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Weave your way through the parking lots filled with tour trucks and performers’ limousines. Step right through the door of the Artists Entrance.

Follow a security guard as he beckons you down the winding underground hallways beneath the stage. Climb the stairs to walk past the lighting consoles and step over the coiled snakes of cable on the floor.

Pass the electricians adjusting the lights, the musicians tuning their instruments. Sit right on stage during the sound checks. Listen in on the conversations between the artists in the pre-show lounge.

ALL ACCESS Front Row. Backstage. Live! presented by Certs® combines the visual thrill of the giant IMAX screen experience with a front-row seat to performances by some of the greatest legends in music.

ALL ACCESS is more than an extraordinary musical event that crosses cultures, genres and generations to explore some of the most innovative, explosive and life-affirming music this side of the new millennium. is also an unforgettable opportunity to share the intimate thoughts, feelings and visions of today’s most talented musical performers, a journey straight into the heart of .

You are free to go anywhere. You have an “All Access” backstage pass. ______

ALL ACCESS features extraordinary, one-time-only musical experiences:

• Pop superstar performs THE DESERT ROSE with world- famous rai Cheb Mami o Mami adds Spanish, Moroccan, French and Arabic influences to the song composed by Sting, who explains the North African musical style known as ‘Rhyme Music’

• Godfather of George Clinton sings a medley of FLASHLIGHT, ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE and ATOMIC DOG with singer Mary J. Blige o Mary, a fan of Clinton’s since early childhood, overcame an initial attack of ‘What am I doing up here?’ to win immediate acceptance into the Funkadelic family

• explodes onto the stage with a rousing performance of /AMERICAN BAND o Kid’s explosive onstage antics contrast with his more introspective thoughts on his personal odyssey through the world of music

• turns in a heartfelt acoustic performance of her hit song o Sheryl also shares her thoughtful perspective on the future directions of

• Legendary man B.B. King, the group Roots and of join for an unforgettable performance of the blues classic, ROCK ME, BABY o The alternating white-hot solos of B.B. King and Trey Anastasio belie the fact that the two men met only moments before stepping onto the stage together

• R&B soul singer performs I CAN’T WAIT TO MEETCHU from her double platinum debut , On How Life Is o Macy also shares her inner thoughts on how to connect with an audience

• and of Matchbox 20 turn in an unforgettable performance of SMOOTH o Long-time friends and collaborators Santana and Thomas reveal the secrets to each other’s success

• The Band and soul singer Al Green blast the roof off with their driving rendition of TAKE ME TO THE RIVER o And Dave Matthews explains why he believes there will always be good music

• 2000 GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist nominee performs a live version of his hypnotic PORCELAIN o One of the most influential dance/ figures of the early ‘90s, Moby tells where he believes music is headed

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IMAX TECHNOLOGIES EXPAND THE WORLD OF ROCK The larger-than-life technologies of the IMAX film experience are particularly well suited to capture and improve on the immediacy and passion of a live rock performance.

In addition to the large-format screen that presents characteristically memorable visual images, each IMAX theater is equipped to play six-channel 6.0 Digital SurroundSound with 12,000 watts of power. Each theater is therefore able to offer concert-size amplification free of distortion for a listening experience better than would be heard at the live concert itself.

Mixing the sound for ALL ACCESS is Elliot Sheiner, one of the recording industry’s leading SurroundSound mixer and mixer for such the rock artists as Steely Dan, Van Morrison (MOONDANCE) and The Eagles (HELL FREEZES OVER).

Seven of the nine numbers in the film were shot in controlled environments with camera and microphone placement, while two of the numbers were captured during actual concert appearances. The latter were the duet by Sting and Cheb Mami, which was shot in the PNC Bank Arts Arena of Holmdale, , and the duet by the and Al Green, which took place at Chicago’s Soldier’s Field.

No less than five large-format IMAX cameras were used at each performance, every one manned by a veteran IMAX cinematographer. In addition, selective tracking shots were captured by a large-format IMAX camera mounted on a Steadicam and ALL ACCESS was among the first IMAX films to use the recently developed Technocrane.

