ANDRE DIRRELL vs. ARTHUR ABRAHAM

Group Stage 2 – Saturday, March 6, 2010

From the Agua Caliente Casino, Resort, Spa in Rancho Mirage, California

LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Tournament point leader “King” Arthur Abraham will kick off Group Stage 2 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic when he faces Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the Agua Caliente Casino, Resort, Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in greater Palm Springs, live on SHOWTIME® at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

The Armenian-born, German sports icon Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) currently leads the Super Six World Boxing Classic point standings with three (3) by way of his final-round knockout victory over American Jermain Taylor on Oct. 17 in Berlin. Dirrell, the former middleweight bronze medalist (2004 Olympic Games) from Flint, Mich., dropped a close, disputed 12-round split decision to defending champion Carl Froch in his Group Stage 1 match for the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Championship the same night in Nottingham, England.

The event is being promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Sauerland Event.  Tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow/Saturday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. and are available at The Show box office, online at www.HotWaterCasino.com/TheShow <http://www.hotwatercasino.com/TheShow>  or by calling 1.800.585.3737. Prices are as follows: Floor $180; Loge $140; Mezzanine $85.

“I need two more victories to secure my place in the semifinals and I will start with Dirrell,” said the 29-year-old Abraham, who is training in Zinnowitz (Baltic Sea). “He is a very skilled, yet very awkward fighter. It will be a difficult challenge but together with my coach Ulli Wegner we have developed an idea how to beat him.”

Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) is eagerly awaiting the showdown. “The end of Camelot is near,” he said. “It’s off with ‘King Arthur’s’ head on March 6.”

Said Shaw, “Andre is going to pull the sword out of the stone and stab it straight into King Arthur’s ego.”

This will be Abraham´s second fight in the United States. He previously defeated Edison Miranda by fourth-round KO in June 2008. “I have said it before and I will say it again: It is my goal to become a star in America,” Abraham stated. “That is where boxing legends are made, and I want to become a boxing legend. That is what the Super Six (World Boxing Classic) tournament is all about for me. The victory over Taylor was a good start, but I am not finished yet.”

Abraham is counting on the support of the huge Armenian community in Los Angeles as the fight will be held just 90 miles east in the Palm Springs desert. “A lot of Armenians live in L.A. and I hope they all come and support me against Dirrell. I will put on a great show just like I did against Taylor,” he said.

Abraham’s promoter Kalle Sauerland is thrilled to give the American boxing fans a first-hand look at who he believes is “the most explosive fighter in World Boxing”. He said: “Abraham kicked off the Super Six World Boxing Classic in style. Once again, he showed his incredible punching power. He is undefeated in 31 fights with 25 KOs including 10 successful defenses of his middleweight championship.

“He can’t wait to get his stateside campaign going in the U.S. and he will deliver another spectacular fight against Dirrell. Gary Shaw and his troops better watch out — the Abrahammer is on his way to catch Dirrell. Here come another three points.”

SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

Record          Fighter                                   Points

  1-0                Arthur Abraham                       3

  1-0                Carl Froch                                2

  1-0                Andre Ward                             2

  0-1                Andre Dirrell                             0

  0-1                Mikkel Kessler                           0

For information on all SHOWTIME Sports telecasts, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries from its events and complete information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at http://www.sports.sho.com <http://www.sports.sho.com/>

Dirrell v. Abraham – Saturday,March 6, 2010.  

Tickets on Sale 10am Saturday, January 30th and may be purchased at The Show Box Office, online at hotwatercasino.com/theshow or by calling 800-585-3737.  For private box/suite call 760-202-2111.

The Show at Agua Caliente is proud to be part of Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Classic – The Super Middleweights tournament by hosting the battle between Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell on March 6th. 

The tournament kicked off on October 17th in Berlin, Germany where Abraham left no doubt that he was in it to win it by knocking out Jermain Taylor in Round 12.   In Nottingham, England at the Trent FM Arena, Carl Froch handed Andre Dirrell the first loss of his professional career in a controversial split decision. 

On November 21st, the tournament continued in Oakland, California where Andre Ward put a beat-down on Mikkel Kessler ending the fight in the 11th Round.  Dr. Smith Ketchum called the fight due to cuts around both of Kessler’s eyes.   

