Jody Raffoul
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Jody Raffoul

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"SHIFT_2NISSAN TOUR 2007"

For Immediate Release
January 19, 2007

INDIE LABEL TAKES THE BISCUIT, INC.
ARTISTS’ JODY RAFFOUL, JEFF AUSTIN BLACK AND
JESSICA ANDREWS SET TO HEADLINE THE
SHIFT_2 NISSAN TOUR STARTING FEB 10TH

Other Indie Bands have a chance to win a spot on XM Radio, a prize package of $10,000 as well as their song on a special compilation CD from the Battle of the Bands competition


New York - Indie label TAKES THE BISCUIT, INC., is pleased to announce that three of its artists, JODY RAFFOUL, JEFF AUSTIN BLACK and JESSICA ANDREWS will be resuming the 2007 leg of the Shift_2 Nissan Cool Cars, Cool Music Tour starting in the Los Angeles area Feb 10-11 at Santa Anita Race Park in Arcadia.

All events are free and the performances will start at 4 PM on both days following a day of unique events highlighting the cool new Nissan 2007 models of the Altima, Versa and Sentra. These models have been upgraded with the latest technology features including Bluetooth, Intelligent Key, CVT (continuously variable transmission) and Pushbutton Start. Not only will the public have an opportunity to get a close look at these new models, but they can also get instruction from professional drivers and will then have the opportunity to test drive models for themselves on a specially designed driving course. The tour will cross the U.S. also making stops in Irvine, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale and Atlanta finishing up in late spring 2007.

A Battle of the Bands contest has been started for each date and sign ups are available at the Shift_2 Nissan official website http://www.shift2nissan.com/. Battle of the Bands contestants will hit the stage starting at 2 PM prior to the main show. Winners of the Battle of the Bands will have the chance to win a spot on XM, a prize package of $10,000 including a Mac with Pro Tools software. All winners will also be featured on a special Shift_2 Nissan Compilation album to be released this Spring. Indie Bands such as 51 Peg, Honor by August and Timothy Daniel have taken part in the Battle of the Bands events in Washington DC and New York. Profiles and music are featured on the Shift_2 Nissan website.

Tour Dates – subject to change without notice:
Sat. Feb 10 – Santa Anita Race Park Arcadia, CA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jody Raffoul
Sun. Feb 11 – Santa Anita Race Park Arcadia, CA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jessica Andrews
Sat. Feb 17 – Wild Rivers Irvine, CA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jody Raffoul
Sun. Feb 18 – Wild Rivers Irvine, CA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jessica Andrews
Sat. Feb 24 – The Cow Palace San Francisco, CA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jody Raffoul
Sun. Feb 25 – The Cow Palace San Francisco, CA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jessica Andrews
Sat. Mar 3 – Metro-Center Mall Phoenix, AZ w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jody Raffoul
Sun. Mar 4 – Metro-Center Mall Phoenix, AZ w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jessica Andrews
Sat. Mar 10 – Ameriquest Field Arlington, TX w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jody Raffoul
Sun. Mar 11 - Ameriquest Field Arlington, TX w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jessica Andrews
Sat. Mar 17 – Galleria Mall Ft. Lauderdale, FL w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jody Raffoul
Sun. Mar 18 - Galleria Mall Ft. Lauderdale, FL w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jessica Andrews
Sat. Mar 24 – Whitewater Park Marietta, GA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jody Raffoul
Sun. Mar 25 – Whitewater Park Marietta, GA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jessica Andrews
Sat. Mar 31 – Discover Mills Lawrenceville, GA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jody Raffoul
Sun Apr 1 - Discover Mills Lawrenceville, GA w/ Jeff Austin Black & Jessica Andrews

Check http://www.shift2nissan.com/ for more information.

About the Headline Artists:
JODY RAFFOUL
Canadian Singer/Songwriter Jody Raffoul has already been a steady “Critic’s Pick” in the Detroit/Windsor area for years, but things have sped up since he drew national attention in 2006 after being named the winner of Bon Jovi’s “Have A Nice Gig” contest. At home in a small club or the big stage, his signature voice and compassionate stage presence has been described as a hybrid mix of Bono and Bruce Springsteen making every performance unique. Keep and eye on this one! Takes the Biscuit will release a special remixed and re-mastered “Best of” selection taken from Like A Star and Simple Life as a double album (currently untitled). Slated for Spring 2007, the release will also include new tracks that reflect Jody’s career growth and bright future.
www.jodyraffoul.com
www.myspace.com/jodyraffoul

JESSICA ANDREWS
With a voice that makes every head turn in a room and looks to match; singer/songwriter Jessica Andrews emerged on the country scene at the early age of 15 with her 1999 debut Heart Shaped World. By 2001 Jessica achieved a chart breakthrough with the #1 country single smash “Who I Am”, before expanding her musical reach and maturity with 2003's Now. In addition to winning the Academy Of Country Music's Top New Female Vocalist award in 1999 and nominated for CMA’s prestigious 2001 Horizon Award, sh - TTB


"JODY RAFFOUL WINS BON JOVI CONTEST"

LOS ANGELES, February 23, 2006 – Bon Jovi in association with AEG Live, XM Satellite Radio and WDVD-FM today announced the winner of BON JOVI’S “Have A Nice Gig” opening act competition from the first leg of the tour. JON BON JOVI and RICHIE SAMBORA selected Detroit’s own JODY RAFFOUL BAND to receive a demo recording contract and perform in the opening slot at their Giants Stadium concert this summer. The JODY RAFFOUL BAND beat out hundreds of Detroit’s best unsigned bands to be Bon Jovi’s opening act at The Palace at Auburn Hills on Friday, November 18th. That win qualified them to compete on XM Satellite Radio against 23 other winning bands from the first leg of Bon Jovi’s sold-out “Have A Nice Day” World Tour.