(3) Perhaps the most striking effects element in the film—and one of the longest and most complex such effects sequences in any IMAX film—is the four-minute opening multiple image/audio montage, during which the viewer is literally led backstage and taken behind the scenes on the first step of the film’s journey to discover the heart of the rock and roll experience.

THE GENESIS OF AN IDEA

When you get inside the music like musicians do, gravity disappears.” ---Carlos Santana

Jon and Peter Shapiro have always shared a love of music and a love of film. While attending film school, Peter managed to unite the two passions in “Tie- Dyed,” a documentary he made about The , and “American Road,” a second documentary he made which blended footage of the 48 contiguous states with the music of the cult-rock band Phish. Jon, meanwhile, found success in Hollywood as the Executive Producer of critically praised box office hits.

Eventually, the brothers decided to pursue their unique musical vision of an event experience that would not only contain a collection of great live performances by some of today’s most rock notable artists, but that also would provide viewers an unprecedented “All Access” backstage pass—the key to unrestricted behind-the- scenes admission to rehearsals, sound checks, pre-show lounges, dressing rooms and the conversations between the artists themselves.

Two other elements were essential to their vision—that of a unique lineup of artists, including the pairing of artists from different genres, many of whom had never met before stepping onto the stage together, and the larger-than-life IMAX film format.

(4) “In addition to some of today’s most compelling solo artists, we wanted to offer audiences a collection of performances that they could never see in real life because that seems to be consistent with the power of the most extraordinary IMAX films,” notes Jon. “We believe that IMAX films have the strongest impact when they show things that most people could never see in real life, whether that’s scaling Mount Everest or skin diving beneath the South Pole.”

“Music is like having a conversation when musicians are playing together. And we’ve been talking a lot out there tonight…” ---B.B.King

The result is a concert lineup that crosses both genres and generations to combine such talents as: • Legendary blues guitarist B.B. King with the group Roots, a Philadephia- based rap group whose style unites rap with , and Trey Anastasio of the group Phish; • Pop superstar Sting with Cheb Mami, who combines Spanish, Moroccan, French and Arabic influences as one of rai’s most popular vocalists; • The Dave Matthews Band, one of the greatest American touring groups, with Reverend Al Green, one of the greatest soul singers.

“The commonality is that they all provide great musical performances,” says Peter.

“At bottom line, we wanted to bring together the best artists,” continues Jon. “And, as a result, I in one sense that ALL ACCESS captures a moment in the history of ‘n’ roll, though the caliber of the performances assures that they will remain timeless.”

(5) ONE BY ONE, TWO BY TWO

ALL ACCESS presents the top artists in virtually every genre of rock music popular today.

When asked to suggest other performers with whom he might like to sing a duet, Sting answered without a moment’s hesitation. The multi-GRAMMY Award winning soloist chose rai singer Cheb Mami, with whom he performs a haunting rendition of his own composition entitled THE DESERT ROSE.

“He’s a star in France singing what’s called ‘Rhyme Music,’ which is based on North African music,” says Sting. “It’s an interesting mix of musical styles of Western , traditional Arab music, , flamenco, and French cabaret all kind of thrown in. So it’s a perfect kind of mixture for me. I love all that stuff, you know, and throw different stuff together and you get something brand new.”

“The music tells you a story, it gives you a mood that is common to everyone’s understanding. The fact is, through the power of music, you evoke a place, a mood, a spirit.” ---Sting

Audiences will see that the spirit of the Funkadelic movement is alive and well in a duet by George Clinton with Parliament Funk Band and singer Mary J. Blige. Within an arena swinging and swaying to irresistible R&B rhythms infused with the immediately recognizable sound of funk, the two perform a medley of FLASHLIGHT/ONENATION UNDER A GROOVE/ATOMIC DOG. Legendary Godfather of Funk George Clinton—apparently the only one in the universe surprised that Mary was one of his long-time fans—smiles almost shyly as he recalls his first-ever duet with the young singer.

(6) “She must have seen us or known us, ’cause she was right with us. Surprised me. She was real quiet in rehearsal and when it came time to go she was just gone, and I was like, okay, one nation then…welcome.”

