Altpress has exclusively learned that the Rocket Summer's Bryce Avary will be playing a string of tour dates on his own for a special, acoustic "sing along" evening with fans this fall. Avary, who displayed his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist on the 2008 AP Tour, will be armed with a piano, acoustic guitars and drums as he tells the stories behind songs, takes requests and interacts with fans at small venues. Avary also hopes to record the shows for a future live album.

Avary said, "I've never done anything like this before and I think it's time to do something extra special for our core fans. I'm hoping each night has a rowdy, choir-like sing along vibe. The plan is to even record the shows with the hopes of putting out a live record of this special tour. I'm excited to tell stories, talk with fans, take requests and play some of the more obscure songs I've written, as well as the popular ones. I plan on playing a bunch of instruments and looping stuff as well. I'm going to make sure it's an exciting show, and I'm purposely staking out smaller rooms than ever to keep it intimate. We've spent the whole year playing really big rooms with bigger bands, and it's time do something intimate—just me and TRS fans. I really can't wait for this."

Support acts will be announced soon. 

Dates announced so far:

10/12/10 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
10/13/10 Atlanta, GA Smith's Olde Bar
10/17/10 Annapolis, MD Rams Head
10/18/10 Hartford, CA Webster Underground
10/23/10 South Hackensack NJ School of Rock
10/24/10 Allston, MA Harpers Ferry
10/25/10 New York, NY The Studio at Webster Hall

Read more at AltPress.com

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With all of The Rocket Summer's momentum, we thought it'd be a great time to sit down with frontman Bryce Avary for the latest episode of "The 5."

Watch the sensitive singer take a stroll through memory lane as he recalls how the movie Rushmore — and, more specifically, director Wes Anderson — inspired him to start his own high-school dodgeball team called The Bombardment Society. Then, he goes on about his recent Vespa obsession, his former life as a Starbucks barista and the Nickelodeon game show that almost rewarded his family with a free trip to San Francisco. (I'll give you a hint: "On your mark, get set, GO!")

Check out the entire episode of The Rocket Summer's "The 5" and a classic video from the band for their song "So Much Love" (off the 2007 album Do You Feel), both featured below.

watch here!

The Rocket Summer's Bryce Avary hails from one musical part of Texas -- the same area as Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, and Forever The Sickest Kids' -- but this pop rocker is truly ready to stand on his own with his latest album, Of Men and Angels. J-14 sat down with Bryce to chat about the new album, Nick Jonas, and going to concerts with his dad!

Read the rest here!

Thu6/24/        San Diego, CA   Cricket Amphitheatre   
Fri6/25/        Carson, CA      Home Depot Center      
Sat6/26/        Mountain View, CA       Shoreline Amphitheater
Sun6/27/        Ventura, CA     Seaside Park   
Tue6/29/        Phoenix, AZ     Cricket Pavilion       
Wed6/30/        Las Cruces, NM  N.M.S.U.       
Thu7/1/ San Antonio, TX AT&T Center    
Fri7/2/ Houston, TX     The Showgrounds at Sam Houston Race Park       
Sat7/3/ Dallas, TX      Superpages.com Center  
Mon7/5/ St. Louis, MO   Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre  
Tue7/6/ Indianapolis, IN        Verizon wireless Amphitheatre  
Wed7/7/ Burgettstown, PA        First Niagara Pavilion
Thu7/8/ Cleveland, OH   Time Warner Cable Ampitheater at Tower City    
Fri7/9/ Toronto, ON     Arrow Hall     
Sat7/10/        Montreal        Parc Jean Drapeau      
Sun7/11/        Hartford, CT    The Comcast Theatre    
Tue7/13/        Boston, MA      Comcast Center
Wed7/14/        Darian Center, NY       Darien Lake P.A.C.     
Thu7/15/        Scranton, PA    Toyota Pavilion At Montage     
Fri7/16/        Camden, NJ      Susquehanna Bank Center
Sat7/17/        Uniondale, NY   Nassau Coliseum
Sun7/18/        Oceanport, NJ   Monmouth Park Racetrack
Tue7/20/        Columbia, MD    Merriweather Post Pavilion     
Wed7/21/        Virginia Beach, VA      Verizon Wireless Amphitheater  
Thu7/22/        Charlotte, NC   Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Fri7/23/        St. Petersburg, FL      Vinoy Park     
Sat7/24/        West Palm Beach, FL     Cruzan Amphitheater    
Sun7/25/        Orlando, FL     Central Florida Fairgrounds    
Mon7/26/        Atlanta, GA     Lakewood Amphitheatre  
Wed7/28/        Cincinnati, OH  Riverbend Music
Thu7/29/        Milwaukee, WI   Marcus Amphitheater    
Fri7/30/        Detroit, MI     Comerica Park  
Sat7/31/        Chicago, IL     First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre
Sun8/1/ Minneapolis, MN Canterbury Park
Mon8/2/ Bonner Springs, KS      Sandstone Amphitheater (Kansas City)   
Thu8/5/ Edmonton        Northlands Park
Sat8/7/ Salt Lake City, UT      Utah State Fairgrounds
Sun8/8/ Denver, CO      Invesco Field  
Wed8/11/        Pomona, CA      Pomona Fairplex
Thu8/12/        Marysville, CA  Sleep Train Ampitheatre
Fri8/13/        Nampa, ID       Idaho Center Ampitheater       
Sat8/14/        George, WA      Gorge Amphitheatre     
Sun8/15/        Portland, OR    Washington County Fairgrounds  

