LOS ANGELES (Takeover Records) - On this summer's Warped Tour,
Yellowcard guitarist
Ben Harper and his label, Takeover Records, will be looking for a talented unsigned band to take under their wing. Not only will this band be guaranteed at least one spot opening for
Yellowcard on their 2005 tour, but they'll also score an album release from Takeover.
Working in conjunction with PureVolume.com and AbsolutePunk.net, Takeover Records will be gathering demos for their nationwide "Sign My Band" contest at the tent they share with Yellowcard on the Warped Tour. "This contest is just a great way to directly connect with kids everywhere and show our involvement," Harper said. Ten finalists will be selected from the submissions to be featured on PureVolume.com, where they will then be voted on by the public. From there, one lucky group will win the prize.
Though formed in 1997 by Harper and good friend Greg McDonald, Takeover Records has only recently started to expand its empire. The label began by releasing early Yellowcard material, but has since grown to be the home of punk bands Stole Your Woman, HeyMike!, Craig's Brother, and Gametime.
Despite their current acts, Takeover isn't a label exclusively for punk. "We're just an outlet for great music. Signing a hip-hop artist would even be cool," Harper said. Overall, the Yellowcard guitarist describes Takeover as "a creative label that's artist-friendly and really into music."
With a goal to expand its roster yet stay indie, Takeover Records ultimately hopes to be worldwide. So far Yellowcard has been paving the way for the label, but with all its continued development, Harper thinks Takeover will soon stand on its own. "This label was always just a dream," he said, "but our hard work made it a reality."
Catch Yellowcard and Takeover Records on the Warped Tour:
6/25 Houston, TX Reliant Center @ Reliant Park
6/26 Dallas, TX Smirnoff Music Centre
6/27 Selma, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
6/29 Las Cruces, NM New Mexico St. Univ. Practice Field
6/30 Peoria, AZ Peoria Sports Complex
7/01 Fullerton, CA California St. University
7/02 Fullerton, CA California St. University
7/03 San Francisco, CA Pier 30 / 32
7/04 Las Vegas, NV Desert Breeze Park
7/06 Chula Vista, CA Coors Amphitheatre
7/07 Ventura, CA Seaside Park
7/08 Marysville, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre
7/09 Nampa, ID Idaho Center
7/10 George, WA The Gorge
7/11 Saint Helens, OR Columbia Meadows
7/13 Vancouver, BC Thunderbird Stadium
7/15 Calgary, AB Race City Speedway
7/16 Bozeman, MT Gallatin County Fairgrounds
7/17 Salt Lake City, UT Utah State Fairpark
7/18 Denver, CO Invesco Field At Mile High
7/20 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Amphitheatre
7/21 Maryland Heights, MO UMB Bank Pavilion
7/22 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
7/23 Cleveland, OH Tower City Amphitheater
7/24 Tinley Park, IL Tweeter Center
7/25 Minneapolis, MN HHH Metrodome
7/26 Bonner Springs, KS Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/28 Atlanta, GA HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
7/29 Orlando, FL Central Florida Fairgrounds
7/30 Saint Petersburg, FL Vinoy Waterfront Park
7/31 Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
8/01 Jacksonville, FL Fairgrounds
8/02 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amp. Charlotte
8/03 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Bch. Amp.
8/04 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavilion
8/05 Burgettstown, PA Post-Gazette Pavilion @Star Lake
8/06 Camden, NJ Tweeter Center At The Waterfront
8/07 New York, NY Randalls Island
8/08 Englishtown, NJ Raceway Park
8/10 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
8/12 Quebec City, QC Colisee Pepsi
8/13 Montreal, QC Parc Jean-Drapeau
8/14 Barrie, ON Molson Park
8/15 Pontiac, MI Pontiac Silverdome
8/16 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
8/17 Columbus, OH Germain Amphitheater
8/18 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Six Flags P.A.C.
8/19 Foxboro, MA Gillette Stadium
8/20 Foxboro, MA Gillette Stadium
For more information on Takeover Records, log on to TakeoverRock.com.