Mary, of course, was no stranger to George’s music, and recalls with a broad smile the moment when she first stepped out on stage with the funkadelic legend.

“I’ve listened to his songs since I was a little girl,” she says. “My mother, my family grew up going to his concerts. We have all his , so I just felt like, ‘What am I doing up here?’…I just felt good. I felt like a part of his movement…I know that his band is like a family, and I just felt like a part of his family. I felt like I was one of them.”

Soloist Kid Rock ignites the stage with an explosive performance of BAWITDABA/AMERICAN BAND but shows a more contemplative side with comments on his long struggle to perfect his musical sound.

Commenting on his personal musical odyssey and the future of hip-hop, Kid Rock observes, “It took a long time to develop…It took me a good six years to get it right and make it sound good…The hip-hop thing was kind of limited with the turntables. It’s great and it’s gone so far, but I think there was so much room for it to move with a band being incorporated into it…That’s what really got me into it.”

Born in the South and raised on , Sheryl Crow gives a sensitive, acoustic rendition of her best-selling hit IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY and shares some of her insights into the current direction of rock music.

“I think that the point of rock and roll from a very, very early stage was that it was a rebellious attitude. It was a comment on what was going on socially, particularly

(7) in youth culture,” she notes. “And I think if you look at rap music, that that is really the new rock and roll.”

“We feed off the audience and we feed off each other. For us, the first two hours is for the people, the next three hours is for us— and anybody else who stays there… When I get offstage, everything’s all right.” ---George Clinton

The teaming of legendary “” B.B. King, the group Roots and Trey Anastasio of Phish is one of those electrifying events that can only happen when veteran artists, inspired by their mutual respect for each other, bring each other to new heights during the of performance, in this case a white-hot rendition of the blues classic ROCK ME, BABY.

Of Trey B.B. says, “He’s hardly half my age. Man, these guys just play things—I don’t find these notes on my guitar. I don’t know where they get their but they hit notes that I can’t find!

“Music has no age limit,” he continues. “A group like Roots, they do what I call ‘groovin’. They love to groove. So do I.”

Trey’s gratitude for the chance to share a stage with the King of Blues is apparent in his voice. “We’re young musicians,” he says, shaking his head in admiration. “And he just elevates the music to such a degree!”

Macy Gray, a soul singer whose distinct voice blends old-style soul with hip-hop, R&B, funk and rock, turns in a stirring performance of I CAN’T WAIT TO MEETCHU. The singer, whose debut album “On How Life Is” went double platinum and earned a GRAMMY Award nomination for Best New Artist, also shares her thoughts on the key to a great performance.

(8) “The crowd feeds off whatever you give them,” she notes. “If you get up there and just go through the motions, then they’re just gonna go through the motions. If you jump around and really, really have fun and sweat, then they’re gonna do the same thing.”

The great Carlos Santana, whose record-tying 8 in 2000 included Album of the Year, Record and Song of the Year, teams with Rob Thomas, singer- and front man for the multi-platinum band Matchbox 20. The result: an incendiary performance of the GRAMMY- winning single SMOOTH.

“Rob Thomas and I, we’re hitting this resonance,” says Carlos. “He’s an old soul. You see that same thing you saw in or Wayne Shorter, you know? They’ve just got that ‘old’ wisdom.”

“He appreciates youth because he’s a youthful musician, he’s a youthful man” explains Rob of his old friend and collaborator. “He plays youthful music, exuberant music…And you do realize you’re standing next to just an amazing musician.”

“Music is a clearer indication of what’s in somebody’s soul than language.” ---Trey Anastasio

The Dave Matthews Band joins with soul singer the Reverend Al Green in a joyful version of the classic TAKE ME TO THE RIVER. Dave Matthews, leader of one of the most popular American bands working today, explains his attitude toward music.

“People have lots of theories about what happens to music, but it always comes down to the fact that people love good music. And there’s always gonna be good music,” he says simply. “Every once in awhile someone might put out something

(9) that sounds a little plastic and there’s concern—what’s happening to music? Music is going, it’s always gonna be going. It’s like a heartbeat—you can’t stop it.”