Jam-packed spring schedule for Texas-based TRS and frontman Bryce Avary:

• Feb. 25th: TV performance on FOX’s Good Day Dallas

• Feb. 26th: Album release party in Dallas with contest-winning local band to open

• March 4th : TV performance on FOX’s Good Day Austin

• March 13th: 2 weeks of tour dates begin with One Republic

• March 20th: AP’s all-day “100 Bands (You Need To Know)” concert at SXSW

• June-August: 16th annual Vans Warped Tour 2010

“We’re not talking simple acoustic solo stuff here.  The music Bryce [Avary] makes as The Rocket Summer is lush, explosively catchy and artful power pop that hints at a new Brian Wilson or Prince in the making.  Keep an eye out on this one. “

                                                                -Austin City Limits.com

“The Rocket Summer’s Bryce Avary establishes himself as a formidable rock force with “Of Men and Angels” (Island).”
                                                                - Newsday


        (February 22, 2010 – New York, NY)  With tomorrows February 23rd release of The Rocket Summer’s second major label album on Island Records, OF MEN AND ANGELS, already got off to a brilliant start with an exclusive premiere on MySpace that can still be heard at www.myspace.com/therocketsummer.   Video for track “Hills and Valleys” will premier today on TheRocketSummer.com at 4pm EST with a live chat with Bryce, as lead single “Walls” impacts Hot AC.

        OF MEN AND ANGELS is on the way, as The Rocket Summer frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumental Texan Bryce Avary looks ahead to the band’s return to the road, starting March 13th on a series of shows with Colorado-based One Republic.  (Please see tour dates below.)  TRS is already confirmed for the 16th annual Vans Warped Tour 2010 this summer, opening in California the last weekend of June, running through August 15th.

        Before the roadwork begins for The Rocket Summer however, fans are awaiting the announcement of the winning band in a contest held this month.  The winning band will open for TRS at their hometown album release party for OF MEN AND ANGELS next Friday night, February 26th, at the Granada Theatre in Dallas.  The day before (February 25th) the Rocket Summer will perform on local FOX-TV morning show, Good Day Dallas.  Then March 4th , TRS will perform on FOX’s Good Day Austin.  

        On March 20th, the closing Saturday of this year’s 10-day SXSW (South By Southwest) Music + Film + Interactive Conference in Austin – the Rocket Summer will play an acoustic set as part of the AP (Alternative Press) all-day “100 Bands (You Need To Know)” concert.  TRS will join 18 other bands (“in no particular order,” AP advises) who will play on three stages at Emo’s beginning at noon.  The AP website http://www.alternativepress.com/news/8509.htm  is also streaming OF MEN AND ANGELS.

