Newsboys to release Christmas Album!

With the continuous momentum of Newsboys' current CD release Born Again, a No. 1 radio hit and an extensive touring schedule, they continue their whirlwind year with the announcement of their first-ever Christmas project. Christmas! A Newsboys Holiday will release October 12th, courtesy of Inpop Records.

The new CD was produced by Dustin Burnett, Michael Tait, and Juan Otero of The Write Bros, half of the production team of Born Again. Comprised of six holiday classics, Christmas! A Newsboys Holiday includes "Winter Wonderland," "Jingle Bell Rock," "All I Want for Christmas is You," "O Holy Night," "The Christmas Song," and "Mary Did You Know."

To help promote Christmas! A Newsboys Holiday, Newsboys will join Newsong the weekend after Thanksgiving to kick off the "Very Merry Christmas Tour 2010." This 20+city nationwide tour kicks off in North Carolina and will finish up in Georgia on December 20th. Check out the tour dates listed below to see if can help ring in the Christmas season with Newsboys at a city near you.

There is no question the momentum keeps continuing to escalate for Newsboys and their July 13th release of Born Again. The current single and No. 1 hit "Born Again" continues to stay high up on the charts, having a total of 7.1 million impressions to date. Following the largest street week of their careers by selling an astounding 45,311 units and hitting #4 on Billboard's overall chart, Born Again continues to keep its place on the Billboard Top 200 chart and is No. 3 on the Christian Soundscan chart, scanning more than 72,000 units in the first month of release.

Newsong's Very Merry Christmas Tour 2010*:
11/27 Whiteville, NC
11/28 Charleston, NC
11/30 High Point, NC
12/2 Norfolk, VA
12/3 Schofield, WI
12/4 St. Cloud, MN
12/5 Brookings, SD
12/7 Portage, MI
12/8 Valparaiso, IN
12/9 Marion, IL
12/10 Marion, IL
12/11 Franklin, NC
12/12 Destin, FL
12/15 Saint Peters, MO
12/16 Athens, AL
12/17 Pascagoula, MS
12/18 Albany, GA

*Dates subject to change

Jars of Clay & Sixpence None The Richer Christmas Tour

Grammy and Dove awardwinning band JARS OF CLAY are excited to announce LOVE CAME DOWN: A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT. Jars of Clay will be joined by the recently reunited SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER, along with Sara Groves and Leeland, as they embark on a 13city tour filled with holiday songs and stories in celebration of the Christmas season.

Last year, Jars of Clay gave their fans a Christmas gift. CHRISTMAS SONGS was the first holiday release from the band in their 12year career. The band brought new light to memorable Christmas songs such as "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "In the Bleak Midwinter," and broke new ground with their own original holiday songs such as "Winter Skin" and "Evergreen." When they decided to go out on tour this season, they asked their friends Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum of Sixpence None The Richer to come along.

Grammynominated band Sixpence None The Richer was in a similar position as Jars of Clay. Their loyal fans had been asking for a Christmas record for years, and they thought there was no better way to celebrate their reunion then with a special album for their fans. THE DAWN OF GRACE will be released on October 14 and is made up of 10 tracks: eight traditional Christmas songs, including "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "Silent Night," featuring guest vocalist Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay, and two original Sixpence holiday tunes called "The Last Christmas" and "Christmas for Two."

Both bands are also in the process of recording new material to be released in 2009. Jars of Clay have been in and out of the studio with producer Ron Aniello (Lifehouse, Guster, Barenaked Ladies) to put the final touches on their upcoming album, due out in early 2009. They have already released the CLOSER EP on all major digital service providers in anticipation of the upcoming fulllength; the fivesong EP contains two brand new tracks ("Closer" and "Safe To Land"), as well as new versions of fan favorites including "Flood" and "Love Song For A Savior." They are currently in the midst of the "Music Builds" tour, which benefit local affiliates of Habitat For Humanity.

Sixpence None The Richer will hit the studio after the holidays to begin working on their first fulllength original record in over four years to be released in the summer of 2009.

