Stimulate This! Tour

Now that we’re all sick of hearing about swine flu, we can return to the media’s other favorite topic – the economy! Don’t worry, this is the fun type of economic talk, the kind where bands offer you discounts for your troubles. 

Staind, Shinedown, Chevelle and HaleStorm have joined forces to offer fans a major deal on the “Stimulate This!” tour.

Base ticket prices for the tour will be set at mostly under $40 each, half the cost of comparable multi-band summer tour packages. Some venues are even offering lawn seats for less than $10. Four major bands for less than $10? That’s crazypants!

Photo: Jason Moore
Lincoln Theater, Raleigh, N.C.

The “Stimulate This!” tour is hitting more than 40 U.S. markets, kicking things off July 1 at Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Ill., with dates through early September.

Additional shows include DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit (July 4), Bank of America Pavilion in Boston (July 14), Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Ky. (July 21) and The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colo. (Aug. 13).

There’s currently dates on the books through a show at Festival Pier in Philadelphia, Aug. 30, with additional dates to be announced.

Photo: Marcy Guiragossian

“Wall Street got its bailout; not it’s time for rock fans to get theirs,” Stain frontman Aaron Lewis said in a statement. “This summer, we want to give our fans one night where they can forget about everything else and experience a great rock show.”

Shinedown’s Brent Smith added it’s all about the fans.

“We’ve always said that we, as a band, only answer to one boss … and that’s everyone in the audience,” Smith said. “It’s our job … our privilege to offer our fans an escape. Teaming up with these other great bands, we’re doing what we can to help lift everyone’s spirits in these tough times … the power of music can do that.”

For more info, check out the bands’ Web sites at staind.com, shinedown.com, chevelleinc.com and halestormrocks.com.