(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents Grammy® Award-winning rock band, America: Ride On Tour on Friday, November 1, 2024 at 8:00pm. Grammy® Award-winning rock band, America has captivated audiences worldwide for decades with their signature folk-rock sound and heartfelt lyrics.
Their best-known tunes, which include “A Horse with No Name,” “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway,” “Don’t Cross The River,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” and “Sister Golden Hair” were cornerstones of 1970’s Top 40 and FM rock radio. Yet beyond their impressive catalog of hits, listeners would discover there was always much more to America than surface perceptions. The combination of melodic pop-rock and folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms, and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted well with other more traditional country-rock leanings and highly personal lyrics.
America’s albums—six certified gold and/or platinum, with their first greatest hits collection, History, hitting four plus million in sales—displayed a fuller range of the trio’s talents than did their singles. Their material encompassed an ambitious artistic swath; from effects-laden rockers to oddball medleys to soul-bearing ballads, America displayed a flawless blend of disparate genres and styles as wide-open as the great American plains.
Enjoying massive success early in their career, America earned their stripes as musical soldiers on the battlefield amidst the excess, craziness, and chaos of the 70’s. The trio won the Grammy® for Best New Artist in 1972 and began working with George Martin and Geoff Emerick in 1974. This successful team went on to record seven albums and several Top Ten hits, including “Tin Man,” “Sister Golden Hair,” and “Lonely People.”
Their growth as singers, songwriters, and musicians has continued into the present day as illustrated by landmark releases such as 2000’s Highway 3-disc box set, 2002’s Holiday Harmony, an album comprised of seasonal classics and live showcases, 2007’s Here & Now, 2009’s Live In Concert: Wildwood Springs, 2011’s Back Pages and 2015’s Lost And Found and America: Archives Vol. 1.
In 2020, the band released their ultimate 8-disc anniversary box set, Half Century (America Records), and streamed their concert special America—Live at the London Palladium for the very first time (it is commercially available as a DVD and CD). 2020 also saw the release of the book America, the Band: An Authorized Biography by journalist Jude Warne. She weaves original interviews with the band and many others into a dynamic cultural history of America the band, and America, the nation. Billy Bob Thornton wrote the foreword.
Tickets range from $59-$359 and are available for purchase online or by calling State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-SHOW (7469). State Theatre Guest Services, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open by phone and email only, Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. For in-person purchases, Guest Services is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.
After major renovations, State Theatre New Jersey celebrated its 100th Anniversary in December 2021 in a fully renovated theater. Originally built as a silent film and vaudeville palace, State Theatre’s historic significance was honored by PBS by featuring it in its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, in the fall of 2018. “Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey” can be streamed online.
Today, State Theatre is the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey and has welcomed more than six million people through its doors since reopening as a nonprofit performing arts center in 1988. State Theatre New Jersey is a cornerstone of the cultural vitality of Middlesex County and averages a total economic impact on New Brunswick and the surrounding area of more than $18 million a year. The mainstage programs have featured high-caliber artists such as Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Kevin Hart, Ringo Starr, Melissa Etheridge, John Leguizamo, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Program offerings include Broadway, orchestra, family, dance, comedy, rock/pop, jazz, Performances for Schools, and Sensory-Friendly Performances.
State Theatre New Jersey’s programs are made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. For information on events, go to MiddlesexCountyCulture.com.