Catch LOVE CAME DOWN: A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT on the following dates:

Dec 4 Montgomery, AL @ Montgomery Performing Arts Center
Dec 5 Longwood, FL @ Northland Church
Dec 6 Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
Dec 7 Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Echerd Hall
Dec 13 Grand Rapids, MI @ Sunshine Church
Dec 14 Merrillville, IN @ Star Plaza Theatre
Dec 17 Glenside, PA @Keswick Theatre
Dec 18 Plymouth, MA @ Memorial Hall
Dec 19 Lewiston, ME @ Androscoggin Bank Coliseum
Dec 20 Long Island City, NY @ Evangel Church
Dec 21 Harrisburg, PA @ Whitaker Center for the Science and Arts

Michael W. Smith Set to Launch Christmas Tour

October 6, 2008 – GRAMMY® award-winning and multi-Platinum selling artist Michael W. Smith will celebrate this holiday season with the 16-show “It’s A Wonderful Christmas Tour.” Featuring “American Idol” alum Melinda Doolittle as special guest, the tour kicks off Nov. 29, in Youngstown, Ohio and will hit major markets like Dallas, St. Paul, Spokane, Portland and more before it concludes in Phoenix on Dec. 19.

The Associated Press calls Smith’s Christmas music “cinematic,” and this tour will showcase exactly why he has become one of the most popular holiday performers in the music industry today. Each tour date will feature Smith with a full symphony orchestra, performing selections from his three Christmas albums including his acclaimed 2007 release, It’s A Wonderful Christmas.

“There is no greater thrill for me, as an artist, than to play with a symphony orchestra,” Smith explains. “Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and I love Christmas music. My goal every night is to make sure everyone leaves in the Christmas spirit. Having Melinda Doolittle there certainly helps. Her voice is amazing. The Christmas shows really are special and I can’t wait to take the stage every night.”

“This is my second year to have the honor of being with Michael W. Smith on tour,” Doolittle adds. “I am head over heels with excitement. I can't even describe how amazing it is to sing with a full orchestra each night and to share the stage with Smitty. And to top it all off, it’s Christmas music that will pull on your heart strings, lighten your spirit and remind you of why we really celebrate this wonderful holiday!”

Smith’s holiday tour will come on the heels of a whirlwind fall, during which he has teamed up for the first time with fellow artist Steven Curtis Chapman for the highly-successful “United Tour” and prepares to release his 21st album, A New Hallelujah (Oct. 28). The anticipated new worship project was recorded live before more than 12,000 in attendance, with a 250-voice choir.

Tickets for “It’s A Wonderful Christmas Tour” are on sale now. For more information on that tour and “The United Tour,” go to www.michaelwsmith.com.

Natalie Grant Third Annual Christmas Tour

Curb recording artist and GMA’s reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, Natalie Grant, is preparing to headline her third annual Christmas Tour this season. With “American Idol’s” Mandisa and GMA’s current Male Vocalist and New Artist of the Year, Aaron Shust, as special guests, the “Natalie Grant –– A Christmas To Believe In” Tour is slated to hit 14 cities in December. The Tour will also introduce Centricity recording artist Daniel Kirkley.

Sponsored by the Gospel Music Channel, the Tour will stop in Los Angeles; San Francisco; Cincinnati; Phoenix; Memphis, Tennessee; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, among other cities, before concluding December 22.

Natalie Grant – A Christmas To Believe In Tour schedule:

December 2 Kinston, NC (with Aaron Shust and Daniel Kirkley)
December 6 Baton Rouge, LA (with Aaron Shust and Daniel Kirkley)
December 7 Memphis, TN (with Aaron Shust and Daniel Kirkley)
December 8 Cincinnati, OH (with Aaron Shust and Daniel Kirkley)
December 9, 10 Murfreesboro, TN (with Daniel Kirkley)
December 13 Phoenix, AZ (with Daniel Kirkley)
December 14 Los Angeles, CA (with Daniel Kirkley)
December 15 Orange County, CA (with Daniel Kirkley)
December 16 Bakersfield, CA (with Daniel Kirkley)
December 17 San Francisco, CA (with Mandisa and Daniel Kirkley)
December 18 Albuquerque, NM (with Mandisa and Daniel Kirkley)
December 20 Coos Bay, OR (with Mandisa and Daniel Kirkley)
December 21 Bend, OR (with Mandisa and Daniel Kirkley)
December 22 Longview, WA (with Mandisa and Daniel Kirkley)

For more info visit Natalie's website here.

