The Slants Convention Presskit 2011
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In 2007, The Slants kicked off their career in Contact Info: a small dive bar in Portland, OR. Three years later, we could barely believe what we achieved in that short time: ten tours across North America, released three albums, we rejected a million dollar recording contract, and performed more anime conventions than any other band in existence. However, the greatest barometer of success has been the feedback of the fans and the people we’ve worked with. I am contacting you today because we’d love to work with you. Sure, the band has a track record of success. The Slants LLC With over 1,500 TV shows, radio stations, 8026 SE Reedway St magazines, and websites talking about the Portland, OR 97206 group, it should be no surprise how many (226) 24-SLANT results you get when doing an online search of “The Slants.” But the best reason to host Management: The Slants at your event is that we are Last Stop Booking Agency professional and yet, easy to work with. We [email protected] respond quickly to every inquiry, we spend (503) 754-8703 time with your attendees to make sure they have the best experience possible. It’s no Publicity: In Music We Trust PR wonder why we were said to be “pound for [email protected] pound, dollar for dollar, the best value and (503) 557-9661 guests any convention can bring in.” Official Websites: [Letter From the Editor] So take a look and get in touch with us. You’ll theslants.com see why we make a great fit for the anime myspace.com/theslants facebook.com/theslants and comic book convention world. If you twitter.com/theslants have any questions, contact me anytime. youtube.com/slantsvideos Regards, Simon Tam (503) 754-8703 [email protected] FACTS, NUMBERS, & THINGS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION... • 1.7 Million hits at theslants.com since 2008 • In the first 3 years: 10 tours, 3 albums, and 300 live appearances across the globe. • Featured on 1,500+ radio stations. TV shows, magazines, and websites worldwide. • “Album of the Year” from the Portland Music Awards, Rockwired Magazine, Willamette Week, Shojo Beat, AsiaXpress, and many more. 1. Excellent Value 6. We Can Sound Check in First and only Asian band to be a Fender Music You want a good bang for Less Than One Hour • your buck. The Slants offer Some bands push your spotlight artist, worldwide. pro-entertainment for your scheduled main events back • Guests of Honor at 50+ fandom conventions, music, audience, while giving you a few hours because they and cultural festivals. things like incentive prizes can’t wrap-up sound check. to boost pre-registration. We show up on time and get things done. “They’ve described themselves as 2. No Con-Drama No “extra care” required 7. Programming Galore ‘Chinatown Dance Rock’ but The Slants here. The band and support In addition to concerts and are far from a novelty act. The band’s staff work hard to make working with your main infectious, urgent electro-pop has won sure everything runs events, you will also have fans of all stripes and colors, from smoothly so the crowd gets plenty of great panels to the best experience. choose from as well. anime aficionados to comic collectors to musos and beyond, and their 3. Extra Media Attention 8. Expand Your Con Staff rollicking live show is not to be missed” Our publicist has secured Not only do you get a pro (The Stranger , Vol 17, No 15) radio play, TV shows, and band, but we also come with press features on almost 2 certified sound techs, a every convention we’ve publicist, a booking agency, played at. Who else can and a marketing specialist say they got a con featured who will get your event more on over 700 FM stations outreach opportunities. across the country? 9. A Remarkable Concert 4. We Attract New Fans The band has one of the best We can attract new fans live shows in the industry. who are outside of the Fans often say it’s the best convention realm. We often part of any convention that have fans that cross state- they go to. lines just to see The Slants play at conventions. 