Mudvayne to Play up a Storm with 2008 Tour

American metal band Mudvayne might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they certainly do have a large and loyal following. No doubt a large number of fans will be purchasing tickets to enjoy Mudvayne’s upcoming autumn tour.

Made up of founder and frontman Chad Gray, guitarist Greg Tribbett, drummer Matthew McDonough and bassist Ryan Martinie, Mudvayne was formed in Peoria, Illinois, in 1996. They originally started out as a rap-metal group with Shawn Barclay doing base, but Barclay was replaced by Martinie in 1998. Their steady rise to fame started in April 1998 when local promoter Steve Soderstrom hosted the Original Hard Rock Music Showcase in Illinois. Mudvayne played at the showcase, along with 57 other bands from Peoria. They were selected as one of the 12 finalists and performed live on two stages in front of hundreds of screaming fans. The show was followed up with ‘Shredfest’, which they also played in at the Peoria riverfront stage, followed by another show at the American Legion Hall in Washington. This time Chuck Toler, a long-time friend of Steve Soderstrom, was contacted and brought in to see the band performing live. He quickly recognized their talent, started acting as their manager and secured a recording contract for them with Epic Records. The rest, as they say, is history.

By 2000 the band had released their debut album, which shot to number 85 of the Billboard 200. It was later certified gold by the RIAA. They went on to win the MTV2 Award in 2001 and were nominated for the Best Metal Performance at the Grammy Awards in 2005. Mudvayne currently has five gold certifications and has sold almost three million albums in the US alone. Mudvayne’s upcoming tour corresponds somewhat with the release of their new album, “The New Game”, which will hit music store shelves on November 18, 2008. The tour will kick off on October 28 at the El Paso County Coliseum in Texas where the band will enjoy several performances before heading off to Oklahoma for two shows in November. From there they jet off to New Mexico for a single performance on November 8 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Then its off to Arizona, California, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia and Georgia. The final performance will be taking place at House of Blues in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on December 20. Book now to make sure you don’t miss out!