3766 Old Clyattville Road Valdosta, Georgia 31601 Phone (229) 219-7080 WildAdventures.com MEDIA RELEASE Contact: Laurie Windham (229) 740-3834 For Release: February 13, 2017 [email protected] Facebook: facebook.com/wildadventures Twitter: twitter.com/wild_adventures Wild Adventures Announces 2017 Concerts and Special Events Something for everyone at Valdosta’s hometown theme park Valdosta, GA – Wild Adventures Theme Park revealed its complete 2017 All-Star Concert Series Monday with an impressive list of award-winning musical acts including classic country, traditional rock and roll, Christian and pop stars. All 15 concerts are included with park admission or a 2017 Season Pass. Reserved seats are available at an additional cost with an exclusive one-week advance sale for season passholders only, beginning at 9 AM, Friday, February 24. Reserved concert seats are available for purchase by all guests starting March 3. Wild Adventures opens for the 2017 season on Saturday, March 11. Splash Island Water Park opens on April 1 with the debut of Ohana Bay, a fun-filled water oasis with seven new water slides, a family restroom and more than 100 shaded seats. The first artist of the year will be performing that same day with the Season Passholder Appreciation Concert featuring country superstar, John Michael Montgomery. Reserved seats for that concert are available for free only to Season Passholders on a first-come, first-serve basis the day of the concert. There will be local talent opening for each concert this season on the Lonestar Stage, located near the concert area. 2017 Concert Dates * April 1 John Michael Montgomery – Passholder Appreciation Concert April 8 The Beach Boys April 22 Lecrae April 29 Rodney Atkins May 6 The All American Rejects May 13 for King & Country May 20 Chris Janson May 27 Lynyrd Skynyrd June 3 Kirk Franklin June 10 Big & Rich June 17 Huey Lewis & The News June 24 MercyMe July 8 Maddie & Tae July 22 The LACS August 5 Skillet *All performers, dates and special events are subject to change due to circumstances beyond the park’s control. Very Special Events In addition to award-winning concerts, Wild Adventures also has many very special events scheduled for the 2017 Season. From Stars of Wrestling to the world famous Harlem Globetrotters to July Fourth Fireworks and a BBQ competition, there will be something to satisfy every entertainment desire. Reserved seats for special events will be handled on an individual basis. Artist Information John Michael Montgomery: Born in Danville, Kentucky to parents who gave him a lifelong love of music, it was that family background that led John Michael Montgomery from a small-time family band to the top of the charts, turning from unknown artist to national star in the days of “Life’s A Dance.” From there, his undeniable talent and proven knack for picking hits led to popular singles like “I Swear,” “I Love the Way You Love Me,” “I Can Love You Like That,” “Be My Baby Tonight,” and “Letters From Home.” Now, with the release of Time Flies, John Michael takes another big step forward, strengthening his position as one of the most versatile and compelling vocalists on the country scene. The Beach Boys: Few, if any, can match The Beach Boys’ concert presence, spirit and performance. The band has been center-stage at the Statue of Liberty’s 100th Anniversary Salute, the Super Bowl and the White House. And for good reason – the Beach Boys have become an American classic, known as one of the most celebrated and successful pop bands of all time, and have even been called America’s first rock band. Still, the Beach Boys continue to have fun, fun, fun, with no end in sight. Just five years ago, original members of the band reunited for a 50th Anniversary Tour that only helped to fuel a resurgence of interest in the Beach Boys’ bold imagination and style with the follow-up release of certified triple-platinum Sounds of Summer and its companion The Warmth of the Sun in 2016. Lecrae: A two-time Grammy Award winning hip-hop artist, Lecrae made history when his 2014 album Anomaly took No. 1 in both the Billboard Top 200 and Gospel Albums, not to mention No. 1 in Rap, Digital, Christian, and Independent charts. Referring to himself as a ‘social anthropologist,’ Lecrae seeks the most authentic connection possible with fans around the world who embrace his music. Some of his most celebrated songs include "All I Need Is You," “Nothin,” “Background,” and “Tell the World.” Rodney Atkins: With the 2015 release of his first-ever hits compilation, Rodney Atkins – Greatest Hits, the award-winning singer/songwriter shares 11 of his best-loved songs and puts a fresh spin on the simple pleasures of everyday love with his single, “Eat Sleep Love You Repeat.” His six No.1 smashes include “Take A Back Road,” “It’s America,” “Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy),” “These