The decision came down to the wire according to Bon Jovi management. Both Jon and Richie spent a great deal of time watching and critiquing the performances from each of the four XM Radio finalists over the past week of the current leg of the tour. When Jon and Richie deplaned in Houston, TX, this past Tuesday they went straight to their dressing room at the venue to revisit the footage and choose the winner. They sought the band that displayed the best songwriting and elicited the best crowd response; they then weighed in the opinion of fellow bandmates to choose the winner.

JODY RAFFOUL was asked to be present at the WDVD-FM studios in Detroit today under the guise that all four finalists were on standby for the live announcement of the winner. In fact, only the JODY RAFFOUL BAND was asked so they could be surprised with the special recorded video announcement from Jon and Richie that they had won.
“Jody, Jody you got the gig man... Congratulations!... Thanks a lot for everyone for supporting us and congratulations Jody; we’ll see you in a stadium in New York City this summer.”

Singer/songwriter JODY RAFFOUL has built a strong fan base touring the United States and Canada with his unique blend of working class pop-rock rhythms. Jody began developing his vocal, musical and songwriting abilities while still a teenager in a local cover band and has since gone on to record three independent albums, 1996's JODY RAFFOUL and 2000's SIMPLE LIFE and his latest release LIKE A STAR which has garnered the music industry and music critics’ attention including The Windsor Star newspaper who declared, "Light Of Day” confirms Raffoul’s status as one of [the Windsor/Detroit] area’s best unsigned artists.”

“All of the opening bands from the ‘Have A Nice Gig’ contest had the opportunity to share their music with a larger audience, and getting that chance is always more difficult for an unsigned band,” said Billy Zero, program director for XM Satellite Radio and host of “The Radar Report,” an XM music show for unsigned bands. “Whether the bands can fill a basement or massive stadium, XM provides a place for both new artists and established acts to have their music heard and create new fans among our millions of subscribers.”

WDVD-FM’s afternoon talent Jesse Addy says, “Detroit has always been a source of great musical talent and we're very proud to be a part of that tradition here at WDVD. Hopefully Jody won't forget us when he's dating a Supermodel.”

The “Have A Nice Gig” competition consists of 51 Bon Jovi concert tour dates beginning November 2, 2005 in Des Moines, Iowa and concluding with their March 11, 2006 concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. From the first 24 winning bands, four bands were selected as semifinalists by music fans across the country who logged on to the XM Satellite Radio website during January to vote online for their favorite. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora then selected the JODY RAFFOUL BAND as the grand prize winning band from the four semifinalists. Audio and performance footage of the JODY RAFFOUL BAND and the three other semifinalists is available online at http://bonjovi.xmradio.com.
Details for the 27 bands competing in the second leg opening act competition will follow in the upcoming weeks.

It was more than 20 years ago that Jon Bon Jovi, still an unsigned and struggling artist, was asked to submit his single titled “Runaway” for a local radio station’s “homegrown” compilation album in New York. Soon the single was being played in heavy rotation across the country and the rest as they say… is history. That experience inspired Bon Jovi to challenge unsigned artists nationwide to create their own “Runaway” success stories, teaming up with radio stations nationwide, XM Satellite Radio and AEG Live to help create and implement the “Have A Nice Gig” competition.
- AEG Live


Discography

Big Sky- Release date Summer '08

Like A Star- digital release January 08

Live limited edition Jody Raffoul & his Band
Migration Hall - 2005

Simple Life (acoustic album) - 2000

Photos

Bio

JODY RAFFOUL may be from a small town in Southern Ontario, but his diverse career as a working class pop-rock singer/songwriter has continued to put him in the spotlight here stateside. Jody has already brought his signature throaty vocal style across the states, opening for big name artists such as Collective Soul, Kid Rock, Nickelback, Joe Cocker, Blues Traveler, Richard Marx, Counting Crows, The Allman Brothers Band, Uncle Kracker, John Entwhistle, Chris Isaak, Paul Rodgers and most recently Bon Jovi.

A reliable “critic’s pick” in the Detroit Metro area, Jody’s career jumped leaps in 2006 when he beat out over 17,500 bands nationwide in the Bon Jovi “Have a Nice Gig” competition. Jody’s “Light of Day” won the regional gig, chosen by Detroit’s WDVD 96.3, giving him the chance to open for Bon Jovi at the sold out Palace at Auburn Hills in November 2005. In early 2006 Jody was named the Grand Prize winner of the national contest, hand picked and announced personally by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. He went on to open a sold out show at Giant’s Stadium in Bon Jovi’s home state, New Jersey, alongside fellow Canadians, Nickelback. As the national winner he was also featured on XM Satellite Radio’s, Billy Zero Unsigned Artists show. The contest win and word of mouth has increased his following across the states winning over new fans along the way.

At home in a small club or the big stage, his signature voice and compassionate stage presence has been described as a hybrid mix of Bono and Bruce Springsteen making every performance unique. Jody's solo acoustic album "Simple Life" which was only sold at live shows, not only garnered attention from the music industry, contemporaries and some of Jody's musical influences, but it also showcased Jody's diversity. His sensitive, in-tune songwriting ability combined with infectious rifts and full band is reflected in the album, "Like A Star", which was will finally made available as a download in January 2008.

In a world full of musical choices Jody's music has no gimmick; the songs speak for themselves, and the passion he puts into them is undeniable.

JODY has just finished his new album BIG SKY, produced by Jody, mixed by Al Sutton and mastered by Greg Calbi he is currently working on his movie GRABTIME - official release dates for both will be announced shortly.