SIOUX CITY, Iowa (March 6, 2017) – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City announced today that country artist Joe Diffie is scheduled to perform in Anthem on Friday, May 19. Also coming to Anthem’s stage are two of the best tribute shows in the nation – The Man in Black a tribute to Johnny Cash (April 15) and Who’s Bad the ultimate Michael Jackson experience (May 5).

“From living legends to tributes of legends, the spring concert line up in Anthem has something for everyone,” said Brad Streeter, Entertainment Manager of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City. “It’s great to be able to provide guests with such a variety of entertainment on a weekly basis.”

Tickets for The Man in Black and Who’s Bad are on sale now. Tickets for Joe Diffie go on sale to the general public Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m.  They can be purchased at the Rock Shop or online at https://tickets.hardrockcasinosiouxcity.com. Events in Anthem are 21 and older only.

JOE DIFFIE

Friday, May 19 | 8 p.m. | Anthem

With the release of Jason Aldean’s hit “1994” earlier this year that name-checked many of Joe Diffie’s twelve Number One hits, the legendary singer found himself squarely back in the hearts and minds of country fans. The multi-platinum-selling artist who dominated the charts during a hot streak in the ‘90’s may have been absent from the radio charts for the past few years, but Joe-Joe-Joe Diffie has never slowed down – writing, touring and recording a myriad of projects including his critically acclaimed 2010 bluegrass album “Homecoming,” and his recent “Roots And Boots” acoustic tour and collaborative CD “All In The Same Boat,” with fellow hitmakers Sammy Kershaw and Aaron Tippin. And now he’s back at it again, riding shotgun with hick-hop sensations the Jawga Boyz on a brand new single, “Girl Ridin’ Shotgun,” which was recently released to country radio.

The single, co-written by Diffie, Phil O’Donnell and Derek Thrasher of The Jawga Boyz is a fun, up-tempo romp perfect for summertime cruising and returns Joe to the country charts where he undoubtedly belongs. The performance features D. Thrash (Derek Thrasher) on the verses as Diffie’s signature vocals soar on the choruses and verses. The tune was written in part as an answer to Jason Aldean’s tribute to Joe, (penned by Thomas Rhett, Luke Laird and Barry Dean) and name-checks Aldean in a nod to the monster hit that helped introduce Joe to a whole new generation of fans two decades later.

With chart-toppers like “Pickup Man,” “Third Rock From the Sun,” and “John Deere Green,” and 13 albums and over 20 Top 10 singles to his credit, Joe has little to prove at this point in his career, yet he still has a fire in his belly to make good country music. A renowned songwriter in his own right who recently turned his focus back to writing after years on the road, Joe has hits for artists like Tim McGraw, Conway Twitty, and Jo Dee Messina to his credit, and has cuts on upcoming projects for “X Factor” winner Tate Stevens, Dylan Scott, and Tyler Farr among others. He is also hard at work on an album of brand new material, due out later this year on Bigger Picture Records. The collaboration with the Jawga Boyz and the attention from the Aldean hit is opening all sorts of new doors for Joe at this point in his career, and he’s excited at the prospect of working with some of music’s hot new hitmakers.

“We had a good time writing and recording my new song “Girl Ridin’ Shotgun,’ and making a video for it,” says Joe.” I’ve been writing with a lot of new artists and I never thought that collaboration with one of them would lead to this, but I’m really glad that it has. It’s a different sound for me and I’m having so much fun with it all. I can’t wait to see what the future brings!”

THE MAN IN BLACK – A TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CASH

Saturday, April 15 | 8 p.m. | Anthem

Close your eyes and imagine the unique sound of Johnny Cash, as if it were live and for the first time in the early 1960’s. Now open your eyes and experience this great singer songwriter recreated on stage in the hit musical tribute, The Man In Black, A Tribute to Johnny Cash.

The Man In Black Show offers a retro look, sound and feel into the performance of American Icon Johnny Cash. The show delivers the raw prowess that made Johnny Cash a 20th century pop culture figure, while capturing his ability to cross musical genres, age and ethnic barriers to bring a classic sound that is immediately recognized. The show also features hits made famous with June Carter Cash and goes beyond the look of a younger Cash to feature his music right up to his death in September of 2003.

Widely acclaimed by the general public and critics alike the star of The Man in Black Show, Shawn Barker, is considered as the pre-eminent Johnny Cash tribute artist as well as an accomplished musician and singer songwriter. Having an uncanny resemblance to the younger Cash, his portrayal is stunningly accurate and remarkably authentic.