10. Authentic Asians! Get credibility by bringing in 5. We Attract Sponsors some diversity! Celebrate the We’ve helped secure new beauty of Asian culture with sponsors for events across one of the most respected the country and can help and well-known artists in the you get more prizes or Asian Pacific American funding for your con. community. “The Asian Band That Could …” The Slants , a history (also on animecons.com) It’s rare for a band to be headlining shows with The Willamette Week summarizes the band’s history perfectly: 5,000-15,000 fans in attendance and internationally “It’s a great story: All-Asian synthcore troupe lands anime touring in their first year as a band . Perla Cadena of festival, achieves instantaneous notoriety from over packed Sony BMG Music Ent. says "They are setting new records fireball-laden maelstrom, inspires John Woo and Dragon Ball Z everyday for what an independent artist can accomplish." fans toward aggro electro and—just months after its first practice—books gigs across the globe. As shadow warriory as What originated as a side project for Simon Young in 2007 the Slants’ rise has been, it’s still all about the tunes, and the proved to be one of the most energetic and contagious band’s debut floor-filling synth pop bristling with all the movements of music in our time. Incase you haven’t heard, menace and grandeur of its oft name checked cultural icons - The Slants are the first and only all Asian American is propulsive, cinematic and impossible to ignore .” synth-pop band in the world and they have been melting faces off all over the globe. By the end of 2008, the band had been featured in over 1,200 magazines, radio stations, websites, and television shows for Kicking off the band’s career at a tiny dive bar in Portland, their self-proclaimed “Chinatown Dance Rock,” including a OR, The Slants soon found themselves on tour and in feature on NPR’s “All Things Considered” that blasted demand worldwide performing at music halls, colleges, and across 700 FM stations across the country for months. anime conventions. Within months, they released their debut album Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts, winning multiple awards from the likes of Willamette Week, Rockwired, AsiaXpress, and the Portland Music Awards. Since that first iconic show in 2007, The Slants have been cited as the “ Hardest Working Asian American Band ” (slanteyefortheroundeye.com), toured North America ten times, rejected a million dollar recording contract, were the first and only Asian band to be a Fender Music artist, and according to U.S Congress, the first rock band to play inside a state library. The following year, The Slants headlined a SXSW showcase (other acts at the festival included Katy Perry , Metallica , and Devo ), launched several more tours spanning North America, and released a dance remix album entitled Slants! Slants! Revolution , while donating 100% of the proceeds to benefit cancer research affecting Asian American women. 2010 saw the release of The Slants' third album, Pageantry . Pageantry featured a number of music icons including Cory Gray ( The Decemberists ) and Brandon Eggleston ( Modest Mouse ), The harder hitting, guitar driven songs still featured The Slants' signature dance rock flavor and again, massive touring throughout the country continued. The Slants have shared the stage with acts such as Apl.de.Ap (Black Eyed Peas ), Vampire Weekend , Girl Talk , “Hardest Working Asian American Band” Girugamesh , M.O.V.E and Boom Boom Satellites . And (slanteyefortheroundeye.com) now they’re ready to perform at your event. The juicy gossip: Editor’s Choice WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT and Featured In: • Asian Week : The largest English printed THE SLANTS Asian newspaper in the world TESTIMONIALS FROM THE CONVENTION INDUSTRY: • IGN.com: The most popular video game site online. “I've been working cons since "The Slants have an edgy- 2003 on an executive level yet-fun Asian aesthetic that • Shojo Beat : The largest and I have to say that pound fits in perfectly with Shojo shojo magazine in North for pound, dollar for Beat's J-Pop-centric America. dollar, The Slants are the demographic—many of our best value and guests that fans are already familiar with • Other anime magazines any convention can bring them through their such as Protoculture Ad- in, anywhere . They performances at various dicts , Anime Food , work harder than anyone manga and anime-related Manga Café , and more else, have a huge strong shows and conventions. Plus, • Las Vegas Weekly (front base, fans love them, and in collaborating with the band cover), Space Shower TV they're joy to work with.” on editorial coverage and two (Japan), LA Weekly, City John Krall contest promotions, we've all Beat, Comcast/Xfinity, SF Sakuracon: Con Chair, Director found The Slants to be Gate, and thousands of Programming creative, motivated, and more! Kumoricon: Guest Relations, easy to work with . We Director of Programming look forward to future opportunities with The The Slants have "The Slants are easily one of the best bands an Asian pop Slants." Megan Bates been Guests of culture or Asian cultural They astounded me so much Senior Editor for Shojo Beat & convention could benefit Honor at: Viz Media with their darkly haunting from . They ignite a fierce "Chinatown Dance Rock" at the Anime Banzai (2010) passion for Asian culture Pacific Media Expo, that I knew through their edgy, pulsating "The Slants were a pleasure Anime Oasis (2007-2010) to work with.