Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a division of Viacom’s MTV Networks, along with distribution partner Electronic Arts, announced today that Rock Band is hitting the road on a coast-to-coast tour to give consumers the chance to try the award winning game everyone is talking about before it comes out. In addition, budding musicians can choose to participate in a "Rock Off" audition for an opportunity to appear on MTV’s TRL. Two selected bands will participate in a live "Battle of the Bands," with the top group being asked to open for one of rock’s biggest bands at the Rock Band launch concert this Holiday 2007.

"We’re a couple months away from the launch of Rock Band and the response has already been incredible," said Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. "We simply couldn’t wait any longer to get the game into consumers’ hands and give them a taste of the power of the Rock Band experience. This tour will give everyone from casual music fans, to hard core gamers and professional musicians the chance to live out their rock star fantasies on an authentic concert stage and the chance to audition for a once in a lifetime opportunity to fulfill their rock star fantasies live on MTV in front of thousands of fans."

Kicking off on Sunday, September 9th in Las Vegas, NV during the "2007 MTV Video Music Awards" Weekend, Rock Band outfitted tour rigs will spread across the country on a 24 city tour -- from California to Cleveland, Atlanta to Arizona and everywhere in between -- to give music fans the chance to play on a full concert style stage with all of the lights and monster sound systems they’re used to seeing at a classic arena rock concert. Whether consumers are instrument experts or gear rookies, everyone will get a chance to rock with Rock Band.

And it doesn’t stop there. Aspiring rockers will have the chance to participate in a nationwide casting call through MTV’s Rock Band "Rock Off" events. All performers brave enough to play on the Rock Band tour bus main- stage will be captured on video and viewed by MTV casting directors. Two bands will be chosen and flown to New York City to spend a day with a real rock band and receive true rock star training. The auditions will culminate with the bands rocking on-air on MTV’s TRL, and one band ultimately chosen to open on a real stage for a yet-to-be-named mega band at the Rock Band launch concert.

The Rock Band tour rigs will travel to local college campuses and other locations around the country including:

Las Vegas, NV
September 9 - 16,

Milwaukee, WI
September 13 - 16, 2007

Sacramento, CA
September 20 - 23, 2007

Columbus, OH
September 20 - 23, 2007

Seattle, WA
September 27 - 30, 2007

Chicago, IL
September 27 - 30, 2007

Portland, OR
October 4 - 7, 2007

Pittsburgh, PA
October 4 - 7, 2007

Oakland, CA
October 11 - 14, 2007

Cleveland, OH
October 11 - 14, 2007

San Francisco, CA
October 17 - 21, 2007

Philadelphia, PA
October 18 - 21, 2007

San Diego, CA
October 25 - 28, 2007

Baltimore, MD
October 25 - 28, 2007

Los Angeles, CA
October 31 - November 18, 2007

New York, NY
November 1 - 4, 2007

Boston, MA
November 8 - 11, 2007

New Jersey
November 15 - 18, 2007

Phoenix, AZ
November 27 - 30, 2007

Atlanta, GA
November 27 - December 2, 2007

Austin, TX
December 6 - 9, 2007

New Orleans, LA
December 6 - 9, 2007

Dallas, TX
December 13 - 16, 2007

Orlando, FL
December 13 - 16, 2007

Specific locations for each city will be released separately. In addition, fans can visit http://www.rockband.com/tour beginning September 9th for more information on dates, locations and Rock Band news.

Rock Band is a new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before, challenging users to master the lead/bass guitar, drums, and vocals as solo artists or cooperatively as part of their own band. Built on unprecedented deals with the world’s biggest record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band will span all genres of rock and will include many master recordings from the greatest songs and artists of all time. Rock Band was the top winning game at this year’s E3 show, winning the overall "Best in Show 2007" award and garnering the most Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2007 with five nominations and three awards.

EA will serve as the exclusive distribution and marketing partner for Rock Band, managing distribution for the game in North America, Europe and Australia. For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit http://www.rockband.com and http://www.harmonixmusic.com.