Switchfoot Perform "Dark Horses" on The Tonight Show; Band and Living Social Present Dec 14 Event at Largo in Los Angeles

GRAMMY-winning rock band SWITCHFOOT will perform their new hit single, "Dark Horses," on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" tonight. The song, which is from the group's new album, Vice Verses (Atlantic Records), is currently No. 6 on the Modern Rock chart.

Fresh off a successful European run that included stops in the UK, Holland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland and sold-out shows in London, Birmingham, Amsterdam, and Mannheim, SWITCHFOOT will resume their North American tour this Wednesday, November 30. In addition to headline dates, the band will play numerous holiday radio shows in the next month, performing alongside such artists as Blink 182 and Social Distortion. (See below for itinerary.)

Living Social and SWITCHFOOT are teaming up to present two special shows at the intimate Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles on December 14. Each show will kick off with an hour-long Q&A with SWITCHFOOT, followed by an acoustic performance featuring songs from Vice Verses.Fans can choose from a 6:30 PM or 9:00 PM show. Tickets are available today and tomorrow exclusively through www.livingsocial.com. For further details, visit http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/4/deals/186614-one-general-admission-ticket-and-hour-long-q-a.

The following evening, December 15, vocalist/guitarist Jon Foreman will perform at the first of the two-night Invisible Children Holiday Benefit at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. The first evening will be curated by Pete Wentz and Alternative Press and will also feature Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids), Aaron Gillespie (The Almost), Aaron Weiss (mewithoutYou) and Ryan O'Neal (Sleeping At Last). Additional information about the benefit shows and Invisible Children, which is working to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony's rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity, is available at www.invisiblechildren.com/music.

SWITCHFOOT'S cross-country trek with Anberlin this past fall drew sold-out crowds and rave reviews in virtually every market.Local chapters of StandUp for Kids (www.standupforkids.org), a national nonprofit volunteer outreach organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless and street kids, collected backpacksat the shows. The backpacks will be used to distribute food and essentials to kids served by the organization.

In celebration of their ongoing partnership with StandUp For Kids, SWITCHFOOT invites fans to submit their most creative hoodie designs - inspired by Vice Verses - for the chance to have it printed and distributed by Jedidiah Clothing, with proceeds benefiting StandUp For Kids. For further details, visit http://www.talenthouse.com/switchfoot-jedidiah-clothing-design-a-hoodie-inspired-by-vice-versus.

Each year the band hosts theSwitchfoot Bro-Am Presented By Hurley (http://www.switchfoot.com/c/bro-am), an annual concert/surf contest/silent auction. The event has raised more than $500,000 to date for San Diego-based children's charities, including StandUp for Kids.

A vinyl edition of Vice Verses - limited to 1,000 copies - is available now for pre-order at http://www.switchfoot.com. Billboard praised Vice Verses' "powerful, anthemic rockers" and Relevant Magazine called it SWITCHFOOT'S "most unique" album yet. "[The] gorgeous, swelling 'Restless' sounds plucked from U2's Achtung Baby," said Alternative Press. "But the real standout is 'Souvenirs,' a stunning ballad that, if there's any justice, will go down as one of the band's biggest hits to date."

SWITCHFOOT - comprising Jon Foreman (vocals/guitar), Tim Foreman (bass), Chad Butler (drums), Jerome Fontamillas (keys/guitar) and Drew Shirley (guitar) - recorded most of Vice Verses in the band's San Diego, CA home studio, working with producer Neal Avron (Sara Bareilles, Weezer). Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Dr. Dre, Pink) who produced 2009's Hello Hurricane, served as executive producer.

SWITCHFOOT - UPCOMING U.S. TOUR DATES

11/30Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

12/1Richmond, VA @ The National

12/2Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater (SOLD OUT)

12/3Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm

12/4Jacksonville, FL @ Met Park

12/6St. Louis, MO@ The Pageant

12/7Nashville, TN@ Cannery Ballroom

12/11San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center

12/16Pharr, TX @ Pharr Events Center

9 LEFT DEAD SET TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM

9 LEFT DEAD is gearing up for the September 27 release of their debut album, THE WRONG THINGS, through Dirtbag (through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group).