Newsong and Todd Agnew Christmas Tour

Grammy Award-nominated Integrity Music recording artist NewSong, along with critically-acclaimed Ardent/INO singer/songwriter Todd Agnew, will herald the holiday season with “The Christmas Promise Tour.” With special guests Matthew West and Britt Nicole, the tour will also feature Agnew’s acclaimed Christmas musical, “Do You See What I See?”

Kicking-off November 27 in Bolivar, Missouri, “The Christmas Promise Tour” is slated to hit 18 cities, including stops in Cincinnati; Norfolk, Nebraska; and West Columbia, South Carolina, before concluding December 20 in Champaign, Illinois.

NewSong will present selections from their best-selling recordings The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Hope, highlighted by a performance of the group’’s #1 mainstream radio hit, “The Christmas Shoes,” which spawned a best-selling novel by Donna VanLiere and a CBS Movie of the Week. In addition to sets from each artist, NewSong, Matthew West and Britt Nicole will perform several songs together.

Agnew’s musical, “Do You See What I See?” will be featured in the second half of the concert. A retelling of the Christmas story with the singer/songwriter’s original compositions and dialogue, the musical offers personal perspectives from eyewitnesses to Christ’s birth. In addition to Agnew, the cast of “Do You See What I See?” will include NewSong’s Nate Sallie and Billy Goodwin; Matthew West; and Britt Nicole.

For additional information on “The Christmas Promise Tour,” visit www.newsongonline.com, www.toddagnew.com, www.itickets.com, or contact the Greg Oliver Agency via www.goa-inc.com or Turning Point Media Relations, Inc. at 615-261-1818.

“The Christmas Promise Tour”

November 27 Bolivar, MO
November 28 St. Charles, MO
November 29 Cincinnati, OH
November 30 Kinston, NC
December 1 Whiteville, NC
December 2, 3 Concord, NC
December 5 Pascagoula, MS
December 6 Anniston, AL
December 7 Brookhaven, MS (without Todd Agnew)
December 8 Amite, LA
December 9 Pearland, TX
December 10 Brenham, TX
December 14 Moultrie, GA
December 15 Mars Hill, NC
December 16 West Columbia, SC
December 18 Oconomowoc, WI
December 19 Norfolk, NE
December 20 Champaign, IL

Third Day/Jars of Clay Christmas tour

The Third Day guys will be hitting the road this Christmas season with Jars of Clay. Tour dates are:

November 29th	Rome, Ga	The Forum	Pre-sale
	Public Onsale October 5th
November 30th	Murray, KY	Regional Special Events Center
	Pre-sale 9-28 and Public Onsale October 5th
December 1st	Greenvile, SC	Bi-Lo Center
	Pre-sale 9-28 and Public Onsale October 5th
December 6th	Hoffman Estate, IL	Life Changers Church	link
	Pre-sale NOW and Public Onsale October 5th
December 7th	Bloomingtion, IL	US Cellular Colliseum
	Pre-sale 9-28 and Public Onsale October 5th
December 8th	Eden Prarie, MN	Grace Church
	Pre-sale 9-28 and Public Onsale October 5th
December 9th	Brookfield, WI	Elmbrook Church
	Pre-sale 9-28 and Public Onsale October 5th
December 13th	San Antonio, TX	Community Bible Church	link
	Pre-sale NOW and Public Onsale Septimber 7th
December 14th	Woodlands, TX	Fellowship of the Woodlands	link
	Pre-sale NOW and Public Onsale October 29th
December 15th	Broken Arrow, OK	Rhema Bible College
	Pre-sale 9-28 and Public Onsale October 5th
December 16th	Southhaven, MS	Desoto Civic Center
	Pre-sale 9-28 and Public Onsale October 5th
December 27th	Macon, GA	Macon Centraplex