Ohio’s premiere progressive rock festival, OhioProg,
announces its inaugural year. OhioProg
is set to take place over three days, September 7, 8 & 9 of 2012 at the
Canton Palace Theatre located at 605 Market Avenue North in Downtown Canton,
Ohio. This 1509 seat theatre originally opened in 1926 and each seat provides a
glorious view of the stage and scenery. An exceptional line-up has been
assembled which includes a Friday pre-show, “A Tribute to the Classics,” and a
Saturday & Sunday full-day main event featuring eleven bands spanning five
countries.
Headlining day one of OhioProg 2012 is the return of FM. Cameron Hawkins'
Canadian progressive rock act reforms with two brand new members to perform for
the first time in nearly six years. 2011 marks the 35th anniversary of the
band’s inception. Headlining day two, Dan Swanö and brother Dag Swanö return
from Sweden to bring their progressive rock act, Nightingale, back to the
US for only their second appearance here in the States; the first since
2001. Mick Pointer, Clive Nolan, John
Jowitt, John Mitchell and Paul Manzi round out the all-star cast of the veteran
UK progressive rock band Arena. Jowitt returns to Arena on bass and the
band will have a new album under their belt before the festival. RC2 from Barcelona will be making
their first US appearance at OhioProg 2012.
After nearly 20 years together, Persephone’s Dream comes from
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and despite living minutes away from the Ohio border
they have not once performed in Ohio. Orphan Project is from Maryland. Connecticut
based band, After the Fall, have regrouped for an OhioProg 2012 appearance.
After
the Fall’s last release, “kNOwleDGE,” came out in 2005. Additionally, hailing from Florida,
progressive rock festival veterans, Cryptic Vision, return to the
festival circuit with a new album forthcoming, the third album in a trilogy
started in 2003 with “Moments of Clarity”.
Headlining the “A Tribute to the Classics” pre-show is
Script
for a Jester’s Tour, a Marillion
tribute act featuring original Marillion
drummer Mick Pointer and Nick Barrett of Pendragon. They will perform alongside Going for the One, a Yes tribute group based here in the US. Gende's Giant round out the pre-show
line-up. The Illinois group, led by Mike Gende, come together to perform the
complex, intricate and classic music of Gentle
Giant.
OhioProg 2012 has turned to crowdfunding platform Kickstarter
to help ensure its success by rolling out a “Pledge Your Ticket” program. By
pledging at various tiers you can secure a ticket of your choice to either the
Pre-Show or Main Event, or both. A
number of rewards will be given for specialized pledges, and patron tickets are
available for those who wish to have first choice of seats. Pledging begins November 4, 2011 and is a
great way to show your support to the progressive rock festival community even
if you are unable to attend the festival.
Pledges start as low as $1, and even non-attendees can walk away with an
OhioProg 2012 program, poster, t-shirt or limited edition compilation by
pledging at the appropriate tier.
Pledges will fund all aspects of the festival including all operational,
marketing, and transportation costs.
“Pledge Your Ticket” funding goals must be reached by the end of the day
on January 2, 2012. Pledges will only be processed on January 3, 2012 if the
festival reaches its funding goals. The festival has adopted Kickstarter’s
project criteria so that if funding goals are not met, the festival will be
cancelled and pledge funds will not be processed. This is a great opportunity to help put
together a festival for the fans, funded by the fans, and enjoyed by the fans
of progressive rock.
OhioProg is proud to begin its history in Canton,
and feels it will be right at home in the heart of the Downtown Canton Arts
District. There are many great amenities in the area for visitors. Over 30
restaurants, bars and coffee shops within walking distance of the venue.
Attendees will find 100 shopping destinations including the Westfield
Belden-Village Shopping Mall and many one-of-a-kind shops unique to Canton.
There are plenty of attractions, parks and recreational choices, including the
McKinley National Monument and The Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dedicated sections can be found on the
OhioProg website highlighting each of these amenities Canton is also
conveniently located within an hour of the major cities of Cleveland, Akron and
Columbus, Ohio.
Fans traveling from abroad will be happy to see
several host hotels to choose from, including the McKinley Grand Hotel,
OhioProg 2012’s main host hotel. The
hotel is located just 4 blocks from the venue and is within walking distance to
the OhioProg festivities. A generous
group rate is being offered by the McKinley Grand Hotel, including garage
parking and free shuttle service from the Akron-Canton airport. Thorpe’s Market
Avenue Grill and Thorpe’s Pub are among the 30 dining options downtown and both
are located inside the hotel for guests’ convenience. Rooms are expected to
fill up fast, and guest are encouraged to make reservations early by calling
and asking for the OhioProg 2012 group rate, or by booking online using the
group reservation code: PROG. A list of
additional area hotels, including additional host hotels with group rates, can
be found on the OhioProg website.
More information on the festival and the “Pledge
Your Ticket”program can be found on the OhioProg website, www.ohioprog.com.
The latest updates on can also be found on our Facebook page, or by following
us on Twitter @OhioProg.
There is plenty more in the works for the festival and we will
make those announcements as they come along. We hope to add everything to the
plate in time for the start of the "Pledge Your Ticket" program on
November 4, 2011.
Tel: 216-571-6511
Email: ohioprog@gmail.com
Email: ohioprog@gmail.com
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