Al has a big smile for his new collaborator.

“This is my first time being on stage with Dave, but I’ve heard his music before,” he notes. “It’s very, very, very refreshing…and I think that it’s just fantastic.”

Finally, Moby, one of the most influential dance/electronic music figures of the early ‘90s, credited with helping to bring dance music to a worldwide mainstream audience, transports the audience with a live version of PORCELAIN.

Nominated for the 2000 GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist, he particularly enjoyed being part of a very eclectic lineup.

“I think it’s wonderful,” says Moby. “No one I know listens to just one type of music, and every performer that’s doing this, I like—I mean I love George Clinton, I like Kid Rock, I like B.B. King. It’s a really fascinating mix of people and my personal opinion is that eclecticism and hybridization of music is, essentially, the future of music.” ______

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Hailing from Newcastle, England, site of English shipbuilders and ancient Roman walls, pop superstar Sting, inspired by ’ success at performing their own music, first achieved international acclaim as a singer/songwriter with the rock group Police. As a solo artist, Sting has continued his musical pioneering with such acclaimed efforts as THE DREAM OF THE BLUE TURTLES, BRING ON THE NIGHT, …NOTHING LIKE THE SUN, THE SOUL CAGES, TEN SUMMONER’S TALES and MERCURY FALLING, accruing no less than 10 GRAMMY Awards and 2 to date. Sting has also extended his reach

(10) by acting in films like with the seminal “Quadrophenia” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” as well as on Broadway in Bertold Brecht’s “The Threepenny Opera.” He is also active on behalf of such causes as rainforest preservation and Amnesty International.

Incorporating highly rhythmic elements, echoes of Miles Davis and medieval plainsong, of Algerian pop and American country music, BRAND NEW DAY, Sting’s seventh solo studio outing, ranges over a world of styles. For every irresistible hook or melody, there’s a rhythmic challenge of instrumental surprise. Featuring guest stars , and Branford Marsalis, BRAND NEW DAY builds on the legacy of a visionary original, impatient with labels, categories, boxes.

Few performers have contributed as much to the innovation and growth of black music in America over the past four decades as George Clinton, who began his musical pursuits in the mid 1950s at the age of fourteen. At that time he formed a doo-wop group called the Parliaments with a friend who hung out at the Plainfield, New Jersey barbershop where Clinton worked. After performing for more than a decade, the Parliaments had their first major hit in 1967 with (I Just Wanna) Testify and George’s career was launched. Clinton has since developed a devoted following as the father of P-Funk, a synthesis of jazz, funk, R&B, soul and gospel motifs. His work has influenced rap and hip-hop artists like Ice-T, Snoop Doggy Dog, Dr. Dre, Public Enemy, , Kurt Franklin and Gods Property, to name just a few.

In the early 1970s, Clinton set out to develop a new sound that would combine the harder edges of classic R&B and the improvisational aspects of hard rock with the showmanship of performers like James Brown. The more political, yet soulful sound of Funkadelic was best captured on albums like FUNKADELIC and MAGGOT BRAIN, and funk was born. Landmark albums from the late ‘70s include Parliament’s MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION, which featured funk’s all-

(11) time anthem, Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up The Funk), and Funkadelic’s ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE.

Acclaimed as one of the greatest R&B singers of modern times and dubbed “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” due to her easy fluency in both musical genres, Mary J. Blige is a native of the infamous “Slow Bomb” projects of Yonkers, New York, where, as a little girl singing in the church choir, she dreamed of becoming an entertainer. Her efforts fueled by a close and loving family, the then sixteen-year- old Blige recorded her own version of Anita Baker’s Caught Up in the Rapture. The demo soon made its way into the hands of MCA A&R staffers who quickly decided to turn the young singer’s dreams into reality.