How the Tournament Works:

Fighters participating in the Super Six World Boxing Classic are:

Arthur Abraham – Nickname:  King Arthur – Record: 31-0, 25 KOs

Carl Froch – Nickname:  The Cobra – Record: 26-0, 20 KOs

Mikkel Kessler – Nickname:  Viking Warrior – Record: 42-2, 32 KOs

Andre Ward – Nickname: S.O.G. – Record: 21-0, 13 KOs

Jermain Taylor – Nickname:  Bad Intentions – Record: 28-4-1, 17 KOs

Andre Dirrell – Nickname: The Matrix – Record: 18-1,; 13 KOs

Each boxer fights three times.  Boxers earn 3 points for a win by knockout or TKO; 2 points for a win on points; and 0 points for a loss.  The top four will continue to the semifinals.  The WBC Super Middleweight Championship and the WBA Super Middleweight Championship are on the line for each of the champions’ fights.  The winner of the Super Six will be declared the unified champion of the Super Middleweight Division.

Current Standings:  Arthur Abraham – 3; Carl Froch – 2; Andre Ward – 2; Andre Dirrell – 0; Jermain Taylor – 0; and Mikkel Kessler – 0.

Dirrell v. Abraham –  The Battle Royale

Certainlyone of the most anticipated fights of the tournament, this match-up pits the undefeated Abraham, a patient and calculating puncher against the explosive southpaw Dirrell.  This fight will be a clash of styles and you can bet that both fighters will leave it all in the ring. 

(Tournament Standings and Fighter Records from Showtime Sports)

What happens when one American legend takes on 12 American classics?  If that legend is John Fogerty, the simple answer is musical magic.  On The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, Fogerty reinvents such treasures as the Everly Bros.’ “When Will I Be Loved” (a stunning duet with fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen),  Rick Nelson’s “Garden Party” and John Denver’s “Back Home Again” with uncommon grace and unbridled zest.

As longtime Fogerty fans will recall, the Blue Ridge Rangers made their first appearance in 1973 when the Grammy® winner released an album of classic covers (including “Jambalaya” and “She Still Thinks I Care”) under that moniker.  The name was deceptive: the Rangers were Fogerty and Fogerty alone. He played all the instruments including drums.

The thought of revisiting the Blue Ridge Rangers as a vehicle to create another set of beloved covers has never been far from Fogerty’s mind. “I thought about it at least once a month,” he says. “I told myself if I ever get to do this again, I’m going to have real guys playing;  I’d find the best guys I could and have fun and so that’s what happened this time.”

Indeed, on The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, Fogerty surrounds himself with such top-flight musicians as Buddy Miller (guitar), Greg Leisz (pedal and lap steel, mandolin and dobro), Jason Mowery (fiddle, mandolin and dobro) and Kenny Aronoff (drums).  They circle and entwine each other in joyous musical call and responses (complete with hooting and hollering), weaving in and out of each song. Call it a country record if you must, but it’s really the sound of America. And the sound of Fogerty: real instruments, real talent. No artifice.

Fogerty, who arranged and produced the set, encouraged his fellow musicians to bring their own ideas to the songs. The album’s great live feel comes from the fact that the basic tracks were recorded in three or four takes over a seven-day period. Then, the players hung out in the studio during each other’s overdubs, egging on their compatriots. “It seemed to be a very rewarding way to make music,” Fogerty says. “I really believed in the songs and the vibe. There was not really a preconceived notion. There [was] an openness, but the thing has to ring true to how I feel.”

Nowhere is that openness more evident than on 1964’s “Haunted House.”  Fogerty & Co. take what many considered a novelty song made famous by Jumpin’ Gene Simmons about an alien and turn it into a full-on rave-up. “It was my idea that I wanted it to basically be a country jam,” he says. “It was a vehicle to have the musicians trade verses. This was important to me; to hear that fun.”

And therein lies another key to the album’s unforced grace. When recording cover songs, it may be tempting to labor over whether to remain faithful to the original or to morph the song into a new creation, Fogerty discarded any such worries and simply went with his gut. “If when I get done with a particular song and I don’t have any more questions, I’m pretty sure it’s done,” he plainly says.

While it may seem odd this member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and author of such iconic tunes as “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Born on the Bayou,” “Fortunate Son” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” would turn to tunes penned by others, remember that he is also a great lover of music. (The lone Fogerty composition on the set is the swampy “Change in the Weather,” originally on 1986’s Eye of the Zombie.)

Many of the songs have been Fogerty favorites for decades and have, as he puts it, “become part of my DNA.”  Some selections, such as “When Will I Be Loved” and “Moody River,” go back to his adolescence. Many, such as John Prine’s “Paradise” and John Denver’s “Back Home Again,” are from revered contemporaries.  “I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)” is a salute to one of his musical heroes, Buck Owens, and his groundbreaking guitarist and Buckaroos’ leader Don Rich.