WHO’S BAD – THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON EXPERIENCE

Friday, May 5 | 8 p.m. | Anthem

Who’s Bad’s live performance is an unrivaled celebration of pop music’s one true King. Their power-packed performance of Michael Jackson’s expansive catalog has ignited crowds on every continent and can only be described as a jaw-dropping, musical must-see. As the longest-running Michael Jackson tribute band, and the only one to predate his untimely passing, Who’s Bad has awed even the skeptics, selling out nearly 50 venues in the United Kingdom including London’s O2 in December of 2010, the venue where the King of Pop was slated to end his career with a 50-show “This Is It” concert series. Never neglecting Michael’s U.S. fans, Who’s Bad has packed The House of Blues in Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans; rocked DC’s 930 Club and returned to their native Chapel Hill, NC boasting larger, more eagerly-awaited performances with every romp around the globe.
Who’s Bad has earned its name by paying studious attention to Michael Jackson’s every original groove and gravity-defying dance move, boasting over 100 years of professional experience and a team of dancers with resumes that include Broadway productions such as Phantom of the Opera. Vamsi Tadepalli (Who’s Bad founder, composer, and saxophonist) assembled a cast of North Carolina’s premiere musicians and, from Who’s Bad’s inception, believed in the band’s boundless possibilities.  The velvety vocals and pinpoint choreography of frontmen Joseph Bell and Taalib York’s combined with the six-piece band’s synchronized dance routines, blaring horns and down-deep rhythms, results in a performance delivered with soul and precision superseded by no one but the King himself.  They’ve shared stages with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, The Backstreet Boys, The Four Tops, Boys II Men, and hip hop superstar, Pitbull. Captivated fans include LIVENATION’s Anthony Nicolaidis who calls Who’s Bad, “the real deal,” and Michael Jackson’s longtime friend and manager Frank DiLeo who proclaimed after Who’s Bad show in Nashville, TN, “the show was great….Michael would have been proud!”

Whether you idolized the Jackson 5, fell in love to Human Nature, or learned to moonwalk to Billie Jean, Who’s Bad is THE ULTIMATE music-and-dance driven Michael Jackson homage. This band of professionals relentlessly elevate the legacy of pop music’s King, always pushing themselves to be more precise, to raise the level of excitement and awe, while  embodying Michael Jackson’s mission to bring people together of all races, genders, and  cultures through music. As the curtain opens on a Who’s Bad performance, every MJ fan feels the adrenaline, screams at the sight of that unmistakable silhouette, and succumbs to a surefire Michael Jackson sing-along. The energy is purely magnetic, the musicianship is first-rate, the dance moves deftly inspired. Who’s Bad is a tribute befitting a King and their high-octane execution of MJ’s music and dance has catapulted them to the exclusive rank of Ultimate!

About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City is an award-winning gaming destination offering more than 835 slot machines and a wide variety of table games. The property’s Hard Rock Hotel is a AAA Four Diamond rated hotel, a distinction which only five percent of the more than 28,000 properties approved by AAA achieve. Complementing the Hotel and Casino are six restaurants and bars including the World Tour Buffet, Fuel American Grill, and Main + Abbey, the property’s AAA Three Diamond rated restaurant. Throughout the property, guests can experience the legends by viewing the vast Hard Rock memorabilia collection, with iconic pieces from SLASH to Johnny Cash.

The indoor live-entertainment venue, Anthem, hosts an impressive weekly lineup of concerts and performances from rock, pop, and country to comedy and blues. This unique venue leaves attendees with a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience from artists like Slash, Clint Black, Rick Springfield and George Thorogood. Battery Park, the outdoor entertainment venue with a festival-type atmosphere, hosts nationally touring performers along the likes of 3 Doors Down, Cheap Trick, Boston, Elvis Costello and Gary Allan, during the summer months.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City was developed through a partnership between the Missouri River Historical Development and SCE Partners, LLC, an affiliate of Warner Gaming, LLC.  For more information on Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City, visit www.hardrockcasinosiouxcity.com and www.facebook.com/HardRockHotelSC.

Hard Rock International

With venues in 74 countries, including 174 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include Valencia, Innsbruck, Yangon and Chengdu. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Berlin, Dubai, London, Los Cabos, New York City, and Shenzhen, Dalian and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.