Snowstorm Music Tour lands in Billings and Missoula
Published: January 9, 2012
Hip-hop crossover sensation T-Pain and the ever-eclectic Gym Class Heroes headline the Snowstorm Tour, which kicks off Feb. 7 in Battle Creek, Mich., and concludes in Montana with shows Feb. 20 at the Shrine Auditorium in Billings and Feb. 21 at the Adams Center in Missoula.
North Dakota-based Jade Presents conceived the idea last year with the inaugural tour featuring Nelly and 3OH!3, among others. The tour is designed to take artists with Top 40 radio play to smaller markets and deliver a great show at an affordable price.
Alternative/hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes catapulted to international stardom in 2007 with their no. 1 hit “Cupid’s Chokehold/Breakfast In America,” which set the record for holding the top spot on the Top 40 radio charts for the most consecutive weeks by a band and helped earn them the “Best New Artist” award at the MTV Video Music Awards that same year.
Their genre-jumping sound and energetic live performances have made the band equally at home touring with The Roots and Li’l Wayne as they crossed the country as a Warped Tour headliner.
T-Pain’s December release, rEVOLVEr, is what the title suggests – an artist that challenged himself to resonate with new audiences. “5 O’Clock,” featuring Wiz Khalifa and British songbird Lilly Allen, has the feel of a pop song and the suave, cool stylings of an R&B standard. T-Pain recently toured with Chris Brown, whom he also collaborated with on “Best Love Song.”
Also on the bill:
Outasight is a Yonkers-bred musician who brilliantly weaves together the cadenced sounds of popular hip-hop and indie rock with the poignant sensibility of classic pop and soul to create a fresh, new sound. Download his latest mixtape, "Get It Together," on his website.
Rhymesayers Entertainment artist Grieves enlisted longtime friend, collaborator and producer, Budo on his latest album, Together/Apart, and his first tour. Together/Apart charted No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart, No. 13 in Rap Albums and No. 106 on Billboard’s Top 200. Grieves’ combination of singing and rapping makes this Chicago native stand out. With the addition of Budo’s keys, horn and guitar, the result launches hip-hop into the next generation.
Cris Cab is the face of next generation’s independent artists. With over a million of hits on YouTube of covers from the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Kanye West, and Foster The People, Cab (at only 18 years old), is gaining an immense fan base and attention solely online. So much so, he is the protégé of hit-maker Pharrell Williams (half of the power producing duo The Neptunes). His diverse talents and multi-genre appeal have already landed him tour spots with Matisyahu and O.A.R.
North Dakota native Taylor Bride, known as Dextrious, brings his DJ skills to the tour.
For tickets and details, visit snowstormmusictour.com.