        OF MEN AND ANGELS follows-up Do You Feel, The Rocket Summer’s Island debut, released July 2007.  After the release of “So Much Love,” as an advance track, the album’s title tune single “Do You Feel” broke through at Alternative and Modern Rock radio in the summer of 2008.  Meanwhile TRS headlined the sold-out AP tour and graced the cover of AP’s magazine.  TRS then played a successful six-week North American tour with Phantom Planet, Secret Handshake, and the Morning Light, plus two sold out headline tours in the UK.  .    For further information go to www.TheRocketSummer.com.  


THE ROCKET SUMMER ON TOUR WITH ONE REPUBLIC

3/13            Montgomery, AL          Riverwalk Amphitheatre
3/14            Tallahassee, FL                 Floyd’s Music Store
3/16            Mobile, AL                      Soul Kitchen
3/17            Memphis, TN                     Minglewood Hall
3/22            Des Moines, IA          People’s Court
3/23            Madison, WI                     Overture Center for the Arts – Capitol Theatre
3/24            Decatur, IL                     Kirkland FAC @ Millikin U.
3/27            Searcy, AR                      Benson Aud. @ Harding U.        
3/29            Russellville, AR                        Arkansas Tech U.

Vans Warped Tour 2010

Thu6/24/        San Diego, CA   Cricket Amphitheatre   
Fri6/25/        Carson, CA      Home Depot Center      
Sat6/26/        Mountain View, CA       Shoreline Amphitheater
Sun6/27/        Ventura, CA     Seaside Park   
Tue6/29/        Phoenix, AZ     Cricket Pavilion       
Wed6/30/        Las Cruces, NM  N.M.S.U.       
Thu7/1/ San Antonio, TX AT&T Center    
Fri7/2/ Houston, TX     The Showgrounds at Sam Houston Race Park       
Sat7/3/ Dallas, TX      Superpages.com Center  
Mon7/5/ St. Louis, MO   Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre  
Tue7/6/ Indianapolis, IN        Verizon wireless Amphitheatre  
Wed7/7/ Burgettstown, PA        First Niagara Pavilion
Thu7/8/ Cleveland, OH   Time Warner Cable Ampitheater at Tower City    
Fri7/9/ Toronto, ON     Arrow Hall     
Sat7/10/        Montreal        Parc Jean Drapeau      
Sun7/11/        Hartford, CT    The Comcast Theatre    
Tue7/13/        Boston, MA      Comcast Center
Wed7/14/        Darian Center, NY       Darien Lake P.A.C.     
Thu7/15/        Scranton, PA    Toyota Pavilion At Montage     
Fri7/16/        Camden, NJ      Susquehanna Bank Center
Sat7/17/        Uniondale, NY   Nassau Coliseum
Sun7/18/        Oceanport, NJ   Monmouth Park Racetrack
Tue7/20/        Columbia, MD    Merriweather Post Pavilion     
Wed7/21/        Virginia Beach, VA      Verizon Wireless Amphitheater  
Thu7/22/        Charlotte, NC   Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Fri7/23/        St. Petersburg, FL      Vinoy Park     
Sat7/24/        West Palm Beach, FL     Cruzan Amphitheater    
Sun7/25/        Orlando, FL     Central Florida Fairgrounds    
Mon7/26/        Atlanta, GA     Lakewood Amphitheatre  
Wed7/28/        Cincinnati, OH  Riverbend Music
Thu7/29/        Milwaukee, WI   Marcus Amphitheater    
Fri7/30/        Detroit, MI     Comerica Park  
Sat7/31/        Chicago, IL     First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre
Sun8/1/ Minneapolis, MN Canterbury Park
Mon8/2/ Bonner Springs, KS      Sandstone Amphitheater (Kansas City)   
Thu8/5/ Edmonton        Northlands Park
Sat8/7/ Salt Lake City, UT      Utah State Fairgrounds
Sun8/8/ Denver, CO      Invesco Field  
Wed8/11/        Pomona, CA      Pomona Fairplex
Thu8/12/        Marysville, CA  Sleep Train Ampitheatre
Fri8/13/        Nampa, ID       Idaho Center Ampitheater       
Sat8/14/        George, WA      Gorge Amphitheatre     
Sun8/15/        Portland, OR    Washington County Fairgrounds