Within a month of the release of Blige’s debut album, WHAT’S THE 411? rocketed to the Top 10 of the Billboard albums charts, where it remained for more than six months, fueled by such titles as the #1 hit single Real Love. MY LIFE, her 1994 follow-up album, also achieved international multi-platinum status. Then, at the 1996 GRAMMY Awards, Blige was honored with the award for Best Rap Song by a Duo or Group for her memorable duet with Method Man, You’re All I Need. Having grappled with the intense demands of a public life while still in her teens, Blige’s current MCA album, entitled SHARE MY WORLD, clearly announces that the singer’s world is now one of love, faith and artistry.

The man who would be Kid Rock grew up Bob Ritchie in Romeo, , a small suburb of . Inspired by the energy of hip-hop pioneers like Run DMC and Grand Master Flash, the Kid began hanging out in the projects of nearby Mt. Clemens. He soon became a member of a local breakdancing crew and, grabbing thunder across the predominantly black local talent show scene, earned himself his moniker while spinning in subterranean basement parties: Let’s go see that white kid rock!

(12) After recording his first batch of demos in 1988, he was soon signed by and released his first album, GRITS SANDWICHES FOR BREAKFAST, in 1990. Three years later the Kid released THE POLYFUZE METHOD and, in 1996, he released, via his own Top Dog indie label, EARLY MORNIN’ STONED PIMP. His next album, and his first for Lava/Atlantic, DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE, snared the #1 spot on the Billboard “Heatseekers” column in March ’99 and has since been certified by the RIAA an eight-times platinum hit.

Sheryl Crow has won commercial success as well as critical acclaim for both her singing and songwriting talents. A native of Kennett, , and the daughter of a former trumpeter in swing bands and a piano teacher, Crow grew up surrounded by music and combined piano lessons with her cheerleading and majorette activities in high school. After graduating from the with a major in music composition, performance and teaching, Crow taught music to elementary school kids with special needs during the day and sang and played in cover bands around St. Louis at night.

Moving to in 1986, Crow soon after talked her way into an audition for ’s tour and spent the next two years singing duets on the road with the Gloved One. Following that she sang backup for ’s End of Innocence tour. During this time Crow also wrote and co-wrote songs for such performers as and . Her first album, TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC CLUB, was released by A&M Records in 1993. Three years later Crow’s second album, entitled SHERYL CROW, spawned such hit singles as If It Makes You Happy and Maybe Angels.

Blues legend B.B. King is still winning GRAMMY Awards (his latest award- winning album, BLUES ON THE BAYOU, was honored in 1998) and still averaging over 200 live concerts each year around the world. Having started his recording career in the late 1940s, King has since released over 50 albums, many of them regarded as blues classics, including 1965’s definitive concert

(13) album , 1976’s collaboration with Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME, 1997’s Gold-certified and GRAMMY- nominated all-star duets set, DEUCES WILD, and 1998’s GRAMMY-winning instant classic, BLUES ON THE BAYOU.

Born on a cotton plantation in Itta Bene, Mississippi, King played on the corner of Church and Second Street for dimes. In 1947 with a guitar and $2.50 in his pocket, he hitchhiked north to Memphis to pursue a career in music. His first big break came in 1948 with a spot on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio program on KWEM out of West Memphis. Over the next few years his popularity grew and, soon after the release of his first number one hit, Three O’Clock Blues, King and his band hit the road, playing an astonishing 342 one-night stands. From the chitlin’ circuit with its small-town cafes, juke joints and country dance halls to rock palaces, symphony concert halls, universities and amphitheaters, B.B. King has become the most renowned blues musician of the past 50 years. His latest masterpiece is entitled MAKIN’ LOVE IS GOOD FOR YOU.

Fronted by the versatile and witty lead vocalist Tariq Trotter, includes bassist Leonard Hubbard, drummer Ahmir Khalib Thompson and keyboardist James Gray. The Roots has toured extensively and headlined throughout Japan, Europe and the United States, and has performed with a range or artists from Busta Rhymes to the , from David Murray to Steve Colman. The have also provided soundtracks for such major motion pictures as “Men in Black,” “Down in the Delta” and “The Best Man.”

The group has also produced songs for artists like Les Nubians on Virgin, Erykah Badu on Universal Records, Eric Benet, , Bahamadia and DJ Krush on Sony Records. Among their current CD releases are ORGANIX, DO YOU WANT MORE? and THE ROOTS COME ALIVE.

