Contact:            Kirk Howard 715.845.4251

                             www.kinziebenefitconcerts.com

Release Date:  May 9, 2006

                             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JESSI ALEXANDER ROUNDS OUT KINZIE BENEFIT CONCERT LINEUP


(Wausau,WI) Kinzie Benefit Concerts, LLC, has announced the opening act to join the lineup of Radney Foster and headliner Sara Evans at its June 3 outdoor concert at The Amphitheater at Marathon Park. Nashville singer/songwriter and MCA recording artist Jessi Alexander will open up the show at 6 p.m. Doors at the event, which will also feature food and beverages, open at 5 p.m.

“Originally, we thought we’d have a more regional-level opener,” says Kirk Howard, manager of Kinzie Benefit Concerts. “Instead, we’ve landed another national name; this will be a very high-powered night and we want people to understand that all 7,300 seats in the infield and the grandstand are being sold in advance as reserved seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Unlike the Wisconsin Valley Fair shows, everyone attending the Sara Evans concert will have to have an assigned seat in the infield or grandstand, and there will only be a limited number of lawn seats sold. We’re thrilled with the advance ticket sales so far, and there are still plenty of tickets available at this point. However, if people don’t buy their tickets in advance, they may not get to go. We don’t believe tickets will be available at the gate on the day of the show.”

Sara Evans and Radney Foster are being featured today in a national broadcast on XM Radio, and Evans is part of a nationwide Mother’s Day promotion and TV advertising campaign for 4,000 Hallmark Stores.

Ticket sales for the concert are being handled by the Performing Arts Foundation, 401 N. Fourth Street in Wausau (credit card purchases may be made online at www.onartsblock.com or by calling (715) 842-0988. Ticket prices range from $25-$35, including reserved infield and grandstand seats and limited general lawn seating. Additional information about the event, a seating chart and a link to the online ticket center are available at www.kinziebenefitconcerts.com.

Alexander’s debut CD, Honeysuckle Sweet, released in 2005 showcases her strong voice and writing abilities. American Songwriter magazine proclaims Alexander, "… a songwriter that just gets it -- the essence of pure songwriting, the ability to tell stories and capture emotion in four minutes. And on her Columbia Records debut, 'Honeysuckle Sweet' [out March 1st], she does it 11 times."

On the topic of her writing, Alexander says, “I think more than anything, this is the first chapter of a long history. I think success would be to know the songs have touched someone because they’ve been living in me for so long. Some are four, even six years old. To know the transfer has happened - that I’ve written songs and someone has heard them. That’s success.”

By that measure, Jessi is already a success. As a songwriter, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless and others on country’s A-List have recorded her songs.

Alexander’s list of influences is varied: The Band, Bob Wills, Karla Bonoff, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, Bobbi Gentry, Jackson Browne, Hank Williams and, always, Patsy Cline. In fact, when she realized, at age 10, that she could sing, it was Cline’s vocals she tried to channel. So much so that young Jessi eventually had to work to stop sounding like Cline. That memory brings a laugh from Jessi.

“Then I started sounding too much like Bonnie Raitt. When I moved here (Nashville), I really wanted to start to create Jessi.”

Following Alexander at the Marathon Park concert will be veteran Texas singer/songwriter Radney Foster, promoting his just-released CD This World We Live In.

“This is a nicely balanced evening,” says Howard. “Sara Evans is flying high as a top name; Radney Foster has an enormous following and Jessi gives us a taste of the next generation coming up.”

Kinzie Benefit Concerts whose slogan is “Helping those who help others” will be living up to its name by donating a portion of the proceeds from the June 3rd concert to Habitat for Humanity of Wausau. The Performing Arts Foundation which is handling ticket sales will also be benefiting from the concert along with several local organizations that will be selling soda, beer and food at the event. These include the Wausau Area Jaycees, the Great Northern Blues Society, Wesley United Methodist Church and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Wausau.

Kinzie Benefit Concerts sponsors to date include WDEZ Radio, AbbyBank, Wausau Signature Agency, Wausau Daily Herald, WSAW-TV 7, Miller Beer, and Kinziegreen Marketing Group.

 

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