441 And Altar Boys To Headline 80's Rock Revival Stage At Spirit West Coast
TUSTIN, Calif. (May 1, 2006) - Two groups that helped open new horizons in Christian rock music in the 1980s will be featured at the popular Spirit West Coast music festival Memorial Day weekend at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego.
Altar Boys and 4-4-1 were key players in the seminal Christian alternative rock movement in Southern California in the 1980s.
"We're thrilled to be performing at such a great gathering of music groups," said 4-4-1 lead singer John McNamara. "Giving a new generation a taste of what it was like 20 years ago is a privilege and will very satisfying. We love the Altar Boys and to share the 80s Rock Revival stage with them is an honor."
The Spirit West Coast festivals are the two largest and only multiple-day Christian music festivals in the Southwest United States. The festivals rank as two of the premier Christian music festivals in the country, drawing fans from many states, especially from the Western region including California, Arizona, and Nevada. The event's combined "unique visitor" attendance in 2005 was 47,000 and the combined 6-day cumulative attendance was just at 100,000. 441 and Altar Boys will be performing at the Del Mar installment of Spirit West Coast at a special "80s Rock Revival" stage created just for the bands.
The two groups may be from the same era, yet their music sets each apart. 441 rose to popularity playing a new-wave inspired blend of music reminiscent of early Elvis Costello, U2 and the Violent Femmes. 441's energetic beats and pop sensibilities quickly garnered a following in 1984 when their first album debuted at the top spot on the So-Cal CCM charts.
Altar Boys are the self-proclaimed pioneers of Christian Punk and, 20-some years later, still play with an abandon that is unparalled. Early releases such as their self-titled debut, When You're a Rebel and Gut Level Music helped make it okay for Christians to express themselves through a genre previously thought of as off limits.
441 and Altar Boys will be performing at the 80s Rock Revival stage on Saturday, May 27 at approximately 3:00pm. Other acts scheduled to appear are Jeremy Camp, Newsboys, Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Mercy Me, Seventh Day Slumber and Joy Electric. In total, over 50 acts and speakers will be on stage during the three day festival. For more information, please see www.441online.com , www.altarboys.com or www.spiritwestcoast.com.