Are My People,” “Watching You” and “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows).” The All-American Rejects: Since the start of their career, alternative-rock/power pop titans The All-American Rejects have sold more than 10 million albums worldwide and helped define a post-emo sound that was the soundtrack of a decade. Known best for the 2005 certified double platinum album Move Along featuring such iconic hit singles as “Dirty Little Secret,” “Move Along,” and “It Ends Tonight,” the band’s most successful song “Gives You Hell” surprised and thrilled fans three years later. Celebrated on both “Hot 100 Artists of the 2000s” and “Billboard 200 Artists of the Decade,” The All-American Rejects recently wrapped up a tour with Blink 182, and are expected to release an extended play later this year. For King & Country: These brothers first caught the attention of mainstream America right around the time that Billboard Magazine named the band as one of the publication’s “New Artist to Watch” in 2012. For King & Country made good on that bet with Crave, the debut album that put the band on the map. In 2014, second album Run Wild. Live Free. Run Strong. rose to No. 13 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 2 on ITunes with the lead single, “Fix My Eyes.” The following year saw For King & Country take home two Grammy awards for that album while fans continue to follow the band’s unique theatrical sound that some have described as “Australia’s answer to Coldplay.” Lynyrd Skynyrd: This Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group put the Southern rock genre on the map when the band rose to fame in the 70’s and secured a place in history with the 1974 beloved classic American rock anthem, “Sweet Home Alabama.” The song was Lynyrd Skynyrd’s second single after “Free Bird” from their 1973 debut album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), the first of what would be a long catalog of over 60 albums and more than 300 million records sold. Today, after surviving enough tragedy and hard times for several bands, Lynyrd Skynyrd is back on a roll. After hitting #18 on the Billboard Top 200 with God & Guns in 2009, the band has only continued to impress with their latest, Last of a Dyin’ Breed. Against it all, they have remained a cultural icon, and continue to appeal to their multiple generations of fans. Chris Janson: His professional music career began almost ten years ago when Chris Janson started writing multiple top-charting hits including “Truck Yeah” (Tim McGraw), “That's How I'll Always Be” (Tim McGraw), and “I Love This Life” (LoCash). It wasn’t until 2015 that Chris released his own first album, Buy Me a Boat, and a breakthrough #1 Platinum single of the same name that took home the title of Country Song of the Year from the iHeartRadio Music Awards. His latest single, “Holdin’ Her,” is the third single off his debut, and possibly the most personal song he’s written to date. It was released in 2016, the same year that he performed on Dolly Parton’s 3-hour Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund telethon. The fundraiser brought in over $9 million and will benefit the Sevier County residents who lost their homes to the East Tennessee wildfires for the next six months. Kirk Franklin: A top selling contemporary gospel artist for the past two decades, Kirk Franklin has been honored with 10 Grammy awards along the way. He first revolutionized gospel music in 1993 when he bridged the gap between the faith community and the mainstream Urban Music culture, making way for songs like “I Smile,” “Stomp,” and “Why We Sing.” His fusion of the gospel message and hip-hop beats have made him a mainstay atop Billboard charts for more than 20 years. Big & Rich: As America's Technicolor cowboys, and brothers-in-arms to the creed that great music has no boundaries. It’s something Big & Rich have believed in since the debut of their certified triple-platinum album Horse of a Different Color, when they first established the sound that has become synonymous with their name. The album’s 2004 single, “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” only helped cement that sound. In 2012, they released their fourth album Hillbilly Jedi with Richie Sambora and Jon Bo Jovi (who not only co-wrote some songs, but also helped secure permission to use “Jedi” in the album title). 2014 saw their latest album, Gravity, and back-to-back Top Ten hits for the first time in the band’s career with “Look at You” and “Run Away With You.” Huey Lewis & The News: Huey Lewis & The News is one of America’s great 80’s Rock & Roll bands with an unmistakable sound and undeniable “Heart and Soul.” Even after nearly four decades of writing and performing, the band’s love of music comes through in every song and performance, keeping the band’s contagious brand of music as fresh today as it ever was.