The buzz is already starting thanks to early adds for the first single, “Put Your Guns Down,” which can be heard on radio stations nationwide, including KATT (in their hometown, Oklahoma City), WIIL (Chicago), WKLC (Charleston, WV), WJJO (Madison), WRTT (Huntsville), as well as on AOL/Noisecreep.com, which officially premiered the track and can be heard here: http://aol.it/nqokmZ.

The song stems from an incident at an Oklahoma City prison, which is where singer Travis Jones and bassist Jared Ellis first met and worked together as guards.    

As singer Travis Jones told AOL/Noisecreep.com, “One day we had an inmate come in thinking he was a little more hardcore than he actually ended up being. I was having a bad night, and to add to it, this inmate kept running his mouth. One thing lead to another and he ended up taking a swing at me. So I moved in on him, picked him up, and slammed him into the ground taking control of the situation. Later on that night I was going back over what had just happened in my head and the line ‘careful what you wish for’ kept sticking in my head, because he wanted to fight, but I know he didn't see it playing out the way it actually did. And it made me think about those guys that think they are unstoppable until someone actually puts them in their place. That's where the idea for ‘Put Your Guns Down’ came from."

9 LEFT DEAD--Travis Jones (vocals), Jared Ellis (bass), Kreg Anthony (lead guitar), Nathan Parrish (rhythm guitar) and Bryan Whitley (drums)--originally formed in Amber, Oklahoma in 1999 when guitarist, now lead vocalist, Travis Jones, started the band under the name Harmful If Swallowed. Travis explains, “In the beginning, I never really focused too much on choosing music as a career. At that time it was a coping mechanism to deal with life and discover myself, which turned into an addiction. You always want to do something to change peoples’ lives and help them. It just turned out that while I was using my music to deal with my own circumstances, the music also helped other people–and that’s an addiction you can’t deny.”

In 2008, after Jared joined on as the band’s bass player, they decided to change their name to 9 LEFT DEAD. “The name change was for the best," states Travis, "It gave us what felt like a fresh start and a new beginning." In July 2010, Kreg and Nathan Parrish joined 9 LEFT DEAD, which was soon followed by the addition of Bryan, completing the band’s official line-up.

Wasting no time in showcasing the band’s seasoned live show, led by Travis’ powerful vocals and the band’s musical prowess, in April 2010, 9 LEFT DEAD won the “2010 Band Beatdown” sponsored by Oklahoma City rock radio station KATT and Rock U Live. They beat out over 100 bands and as part of their grand prize package, the band received an invitation to be one of the first bands to record at Bar Code Studios with multi-platinum and BMI award-winning songwriter Cody Hanson (Hinder). Within a month of winning the “2010 Band Beatdown,” 9 LEFT DEAD signed to C-Squared Management and their first major recording contract with Dirtbag/ILG/Warner Music Group.

With producers Cody Hanson and Marshal Dutton at the helm, the band has perfected the merging of their up-tempo, aggressive and pounding sound with melodic vocal hooks and identifiable lyrics that appeal to a broad audience. With an unbreakable chemistry, 9 LEFT DEAD brings an action packed show every night leaving it all out there on the stage for the fans. “That’s what this is all about,” states Travis, “we’re here to kick some serious ass for the people that come out to a 9 LEFT DEAD show!”

9 LEFT DEAD is currently lining up a new batch of tour dates, which will be announced soon. They’ve already had the opportunity to share the stage with such bands as Hinder, My Darkest Days, Adelitas Way, Egypt Central, Halestorm, Three Days Grace, Seether, Papa Roach, Drowning Pool, Switchfoot, Puddle Of Mudd, and HellYeah.