Others were last minute additions. Miller brought “Fallin’, Fallin’, Fallin’” to Fogerty’s attention while the band was in the studio in Los Angeles.  “I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard that one before,” Fogerty says, “but it was delightful and was a good vehicle to bring the band together with that sort of western swing.”

The criterion for inclusion on the album was a deceptively simple one: “If I’m allowed to just get up with a bunch of people in a country bar somewhere, these are the songs I’ll do,” Fogerty says.  “There was some talk in the beginning about having some [theme]; personally, I wasn’t buying into that. To me, the common thread is really about presenting a certain feeling about music.” Otherwise, he says, the pressure of fitting tunes into a preselected theme weighs down the process “like bowling balls in your knapsack.”

The song most likely to surprise listeners is a remake of Pat Boone’s last No. 1 in 1961, the unlikely murder ballad “Moody River.” “I can imagine Pete Seeger singing it. There are so many things to sink your teeth into,” Fogerty says. “By the way, Pat sings his butt off. I think our version is far more eerie sounding than Pat was allowed to do.

“Garden Party,” a song by another former teen idol, holds special significance for Fogerty, who inducted Nelson, who died in 1985, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Like Nelson, Fogerty has remained true to himself and his music, even when doing so was extremely painful. “I’m the guy who didn’t sing his own songs for 25 years because, basically, those songs had been taken away from me and also used in ways I really disagreed with,” Fogerty says, referring to his decades-long battle with Saul Zaentz over his publishing. “Therefore, I could really identify with a guy saying, ’If memories were all I sang, I’d rather drive a truck.’”

The Eagles‘ Don Henley, a fan of the first Blue Ridge Rangers album, and Timothy B. Schmit provide sumptuous harmonies on “Garden Party.”  ”The Eagles were born to sing those parts,” Fogerty says. “We were all fans.”

The most personal song for Fogerty is Denver’s “Back Home Again.” The message of returning to a loved one’s arms after a journey “involves [my wife] Julie and my emotions towards her,” he says. Plus, he’s a tremendous Denver fan. Fogerty vividly recalls halting an interview during the 1985’s Farm Aid to hear Denver perform. However, Denver’s angelic voice haunted him when he thought about cutting the track: that is until Julie convinced him to try.  “I thought I didn’t have a prayer of doing it justice, but Julie really kept insisting; she kept empowering me and enabling me…I was terrified of it. I don’t sound like John Denver. Somehow I found another way to sound alright.”

The album closes with Fogerty and Springsteen’s yearning take on “When Will I Be Loved,” marking the first time the two legends and longtime admirers of each other have recorded together.

“I’ve wanted to do something with Bruce forever, probably 20-some odd years,” Fogerty says of his tour mate on the Vote for Change outing.  Fogerty traveled to Springsteen’s New Jersey home to record the Boss’s part. “The hardest part was it was in a very high range for Bruce’s voice, but he got it done. He didn’t complain; he didn’t wimp out. It sounds great. It was remarkable how much of a chance he would take.”

But in the end, as Fogerty notes, whether he was recording with Springsteen or the Eagles or with the band, when it came to making The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, “I just sing my own style.”  And no one does that better than John Fogerty.

John Fogerty The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again [B0013286-01] (vinyl) available August 25, 2009. [B0013286-02] (cd and digital) available September 1, 2009.

www.johnfogerty.com; www.vervemusicgroup.com

Since laughter is the best medicine, we decided to give folks a heavy dose throughout 2010 with a line-up of comedians guaranteed to have you rolling in the aisles! 

Jeff Dunham starts off the year with his amazing cast of characters:  Walter, the grumpy retiree;  Achmed the Dead Terrorist, José the Jalapeño, the goofy Peanut, and Bubba J direct from his trailer park in Tornado alley.  Declared by Time Magazine as “perhaps the most popular comedian in the US,” Jeff is enjoying amazing success and his popularity shows no signs of waning.  His January 9^th show is already sold-out.

Larry the Cable Guy brings his brand of blue collar comedy to The Show on February 20^th.  Larry was part of the highly successful concert Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which grossed more than 15 million dollars. The ensemble cast of comedians included Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall. The tour’s success led to Blue Collar Comedy Tour, The Movie, which premiered on Comedy Central in November of 2003 and at the time, was the highest rated movie in the channel’s history.  Source: Larrythecableguy.com.

