| Armed Forces Entertainment is bringing a talented lineup, including comedian J. Chris Newberg, rock band Edison and the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders, to entertain troops at Australia’s second-ever Top Billing Down Under March 8 – 16, 2009.
“This is the kind of show our audiences really respond to,” says Armed Forces Entertainment circuit manager for the Pacific, Marine Corps Captain Jamie Fleischhacker. “To see a variety of different talents on one stage during the same performance is a dynamic that the troops especially appreciate.”
Comic J. Chris Newberg, a native of the Detroit area, transitioned to a career in comedy after 12 years in a band. Eight years later, he’s found connecting with audiences through humor is more fun, but he still incorporates music and writes and performs his own comedic songs. “I cover mostly offbeat, observational stuff,” he says. Some of the performers who make him laugh include Dave Chappelle, Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen DeGeneres. He also thinks his cocker spaniel is really funny. “She repeatedly unwraps and eats fortune cookies, but leaves me the paper fortunes all over the house for me to find,” he explains. “It just makes me laugh.”
“This opportunity to tour with Armed Forces Entertainment is amazing,” says Newberg. “To make people laugh who haven’t been really solidly entertained in a while makes me feel really lucky.”
Another talent on the bill for Top Billing Down Under ’09 is Armed Forces Entertainment veteran rock band Edison. Known for their high-energy live performances, they also project classical modern rock that invokes sounds from Incubus, Foo Fighters, U2 and Led Zeppelin. “We’re an emotional rock and roll band,” says singer Ethan Isaac. “Ultimately our goal is writing universal material that moves the listener.” They’ll be releasing their new EP titled “Edison,” and will also make copies available to troops they meet and greet on this tour.
Edison knows all about performing for troops, as the upcoming tour in Australia will be the fifth continent they’ve visited with Armed Forces Entertainment. He says it’s like bringing a piece of America to a different part of the world each time. “I had no idea what I was signing up for, and it’s turned out to be such an amazing experience,” says Isaac. “It’s much more than I had ever imagined it to be – you actually feel like you’re doing something and giving back.”
Finally, fresh from their recent Super Bowl appearance, the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders will also be on board to entertain the troops at Top Billing Down Under. The Show Team will perform choreographed dance routines to music ranging from hip hop to the Beach Boys, as well as Elvis impersonations, limbo contests and fire dancing. Also seasoned pros, the Cardinals Show Team has performed for troops at instillations around the world, including Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Greenland, Bosnia, Mexico and Canada.
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Armed Forces Entertainment is the lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas, with priority given to those in contingency operations and at remote and isolated locations. The Department of the Air Force is the executive agent of Armed Forces Entertainment. Founded in 1951, Armed Forces Entertainment brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops annually, embracing the best of Americana that stretches across all genres of entertainment. Visit www.armedforcesentertainment.com for more information.
To learn more about Edison, visit http://www.edisonrock.com.
To learn more about he Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders, visit http://www.azcardinals.com/cheerleaders/.
To learn more about J. Chris Newberg, visit http://jchrisnewberg.com/.
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