(14) Trey Anastasio is guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for one of the world’s premiere live rock bands, Phish. Few acts are able to attract a single-event audience of more than 75,000, as the group did with their recent Millennium concerts at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in the everglades. Over the band’s seventeen-year career, Phish has developed a large and loyal following but have never betrayed their fans’ trust by resorting to corporate sponsorship or usurious ticket prices.

The group’s eleventh and latest album, FARMHOUSE, was recorded in Trey’s refurbished 150-year-old barn on the of the group’s hometown of Burlington, Vermont, and most of the songs on the album were co-written by Anastasio and his longtime songwriting partner, Tom Marshall. Previous albums titles include HAMPTON COMES ALIVE, , SLIP STITCH AND PASS, and .

Macy Gray is a bona fide singing phenomenon whose groundbreaking 1999 debut, MACY GRAY ON HOW LIFE IS, has taken her from obscurity to burgeoning superstardom in less than a year. The list of accolades heaped on the Los Angeles-based singer in recent months is staggering: six million records sold and two hit singles, a debut that seemed to take up permanent residence in Top Ten lists, four MTV Music Award nominations, two prestigious Brit Awards, two GRAMMY Award nominations, and a New Yorker Magazine article.

Gray grew up in Canton, , weaned on a steady diet of Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin records. Despite a musical background that included seven years of classical piano training, it was year before she ever sang in public because she was very self-conscious of her speaking voice. Having wanted to be a writer since early childhood, Gray enrolled in the screenwriting program at the USC Film School. It was there that she developed an interest in music and songwriting. Singing her melodies onto tape brought invitations to sing from local bands. In the spring of 1998, Gray signed with . All the lyrics of

(15) MACY GRAY ON HOW LIFE IS were written by Gray and drawn from stories of her own life, and she has toured almost continually since the album’s release.

With the release of SUPERNATURAL, his 36th album, Carlos Santana is at the pinnacle of a remarkable recording and performing career that began some fifty years ago in the Mexican village of Autlan, where the five-year-old Santana was first introduced to “traditional music” by his father Jose, an accomplished mariachi violinist. After seriously taking up the guitar and playing with local bands in the border town of Tijuana, Santana decided he wanted to pursue rock and roll. Moving to the influential Bay Area music scene in San Francisco in 1961, he began developing his unique playing style and soon after appeared with the Santana Blues Band at Bill Grahams famed Fillmore West and on the main stage at the epochal ‘Peace, Love, Music’ Festival in 1969.

The Santana Band achieved double-platinum status with their first album, SANTANA, featuring the hit single Evil Ways, and quadruple-platinum with ABRAXAS, the 1970 follow-up, which boasted such songs as Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va. Since then, Santana has been voted Best Pop-Rock Guitarist multiple times in Playboy Magazine’s annual Reader’s Poll. He received a 1998 GRAMMY Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and was the subject of a special Recording Academy (NARAS) tribute concert during the 1996 GRAMMY Awards, in conjunction with his induction into the Hollywood Rock Walk. Santana has received ten Bay Area Music Awards, including six Best Guitarist and three Musician of the Year nods, and in 1997 was among the select inaugural group—along with Bill Graham and —inducted into the BAMMY Hall of Fame; that same year he was named Latino Music Legend of the Year by the Chicano Music Awards. In 1996 Billboard Magazine bestowed on Santana the Century Award, the organization’s highest honor for lifetime creative achievement, and in 1998 he was immortalized in the entertainment world with a on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

(16) Songwriter and lead vocalist of the group , Rob Thomas was born on a military base in and raised at various places throughout the Southeastern United States. When his parents divorced, however, two-year-old Rob was sent to live with his grandmother in South Carolina. Complicating the upheaval for the young boy was the fact that his grandmother sold marijuana and bootleg liquor for a living. As a teenager Thomas reunited with his mother and moved to a trailer park in Orlando, Florida. One thing that ignited his passion, however, was music and he obsessively studied the work of craftsmen like Van Morrison, , , and .

