Farm in Frenchtown, N.J. Hosts First Revelation Generation Outdoor Summer Concert

Farm in Frenchtown, N.J. Hosts First Revelation Generation Outdoor Summer Concert

Daylong Music Fest Offers Popular Bands, Food, Fun, and a Day of Hope and Reflection in the Country

FLEMINGTON, N.J., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Popular Christian music artists Further Seems Forever, Paul Colman, BarlowGirl, Katinas, Skillet and Stellar Kart will be performing at Revelation Generation, a daylong music festival on Aug. 13, at Revelation Farms in Frenchtown, N.J., from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The sponsors of the first-time event are the owners of the 100-plus acre property, Robert and Kim Grom, a husband and wife team who have dedicated their horse farm to youth events and to raising money for youth-oriented charities.

The Groms have held various community youth events at Revelation Farms, but this is the couple's first music festival on the property, and the first concert of its kind on a farm in New Jersey.

"Revelation Generation gives people of all ages a reason to spend a summer day in the country," says Kim Grom. "Treat yourself to great music and a refreshing day in the country."

A press conference and tour of Revelation Farms, located at 45 Fitzer Road, will be held at 12 noon on July 13. At this time, the Groms' partners in this music festival will also be introduced.

Christian/Gospel Music -- On the Cusp of a $1 Billion Industry

The Christian/Gospel music sector is one of the fastest growing in the music industry. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Christian/Gospel music is the sixth most popular music category in overall music sales, with 43.4 million units sold in 2004. The Recording Industry Association of America reports that Christian/Gospel music is nearly a $1 billion dollar industry, outselling Latin, Jazz and Classical music combined (Nielsen SoundScan data).

Industry experts attribute the growing appeal of Christian/Gospel music to younger fans and increased exposure of Christian music artists in mainstream markets. The hit TV show American Idol featured a number of Christian contestants who held their own on the Billboard and Soundscan charts in 2004, including Clay Aiken, with a No. 2-selling album and Ruben Studdard, whose album I Need an Angel closed 2004 at No. 12.

While the music artists featured in Revelation Generation are making an impact on the Christian and Gospel music charts, a number of the world's top- selling music artists are influenced by Christianity, including U2, Bob Dylan and Coldplay, as well as a newer generation of artists, such as P.O.D., Casting Crowns, MercyMe and Switchfoot.

How Revelation Generation Started

As the parents of four children, the Groms repeatedly heard from their teens, their friends and other people in the community, that youth are concerned about the meaning of life. They are looking for things to do and places to go to occupy their time in a positive way.

"The youth of today face a number of challenges such as drugs, alcohol, sex and the tragedies of losing friends and loved ones," says Grom. "We created the Revelation Generation music festival because we believe this type of music event would provide teens and young adults some relief from life's struggles and a message of hope for the future."

About the Music Artists

This message of hope is prominent in the lyrics of award-winning Christian music artists performing on the stage of Revelation Generation, such as Further Seems Forever, formally lead by Dashboard Confessional's lead vocalist, Chris Carraba. Further Seems Forever's music video, "Light Up Ahead" was nominated for a Rock Video of the Year Award at this year's Dove Gospel Music Awards. The band has been featured on MTV and VH1.

Another featured performer, singer/songwriter Paul Colman, recently led the charts at No. 1 for 16 weeks in his native Australia with "Gloria," from the CD, Let It Go, his eighth hit single in Australia.

"The performers we have assembled are among the most popular rock and emerging Christian music artists who appeal to mainstream audiences," adds Grom. This music transcends the secular music genre."

One example of this mainstream trend is the Grammy- and Dove-nominated band Skillet. Since the band's debut in 1996, Skillet has been breaking boundaries with its edgy industrial sounds, a record deal with Lava Records and a 2005-Grammy nomination for best rock Gospel album, for Collide.

Last year, VH1 featured Skillet in a half-hour documentary titled, Religion: A Pop Culture History. VH1 interviewed Skillet during last year's Creation Festival in Central Pennsylvania. The band devotes 200 days a year to live performances.

BarlowGirl is another Christian music success story. Since emerging on the music scene last year, the trio has experienced double growth in music sales, closing 2004 at No. 20 in overall Christian album sales with the self-titled album, BarlowGirl. In 2004, BarlowGirl's "Never Alone" was the longest running No. 1 radio single on 3 charts including Radio & Records (R&R) CHR, Christian Radio Weekly (CRW) CHR, and CRW Rock.

BarlowGirl and Skillet were also among the featured bands at this year's Gospel Music Association (GMA) Awards.

On the stage since 1991, The Katinas bring a Worship-centric repertoire to the Revelation Generation lineup, with the sounds of R&B, funk, rock and reggae that define the Katinas' unique blend of sounds. The Katinas were among the music artists to perform before a crowd of 325,000 at the Billy Graham and Friends Evangelistic Crusade held in November at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The group also played on Graham's live televised special "Peace for a Fragile World" in December.

Day of Music, Fun, Hope and Reflection

In addition to the exciting lineup of bands, the Revelation Generation stage will present special guests, sports figures and performers promoting an anti-drug theme.

Concertgoers can play volleyball, meditate, share a conversation in a reflection tent, dine on some country fare at picnic/concession areas, visit various vendors, and listen to music until the sun sets and the moonlight falls.

Tickets to the concert are $17.50 and under, $20 at the door and are available through http://www.itickets.com/

Revelation Generation 2005 Charity Partner

All proceeds from Revelation Generation will be donated to Young Life, a non-profit, non-denominational, Christian organization based in New Milford committed to impacting the lives of children and preparing them for the future.

For More Information

Members of the media interested in covering this event, more information or attending the press conference on July 13, please RSVP by July 8 by contacting Angela Crincoli Harrington below. For more information on the concert, and directions to Revelation Farms, visit http://www.revelationgeneration.org/ .

Parking

Free parking is available on site. Coolers, food and beverage are not permitted in the concert area, though alcohol-free tailgating is allowed.

Media Contact: Angela Crincoli Harrington Harrington Communications p.973-912-8196 c.201-306-7163 e-mail: angela@harringtoncom.com

Source: Robert Grom

CONTACT: Angela Crincoli Harrington of Harrington Communications, +1-973-912-8196, or cell: +1-201-306-7163, angela@harringtoncom.com, for Robert Grom

Web site: http://www.revelationgeneration.org/ http://www.itickets.com/

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