BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene
Nashville quintet Maradeen has been plucked from the competition to open for Bon Jovi at the band's Feb. 10 concert at Philips Arena.
A few weeks ago, the band announced a contest for a series of opening acts to join them on their “This House is Not for Sale” tour, which kicks off Feb. 8 in Greenville, S.C.
Maradeen fully formed in August 2015 and in October released their second studio album, “Above the Horizon.”
In addition to the exposure on stage, the band will be featured on Live Nation and Bon Jovi’s Facebook pages.
The winner for each tour date was selected from a group of 10 finalists chosen by Live Nation; Bon Jovi management chose the contest winner from that winnowed list.
"In addition to being fans of Bon Jovi, the coolest part about winning this contest is the intention and inspiration behind why they put it on in the first place,” the Nashville band said in a statement. “It shows an appreciation for every musician's tenacity as we strive for the chance to have that one moment. They're paying it forward and taking a chance themselves, as they probably don't know what to fully expect from the winners. But we can tell you that what they should expect from Maradeen is our absolute best. We're gonna give them all one to remember and we, as a band, will be eternally grateful to them for this opportunity."
Bon Jovi - once upon a time not…so long ago - remembers its days as an opening act for ZZ Top and KISS and has held an opening act contest on two previous tours – 2006’s “Have a Nice Day” run and 2010’s “The Circle.”
Tickets for their Atlanta show are $32.75-$552.75 and can be purchased at the venue box office, www.ticketmaster.com, www.livenation.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
Take a listen to Maradeen:
