Intimate NYC Date Set For July 24th At Irving Plaza Completely Sold Out
“The A Team” Scores At Multi Format Radio Nationwide After “+” Enters Soundscan/Billboard 200 At #5
Elektra recording artist Ed Sheeran is proving to be as much a phenomenon here in the U.S. as he is in his native England. In response to his rapidly increasing popularity, the British troubadour has just added a number of new dates to his upcoming North American headline tour, much of which had already sold out within minutes of going on sale.
The “VH1 You Oughta Know Tour with Ed Sheeran” will now get underway September 8th at Orlando’s Beacham Theatre, followed by newly announced stops in Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Columbus, Ohio (see attached itinerary). What’s more, several of the already sold-out shows – including Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, and non-“VH1 You Oughta Know Tour” dates in Toronto and Vancouver – have been upgraded to larger venues in order to accommodate Sheeran’s increasingly fervent fanbase.
As if all that weren’t enough, Sheeran’s intimate one-night-only event at New York’s famed Irving Plaza has completely sold out almost immediately after its recent announcement. Set for Tuesday, July 24th, the show precedes the long sold out “VH1 You Oughta Know Tour with Ed Sheeran” date at NYC’s much larger Terminal 5.
For presale information regarding all newly announced dates, fans are advised to sign up to the official Ed Sheeran mailing list at www.edsheeran.com. In addition to regular news updates and other exclusive announcements, new subscribers will receive a free download of Sheeran’s “THE ONE TAKE EP.”
The eagerly anticipated tour follows the recent chart success of Sheeran’s acclaimed debut album, “+.” Fueled by the hit single, “The A Team,” the album entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #5 – the highest debut for a British solo artist’s first full-length album since 2009.
“The A Team” is currently blowing up at multi format radio outlets across America, including top 10 airplay at Triple A, top 20 airplay at Hot AC, and heavy rotation at SiriusXM. In addition, the single has received strong support from Clear Channel’s exclusive Artist Integration Program, the company’s groundbreaking artist development platform across CHR and Hot AC formats.
Likewise, Sheeran is a rising star on the video channels. He was recently MTV’s PUSH artist of the week and added to full rotation. In addition to headlining VH1’s You Oughta Know tour, “The A Team” music video has hit #1 on the VH1 Top 20 Countdown.
Along with its popular success, “+” has quickly earned Sheeran widespread acclaim, including rave reviews in such national publications as Entertainment Weekly and People, which awarded the album 3-and-a-half (out of 4) stars, noting that Sheeran’s “folkified tunes (evoke) James Blunt and Damien Rice” while also “(boasting) a bit o’ B-boy swagger.”
Furthermore, many of Sheeran’s musical peers have taken to Twitter to declare their own love for the album. Taylor Swift recently declared “+” to be her “favorite album right now,” while One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson went even further, pronouncing “+” his “favorite album of the last 12 months.”
Sheeran marked the U.S. release of “+” with visits to NBC’s TODAY and VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live. The appearances followed prior live performances on TBS’ Conan, NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Last Call with Carson Daly, and mtvU’s 2012 Woodie Awards extravaganza.
In addition, Sheeran heralded the album’s arrival with a pair of New York City headline shows, both of which sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale. The dates came hot on the heels of Sheeran’s stellar appearance at The Royal Diamond Jubilee Concert, where he celebrated the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign by sharing the stage with such rock royalty as Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, and Sir Tom Jones.
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Masterfully blending soulful vocals with organic folk introspection and irresistible hip-hop hooks, Sheeran is a genuine phenomenon. Inspired by such diverse artists as James Morrison, Damien Rice, and Jay-Z, the gifted tunesmith, his major label debut single, “The A Team,” arrived in June 2011 and instantly proved an unqualified sensation, entering among the top 3 on the U.K. Singles Chart. The track spent 11 consecutive weeks in the U.K. Top 10, making history as 2011’s highest charting, biggest selling debut single.
Sheeran’s full-length debut, “+,” soon followed, featuring a host of truly special songs, from the heart-wrenching “Small Bump” to the hushed “Give Me Love.” The album exploded onto the U.K. Albums Chart at #1 with the highest opening sales figures for a debut male solo artist ever and is now certified 4x platinum.
In addition to their popular success, Sheeran and “+” received extensive acclaim, including the prestigious “Breakthrough Artist” trophy at the Q Awards 2011. Even greater accolades came in early 2012 as Sheeran emerged victorious with a pair of top 2011 Brit Awards – including “Best Male Artist” and “Best Breakthrough Artist” – after having led the field with a remarkable four total nods. Furthermore, “The A Team” received the high honor of a 2012 Ivor Novello Award nomination in the “Best Song Musically and Lyrically” category.
Released in December 2011, Sheeran’s U.S. debut EP, “THE A TEAM,” features four extraordinary tracks previously unavailable stateside, including, of course, “The A Team.” A special iTunes version of the EP – available exclusively on the iTunes Store – is augmented by an additional track, “Grade 8 (Live At The iTunes Festival London).”
As energetic and engaging on stage as he is on record, Sheeran spent much of last year doing what he does best – playing sold out shows all over the U.K., including acclaimed festival appearances at such annual extravaganzas as Glastonbury, Lovebox, Bestival, Latitude, and Reading & Leeds Festivals. After kicking off the new year with a handful of sold-out shows in NYC and LA, Sheeran was a standout performer at this year’s South by Southwest® Music & Media Conference (SXSW®) in Austin, Texas. Sheeran recently concluded his debut North American tour, serving as special guest alongside Snow Patrol. A further series of U.K. and European festivals are scheduled for the summer, as is a fully sold out tour of Australia and New Zealand. Sheeran’s biggest U.K. tour thus far will follow in the fall, featuring sold out multiple night stands in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Doncaster, Newcastle, and Glasgow.
As if all that weren’t enough, Sheeran kickstarted 2012 with “THE SLUMDON BRIDGE EP,” a four-song collaboration with Shady Records/Get-O-Vision Entertainment/Interscope Records recording artist Yelawolf. Initially released as a free Valentine’s Day download, the acclaimed EP is available now via all digital retailers.
For up-to-the-minute news and information, please see www.edsheeran.com, www.twitter.com/EdSheeran, www.facebook.com/EdSheeranMusic and www.elektrarecords.com.
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ED SHEERAN
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2012
All Dates w/The “VH1 YOU OUGHTA KNOW TOUR WITH ED SHEERAN” Except *
JULY
24 New York, NY Irving Plaza *
SEPTEMBER
8 Orlando, FL Beacham Theatre
9 Charlotte, NC Amos’ Southend Music Hall
10 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
11 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
17 Toronto, ON Echo Beach @ Molson Canadian * – NEW VENUE
18 Montreal, QC Olympia de Montreal *
19 Boston, MA House of Blues – SOLD OUT!
21 New York, NY Terminal 5 – SOLD OUT!
22 Washington, DC 9:30 Club – SOLD OUT!
23 Philadelphia, PA River Stage @ Penn’s Landing – NEW VENUE
25 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
26 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
28 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre – SOLD OUT!
OCTOBER
1 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
2 San Diego, CA House of Blues
4 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre * – NEW VENUE
5 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre – NEW VENUE
6 Seattle, WA The Showbox SoDo – SOLD OUT!
Source: Elektra Records
