ROCK IN RIO USA PRESENTS ROCK STREET
ROCK STREET’S THREE STAGED STREETS CAPTURE THE CULTURE AND SOUNDS
OF BRAZIL, THE UK AND THE U.S.
BRUNO MARS, JOSS STONE AND ED SHEERAN ANNOUNCED AS ADDITIONAL PERFORMERS FOR THE MAY 2015 FESTIVAL IN LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas, NV– October 28, 2014 – Rock in Rio, the legendary music festival, unveiled today Rock Street´s magical setting – three thematic streets that will be featured inside the City of Rock in Las Vegas capturing the culture and sounds of Brazil, the UK and USA. In an event that took place on the grounds of the future City of Rock on the Las Vegas Strip, dozens of artists, performers and street artists filled the location, to give a sneak peek of the unique experience that audiences will enjoy at Rock in Rio USA. Rock in Rio also announced the addition of Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran who will play on the Main Stage in May, as well as Joss Stone who will perform on the Sunset Stage.
ROCK STREET:
Initially conceived four years ago to fulfill one of Roberto Medina’s dreams, Rock Street was to be a special place inside the City of Rock, where the audience and artists interact, having the imagery of New Orleans and its cultural and musical setting as a backdrop. The streets, measuring almost 500 feet long, will be filled with artists, bands and performers who will create a unique relationship with the public, in an exciting atmosphere.
With the tremendous success of Rock Street at previous Rock in Rio festivals, and with Rock in Rio celebrating its 30th anniversary and first U.S. festival, Rock in Rio USA in Las Vegas will feature not one but three different Rock Streets. These three Rock Streets will welcome attendees to experience an entirely new and exciting kind of music festival, and to enjoy the eclectic cultures of the U.S., the UK and Brazil.
Each street has 20 houses filled with shops and restaurants, and a stage where bands and artists will perform throughout the day. Street artists and performers will also transform the street into their own stage, performing and connecting with the audience and creating an intimate environment. Rock Street will open daily at 4 PM, with concerts and performances taking place until 2 AM when doors close.
ROCK STREET USA:
Stepping onto this street, you’ll be immediately taken to New Orleans with street-side cafés, jam sessions and blues all around! The street will include iconic American images such as a Cadillac and a diner.
Street dance has achieved high recognition in the U.S. culture, therefore the Rock Street USA stage will present dozens of different dance styles capturing the energy and versatility of the North American dance culture.
The official Street Dance crew is sure to make everyone move, and artistic directors Bruno Bastos, Miguel Colker and Shaun Evaristo will lend all their experience in creating a passionate bond between audience and dancers.
On stage, an MC will keep the stage flowing as 15 dancers perform choreographed dances from U.S. artists such as Beyoncé, Usher, Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson, all accompanied by a Beatbox rhythm. The onstage programming will be in accordance with each weekend’s line-up: the first focused on heavy metal and rock, and the second featuring pop and dance hits.
Dance routines will include styles as diverse as hip-hop, popping and locking, voguing, waackin’, dancehall, house, breaking and krumping. Guest crews from Los Angeles and Las Vegas will take part alongside the famous street dance battles of the official crew.
ROCK STREET UK:
Great Britain and Ireland have an overwhelming heritage of music that has influenced artists and musicians around the world. On this quaint street that resembles London´s Camden Town and Ireland’s Grafton Street, the houses are inspired by traditional Irish and English pubs and shops, where traditional food will be available. On the streets, the audience will meet magicians, Irish bagpipers, a Victorian inspired photographer, jugglers, caricaturists and even a Buckingham Palace guard.
On the stage, the audience will revel in the Celtic-inspired music by the band Terra Celta, who mix the energy of Brazilian culture with traditional Celtic instruments, resulting in a unique performance where dancers and instruments connect in a powerful way.
To honour the decades of influence that The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have had in modern pop/rock music, the band Stone the Beetles will perform every night. Led by Rock Street UK artistic director Bruce Leitman, the band will perform new and original arrangements for some of the memorable songs immortalized by these two icons of Rock.
The international hula hoop performer Lisa Lottie will also present her unique art that has taken her to more than 100 cities in 29 countries. Lottie is a circus trained artist and travels around the world bringing her “Bend it Like a Barbie” dance and contortionism act to street performance festivals. Her YouTube videos have scored more than 1.5 million views and her charismatic personality is sure to make this performance at Rock Street UK a memorable one.
ROCK STREET BRAZIL:
The warm and colorful culture of Brazil will make everyone instantly feel at ease and relaxed as they stroll along the houses of Rock Street Brazil. Capturing the picturesque visual of Brazilian houses and local architecture, this street will feature some of the most charismatic figures of Brazilian culture: the typical Bahiana woman resembling the character that inspired Carmen Miranda and carrying the famous fruit basket on her head; the “Malandro da Lapa”, a character originary from the most bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro and played by ballroom dancing legend Carlinhos de Jesus; Bumba Meu Boi, a folkloric bull figure typical from the northeast of Brazil; and capoeira group Batuque that will dance and battle on the street
To complete the atmosphere, the stage will incorporate performances from three acts that represent the variety of Brazilian music culture. Spok Frevo Orquestra, the Pernambuco big band composed of 17 musicians, will bring a wide range of instruments to the stage including guitars, saxophones, drums, percussion, trombones and trumpets to transmit the bands complex mixture of genres, all inspired by traditional Brazilian music.
On the Rock Street Brazil stage, Latin GRAMMY nominee Bossa Cuca Nova will combine the roots of traditional bossa nova sounds and percussion with the rhythm of EDM in a performance with a DJ.
Leo Gandelman, one of the most established Brazilian musicians, will also take the stage with his smooth sound that crosses the borders of classic and pop music in an elegant way.
Rock in Rio takes over Las Vegas
Rock in Rio has joined forces with entertainment giants MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM), Cirque du Soleil and Ron Burkle (The Yucaipa Companies) for the festival’s U.S. debut in Las Vegas, taking place on May 8-9 and 15-16, 2015.
The lineup announcements so far include:
May 8
Main Stage: No Doubt
May 9
Main Stage: Metallica; Linkin Park
Sunset Stage: Deftones
May 15
Main Stage: Taylor Swift; Ed Sheeran
May 16
Main Stage: Bruno Mars
Sunset Stage: John Legend; Joss Stone
The City of Rock, a permanent open-air concert venue will be located on The Strip near the corner of Sahara Avenue, spread out over 37 acres and have the capacity for 85,000 people per day. The venue has six stages including three themed Rock Streets encompassing the culture and music of the U.S., UK and Brazil that will receive over 100 acts and also a zip line that stretches 64 feet high and 600 feet long in front of Main Stage. The venue also includes a VIP area that can accommodate up to 4000 people; an air-conditioned area with a unique view of the City of Rock and an all-inclusive buffet.
For more information, visit www.RockinRio.com
Get the latest updates via Rock in Rio’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.
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About Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio has been attended by more than 7.4 million and has showcased more than 1,270 artists in the 14 editions of the festival. Due to Rock in Rio’s efforts, more than 148,000 jobs have been created and more than 1 billion people have watched the concerts worldwide. In 2015, Rock in Rio will celebrate its 30th anniversary and the debut of Rock in Rio USA in Las Vegas.