Canadian born Martin Short appears at The Show on March 12^th.  His Ed Grimley character performed on Saturday Night Live is perhaps one of his most famous.  His films Three Amigos, Father of the Bride and the sequel, and Santa Claus 3: The Escape Clause are huge fan favorites.  In addition to his comedic talents, Martin is also an accomplished writer, singer and producer.

Gabriel Iglesias returns for his second appearance at The Show on May 5th.  Gabriel Iglesias has been described as unbelievably funny, electrifying, and a gifted performer who has the ability to consistently deliver a quality comedy experience in every venue he performs in. His high-octane show is a hilarious mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring all his personal issues to life. Gabe’s clean, animated comedy style has earned national crossover appeal. Ask anyone who has seen him in concert and you will probably hear the same thing, “He was so funny!”  Source:  fulffyguy.com.

Tonight Show host from 1992 to 2009, and primetime talk show host, Jay Leno, returns to The Show on June 12^th.   During his tenure as The Tonight Show talk show host, he continued to perform his stand-up comedy throughout the country.   His observational comedy is a favorite with audiences. 

Tickets to these shows are on sale now at 800-585-3737 or by visiting us online at hotwatercasino.com/theshow.

Winner to be announced at awards ceremony in February

The Show, Southern California’s premier concert theatre located at Agua Caliente Casino, Resort, Spa in Rancho Mirage, has been nominated “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine. 

The nomination is a monumental achievement for The Show, which opened its doors in February of this year with a star-studded concert series featuring Matchbox Twenty and Martina McBride among others.  The venue is one of only 5 facilities in the nation to be nominated. 

“This is a fantastic day for us,” said Steve Macfadyen, director of entertainment at The Show and concert industry veteran. “For The Show to be nominated for such a prestigious award in its first nine months of operation is an enormous accomplishment, but well deserved. Our team has put together a world class venue with first class amenities for guests and artists alike.   I believe we truly have one of the finest concert theatres in the country.” 

The 2009 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards will be held February 17, 2010 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles.  

Several hundred randomly selected concert industry executives participate in the nomination process.  The nominations are tallied, and those concert venues with the most votes are placed on the final ballot.  Pollstar subscribers are then invited to vote online, with the winners announced live at the awards show in February. 

Haven’t been to The Show?  Come see why this spectacular concert venue could be the Best New Major Concert Venue of 2009!  Visit HotWaterCasino.com/TheShow for a list of upcoming concerts and events!

AGUA CALIENTE CASINO • RESORT • SPA CREATES SERIES OF CUSTOM POSTERS FEATURING PERFORMERS AT THE SHOW

(See the Galleries for samples of all of the posters)

The Show at Agua Caliente Casino • Resort • Spa in Rancho Mirage, California is capturing the excitement of world-class entertainment with a series of commemorative posters featuring the entertainers who have performed at this intimate concert theatre. 

Since opening in February 2009, The Show has played host to a fantastic lineup of stars, including Matchbox Twenty, Martina McBride, Tony Bennett, Jay Leno, Trace Adkins and Social Distortion among many others.  In addition to a spectacular line up, The Show grand opening gave executives the opportunity to create a new tradition: commemorative posters for every event.  Director of Entertainment Steve Macfadyen said the idea was largely based on his history with famed concert promoter Bill Graham, who developed what Macfadyen calls “the most famous, historic, and prolific concert poster series” beginning in the 1960s. 

The property’s in-house advertising agency, Caliente Ink, commissioned Laguna Beach artist Bill Atkins to create limited-edition custom artwork for each entertainer, using promotional photos as the basis for his work.  Atkins, who also teaches graphic design and is on his community’s Arts Commission, uses color, shading, and different computer effects to create a unique vision for each entertainer.  

Once complete, a limited run of 11” x 17” posters is delivered to The Show before each performer takes the stage.  The artwork is then autographed and framed for display on backstage walls as well as outside the casino’s employee dining room where team members can peruse the dozens of entertainers who have visited the casino. 

Macfadyen said the posters are a unique way to commemorate The Show’s long list of hit-makers.  “We wanted to do something different; create something that would memorialize these entertainers in a more creative way than just a simple photograph.” 

Ed Huber, art director at Caliente Ink says the posters also allow team members to share in the excitement of being a part of The Show. “It’s fun to walk down the hall, look at these autographed posters and know that you’ve shared the room with these entertainers.  It’s also great to see how much team members appreciate our creativity.” 

Hi-res jpgs of the posters are available for media upon request; for a list of upcoming entertainers at The Show, please visit HotWaterCasino.com/TheShow