BUENA PARK, Calif.─ Headliner Judas Priest and Heaven and Hell embarked on tour together as part of the top metal concert attraction this summer, the Metal Masters Tour, which also included performances by Motorhead and Testament to delight of the metalheads everywhere.

The tour, produced by Live Nation, was Priest’s first set of U.S. dates in nearly three years, and kicked off the release of the band’s new CD, ‘Nostradamus.’ The fifteen ‘special engagements’ began in Camden, NJ and ended in Las Vegas Nevada with a tour stop that also included Toronto, Ontario. more

BUENA PARK, Calif.─Long Island-raised signer/songwriter, certified rock n’ roll superstar, and four-time GRAMMY® winner Pat Benatar embarked on her first live concert tour in over two years this summer, and both engineers chose Yamaha consoles for front of house and monitors. With six platinum and four gold albums to her credit, Benatar along with husband Neil Giraldo and the band are still igniting audiences with such hit singles as ‘Heartbreaker’, ‘Treat Me Right’, and ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot.’ more

BUENA PARK, Calif.─ Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) will offer two distinct training classes throughout the AES Show in Demo Room #120. The classes will be 60-90 minutes in length and the first will cover Digital Audio Networking Solutions for Sound Reinforcement with a second class for advanced users of the Yamaha PM5D-EX console. more

BUENA PARK, Calif.─Few events can claim to both capture and define a movement, yet this is precisely what the Rock the Bells Festival has done since its inception in 2003. Rock the Bells is more than a music festival; it has become a genuine rite of passage for thousands of core, social, conscious, and independent Hip Hop enthusiasts. more

BUENA PARK, Calif.─Eight years after Linkin Park released their first CD, the band has embarked again on the Projekt Revolution Tour. This time around, monitor engineer Kevin ‘Tater’ McCarthy has taken along the new Yamaha DSP5D Expander for use in conjunction with a PM5D monitor console. “I’m using the DSP5D for an extra 28 inputs and two extra outputs that Linkin Park required for this leg of the tour,� states McCarthy. “I was first introduced to the PM5D almost four years ago by the front of house engineer for Judas Priest, and I haven’t looked back since. What initially attracted me to the 5D was that it is a stand-alone console; no need for extra stage racks.� more

─NEXO GEO T, GEO S AND YAMAHA LS9 SUPPORT FOX FIRE FESTIVAL─

GLENVIEW, Ill.─Known to most Midwest concert promoters as ‘the NEXO guys’, Gand Concert Sound of Glenview, Ill. has completed the first half of the year with record utilization of their expansive NEXO speaker inventory. Gand supplied over 140 NEXO GEO T Boxes in June alone for such artists as Dickey Betts (also using a Yamaha M7CL console), Jo Dee Messina, Pat Benatar, Merle Haggard, Charlie Daniels, 38 Special, Shooter Jennings, Blue Truth, Gavin DeGraw, Frankie Valli, REO Speedwagon, Sawyer Brown, Wayne Newton, Trisha Yearwood, Loretta Lynn, Kenny Rogers, Muddy Waters Blues Fest, and Herbie Hancock. more

─Millar Electronics First Rep to Carry NEXO Line─

BUENA PARK, Calif.─Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) has announced a change in its distribution strategy regarding NEXO speaker products. The company will name Manufacturer’s Representative firms in specific geographical market areas to sell NEXO products. The company will continue with its “factory directâ€? sales force to approach to represent Yamaha Commercial Audio and NEXO products. “While we respect the various Manufacturer “Repâ€? companies in the marketplace, we believe this factory direct approach is best for our business model,” states Larry Italia, Vice President/General Manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. “That said, we are constantly evaluating our strategies and the evolving marketplace and look to do whatever it takes to improve our dealers’ ability to succeed with all of our products.” more

BUENA PARK, Calif.─ Kool & The Gang’s story starts in the Jersey City, N.J. projects. They were teenagers, studying Miles Davis albums and James Brown singles while jamming in basements. In 1969 they made their first record. Still teenagers, and full of confidence, they named that first record after themselves. Their confidence and creativity produced a string of loose-but-tight, ‘fun’ records, culminating in the Pop Chart smash Jungle Boogie. Kool & The Gang didn’t need a singer then, their horns were the lead voice and the fans chanted along. Their songs were featured in films like Rocky and Saturday Night Fever. more

─New Console at Front of House Joins PM5D Monitor Console─

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.──The Atlantic City Hilton recently installed a new Yamaha PM5D digital audio console for front of house use in their entertainment venue. A spectacular state-of-the-art venue built to showcase the talents of celebrity entertainers, the theater boasts a seating capacity of over 1,400. The console was purchased by Yamaha dealer, ACIR Professional in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. “We are extremely happy that the Hilton decided to purchase a second Yamaha PM5D,� states John Grasso, ACIR Pro co-owner. “This console is so popular and familiar, that it’s a breeze to set up a show for visiting engineers. The Hilton knows that if they have any questions about the console, we’re right around the corner and there to assist.� more

BUENA PARK, Calif.─Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. invites all Atlantic City and Southern New Jersey dealers, consultants and end users to attend a NEXO S12 Series Line Array Showcase on Wednesday, August 20 between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm to be held in the Superstar Theater at Resorts International located at 1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey. more