LOS ANGELES (Capitol Records) - "Mmhmm," the current hit album from Gotee/Capitol recording artists Relient K, has been certified gold by the RIAA for U.S. sales in excess of 500,000 units. The certification marks the band's second gold album, following this spring's RIAA sales award presentation for 2003's "Two Lefts Don't Make a Right ... But Three Do."
The announcement comes as the Canton, Ohio-based band continues to thrill sun-baked North American audiences as a main stage act on this year's installment of the celebrated Vans Warped Tour. Relient K will continue the trek through to its final bows, set for August 15th at Northampton, Massachusetts' Three Counties Fairgrounds (see attached itinerary).
Released last November, the Top 15 "Mmhmm" has proven to be Relient K's most successful outing to date, reaping unanimous critical commendations and the fastest sales of the band's career. Fuelled by non-stop road work - including last spring's arena/amphitheater tour alongside Good Charlotte and Simple Plan - the band's fourth album recently jumped 38 places to re-enter the top half of the Billboard 200 (spurred by a one-week 27 per cent sales increase).
In other Relient K news, the video for the album's first single, "Be My Escape," has been added into rotation on MTV this week - where it already in the Total Request Live (TRL) countdown. Small screen viewers may also take in the quartet's scheduled August 22nd appearance on ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, during which they will perform "Be My Escape" outdoors. News of the performance follows last week's appearance on NBC-TV's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Additionally, Relient K are to appear July 22nd on the MTV "Hits" program, part of Summer on the Strip from Las Vegas; an appearance on MTV's Hard Rock Live will air later this summer.
Relient K - Matthew Thiessen: vocals; Matthew Hoopes: guitar; Dave Douglas; drums; John Schnek; bass; John Warne - jumped onto the scene in 1998, quickly drawing praise for their idiosyncratic brand of melodic, optimistic, pop-injected punk. The quartet developed a reputation as one of the hardest working bands on the circuit, playing an average of 200 gigs a year. The constant touring paid off: Relient K's three Gotee-released albums - including 2001's "The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek" - each achieved stand out sales figures while expanding the band's loyal fanbase across the country.
By 2003, Relient K had become one of modern punk's biggest underground acts. Their third album, the gold-certified "Two Lefts Don't Make a Right ... But Three Do" was a Top 40 smash on the Billboard 200. The album garnered Relient K their first Grammy Award nomination.
RELIENT K
Vans Warped Tour
Summer 2005 Tour Itinerary
July
20 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
21 Cleveland, OH Tower City Amphitheatre
22 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center Lot
23 Chicago, IL Tweeter Center
24 Minneapolis, MN Metrodome
26 Buffalo, NY Darien Lakes PAC
28 Quebec City, PQ Colisee Pepsi Parking Lot
29 Montreal, QC Hippodrome de Montreal
30 Barrie, ON Molson Park
31 Detroit, MI Pontiac Silverdome
August
1 Pittsburgh, PA Post Gazette Pavilion
3 Atlanta, GA Hi Fi Amphitheatre Lot
4 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Fairgrounds
5 Tampa, FL Vinoy Park
6 Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheatre Lot
7 Orlando, FL Tinker Field
8 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
9 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
10 Washington, D.C. Nissan Pavilion Lot
11 Scranton, PA Montage Mountain
12 Camden, NJ Tweeter Center
13 New York City, NY Randall's Island
14 Englishtown, NJ Old Bridge Township Raceway
15 Northampton, MA Three County Fairgrounds
