THE WHEELER OPERA HOUSE AND JOHN OATES ANNOUNCE THE THIRD ANNUAL 7908 ASPEN SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL

Aspen, Colorado, January 17, 2012

Produced by Songwriter Hall of Fame member John Oates and the Wheeler Opera House, the third annual 7908 Aspen Songwriters Festival will take place March 21-25 in Aspen, CO. The 7908 Aspen Songwriters Festival is the nation’s most intimate musical weekend where legendary writers perform side by side with the next great generation of songwriting talent.

The 7908 Aspen Songwriters Festival returns to the mountain town with 13 performances, ranging from Appalachian Americana through to top Alt-Rock and Pop. “This year, the festival is so big that we had to add an extra day,” said festival co-founder and Wheeler Opera House Executive Director Gram Slaton, “but when there’s so much great talent that wants to be part of what you’re offering, you make room.”

Slaton comments about the line-up,“Knowing these two (John Oates and Sam Bush) – there’s no telling who else might end up on the stage, so it’s fair game to expect some surprise guests from 7908. One way or the other, it’s the kind of show you can only expect to catch at our festival.”

Colorado Songwriting Competition:
New to this year’s 7908 Aspen Songwriters Festival is a homegrown search for Colorado’s Best Songwriter 2012. Six towns will hold competitions to see which tunesmiths get to be part of this year’s 7908. “We are going to Breckenridge, Vail, Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Winter Park and Boulder to hold competitions open to all Colorado residents,” says Slaton. “Contestants are required to perform only self-penned material for the judges. Based on originality, talent, and presentation, finalists will receive three nights lodging in Aspen, perform in several of Aspen’s best-loved bars over three evenings, and receive a full-festival pass. And the winner will get to perform before the final 7908 show, sharing the stage with John Oates. Not a bad first prize!”

Ticket Information:
Full festival passes are $195.00, or 35% off the single ticket price for all thirteen shows. There will be reserved seating for full-festival pass holders; however there will be a limited number of full-festival passes available. Back by popular demand this year are day passes, which take a full 20% off the price of that day’s shows. Day passes for Wednesday are $44.00; for Thursday, $36.00; for Friday, $46.00; for Saturday, $58.00 and for Sunday, $56.00. All passes and individual tickets will go on sale at 11:00am on Monday, January 23rd, at the Wheeler’s Aspen Show Tickets box office (970-920-5770 locally, 866-449-0464 out of area, or online at www.aspenshowtix.com). For a complete list of performances times and ticket prices, visit www.aspensongwritersfestival.com.

The Aspen Songwriters Festival is sponsored by CF Martin & Co., Inc., Levinson Jewelers, Cloud 9, Emerald Asset Advisors, LLC, Greenspoon Marder Attorneys At Law, Ocean Drive Magazine, and the Colorado Tourism Office.

Contact:
Kate Richardson
Richlyn Marketing
(615) 243-0619
[email protected]