

ASIA’s four original members reunited in 2006, 23 years after all
four had last played together. The much publicized reunion resulted
in two highly successful world tours in 2006 and 2007; an
acclaimed double live LP and DVD (Fantasia: Live In Tokyo); and an
overwhelming response from fans and the media, which continues
today.

This will be the third world tour for the four accomplished
musicians, whose debut album, ASIA, was released 26 years ago in
1982 and remains one of only four albums in history to hold the #1
Billboard album chart position for a staggering nine weeks. Formed
at the dawn of the MTV era, ASIA was the first ‘supergroup’ of
the 1980s, featuring members from Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer,
King Crimson and The Buggles. Videos made for the band’s first two
albums, ASIA and Alpha, were staples of the historic music
channel’s initial programming.

US – 2008
April 4 Wilkes Barre, PA – Kirby PAC
April 5 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Casino Wolf Den
April 7 Harrisburg, PA – Sunoco Performance Theater
April 8 Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
April 10 Collingswood, NJ – Scottish Rite Auditorium
April 12 Westbury, NY – North Fork Theatre
April 13 Peekskill, NY – Paramount Center For The Arts
April 15 Verona, NY – Turning Stone Resort & Casino
April 16 Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theatre
April 17 Englewood, NJ – Bergen Performing Arts Center
April 19 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
April 20 Chicago, IL – House of Blues
April 21 Indianapolis, IN – Music Mill
April 23 Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
April 26 Marksville, LA – Paragon Casino
April 27 Dallas, TX – House of Blues
April 29 Espanola NM – Big Rock Casino
April 30 Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theatre
May 2 Agoura Hills, CA – Canyon Club
May 3 Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
May 4 San Juan Capistrano, CA – The Coach House
May 5 San Francisco, CA – Grand Ballroom @ The Regency Center

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