After having learned the piano and playing with several bands that worked the Florida hotel circuit, Thomas formed Tabitha’s Secret with drummer and bassist Brain Yale, musicians who would later make up the core of Matchbox Twenty. The band’s debut album, YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU, achieved multi-platinum status and the band’s follow-up, entitled MAD SEASON BY MATCHBOX TWENTY, was released in April 2000.

America’s most popular live rock and roll group, the Dave Matthews Band (with Matthews on lead vocals and guitar, on violin, LeRoi Moore on saxophone, Stefan Lessard on bass and on drums), has been thrilling audiences since it first emerged from Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. Its success on the road, where its spirit of innovation has made its concerts unique events, inspired last year’s platinum release, entitled LIVE AT RED ROCKS 8.15.95, the first in a series of fan-oriented live albums the band plans to release to suit demand for recordings of its concerts.

For all its success touring, the Dave Matthews Band is determined to delve deeper into the studio recording process with such titles as its most recent, BEFORE THESE CROWDED STREETS, a crucial piece in the evolution of the Dave Matthews Band that retains the virtues of its multi-million selling predecessors, 1994’s UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING and 1996’s

(17) CRASH. The new album’s 10 songs, bookended by two short pieces, are given to chippy, dynamic arrangements, dramatic swells of sound, some of the most passionate vocals Matthews has ever performed, and passages of heartbreaking melancholy, boundless joy and lust.

Hi Records producer Willie Mitchell discovered Al Green, who went on to become one of America’s foremost soul singers, in 1968. With a charismatic presence and a smoldering passion in his voice that could go from a whisper to a scream, Green followed Mitchell to Memphis and by 1971 had a national hit, Tired of Being Alone. It was the first of more than a dozen hits over the next five years, the most famous of which, Let’s Stay Together, went all the way to Number One on the Billboard pop chart, making Green one of ’s major crossover artists.

After a 1973 concert at Disneyland, Green announced that he’d been called by God for a career in gospel, and he began to apply his sinfully sexy singing style to his equally passionate mission as a Pentecostal preacher. Green has kept his longtime fans as he has attracted new ones, and he recently released a four-CD boxed set entitled the AL GREEN ANTHOLOGY. The set starts at the beginning of Green’s career and moves through it chronologically, charting his movement from the secular to the holy, with disc four dominated by his gospel performances. It’s often been said that Green’s singing is heavenly, whether he’s getting down with I’m A Ram or seeking redemption with I’d Fly Away.

Born Richard Melville Hall, Moby was given his nickname in infancy as a reference to his great-great-granduncle, Moby Dick author Herman Melville. His latest recording, the double platinum PLAY, has been named to year-end “Best Of” lists by a host of publications, including , Spin, The , , USA Today and People. observed, “Moby conjured up an album that distilled the essence of the past 100 years. PLAY…took voices from the early days of the century – scratchy old field

(18) recordings of gospels spirituals and lonesome blues – and wired them to the silvery, cybernetic textures of our electronic age.”

Encouraged early on by his mother to pursue whatever creative avenues appealed to him, Moby explored classical guitar at age ten before his teenage involvement in a series of diverse rock, punk and new wave bands. In the latter part of the 1980s he found himself drawn to the energy of house music and his first singles, including , and Go were staples of the rave scene. By 1995, with the release of EVERYTHING IS WRONG, his first true long-player, Moby’s music had blossomed into a multifaceted blend of styles, from house and jungle to rock and thrash, sometimes within a single track. Additional best-selling albums include ANIMAL RIGHTS, THE END OF EVERYTHING and .

ALL ACCESS Front Row. Backstage. Live! presented by Certs® is the creation of producers/brothers Jon and Peter Shapiro. Jon Executive Produced the $200-million grossing film Richie Rich, starring Macaulay Culkin for Warner Bros., and is Producer of Universal Pictures’ forthcoming Curious George, a live- action feature based on the classic children’s books. Peter is owner of the world- renowned live music venue Wetlands in New York City and co-founder of KIND.COM, a new online venture for socially conscious lifestyles.

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