Hawk Nelson Delivers Hits on Baseball Park Tour

By Kevin Jackson, Christian Post Reporter Monday, June 25, 2007

Christian Canadian rock band Hawk Nelson has begun hitting the parks this summer, visiting baseball stadiums around the United States to perform for audiences.

Last week, they performed their first baseball venues in four southern Minor League ballparks in Mobile, Ala.; Birmingham, Ala.; Jackson, Tenn.; and Huntsville, Ala.

Although they hope their catchy pop music can entertain fans, the Christian rockers also hope their songs have a bigger impact, especially to attendants who would not normally attend a Christian rock concert.

"There are so many bands out there that sing about nothing," explains Jason Dunn, lead vocals, on the group's website. "They're like, 'Well, this word rhymes so I'll just use it' and it's nothing. We are a band that says something and can hopefully change lives for the better."

Throughout the summer until the end of August, Hawk Nelson will play at a total of 30 baseball stadiums. Either before or after a game, they will perform a full concert for anyone who has purchased a ticket to the concert, aside from the game that day.

Among the more notable stops, the band will visit the ballparks of three Major League franchises not listed on their basic tour: the Kansas City Royals on July 28, the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 19, and the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 15.

Tickets for each of the venues will be $15, and the group will be performing with fellow Christian rockers The Send.

Besides the stadium performances, Hawk Nelson has also partnered up with Major League Baseball (MLB) for some fun promotions. The band will be featured on MLB.com, and is planning a visit to New York City to work on a studio recording and an interview to be used on the site throughout the baseball season.

Hawk Nelson has been seeing much growth since they came into the mainstream a few years ago. They have released two full-length albums, Letters to the President (2004) and Smile, It's the End of the World (2006), and have a freshly released single out called "Zero," a song that addresses teen suicide.

Their most successful single has been "Everything You Ever Wanted" off their second album which spent 9 weeks at No. 1 on the R&R Christian CHR chart. They also won the GMA Canada Covenant Award in 2006 for the Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year, and were picked as "Favorite New Artist" by CCM Magazine in its February 2006 "Reader's Choice Awards."

The final Minor League stadium performance is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 31, at Tucson Electric Park in Tucson, Ariz.

On the web: Ballpark tour schedule at HawkNelson.com.