QUEENSRŸCHE To Rock And Ride Across America For Charity

QUEENSRŸCHE will rock and ride across America for charity this summer as the band partners with Buell Motorcycles to raise money for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation during the band's upcoming U.S. tour sponsored by VH1 Classic. QUEENSRŸCHE is offering fans the rare and exciting opportunity to join singer Geoff Tate and guitarist Mike Stone as they ride Buell Ulysses motorcycles between select tour stops on the band's tour for "Operation: Mindcrime II", the sequel to Seattle-based quintet's 1988, platinum-certified concept album.

Fans that make a donation to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation will be invited to join the pair as they ride between shows. A full list of start and finish points are available on www.queensryche.com and www.buell.com. Anyone who makes a donation will be eligible to receive a limited edition sticker patch commemorating the QUEENSRŸCHE charity ride by bringing their donation confirmation letter to the merchandise booth at any QUEENSRŸCHE show.

In addition to the ride-along opportunity, QUEENSRŸCHE is also donating exclusive prize packages to be auctioned off for the following seven tour stops: Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, New York, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The packages include: two prime tickets to the show in that city, two "meet and greet" backstage passes, a copy of "Operation: Mindcrime II" signed by the entire band, tour swag and a personal item from one of the band members. Buell Motorcycles will also host a sweepstakes on its website to give away two concert tickets and an autographed copy of "Operation: Mindcrime II" every day from July 10 to 28.

Prior to their September 21 and 22 shows at the Nokia Theater in New York City, Tate and Stone will lead a caravan of 3,000 riders who made a donation to the Save the Music Foundation. Starting in Ledgewood, New Jersey at Legends, the renowned Harley-Davidson dealership, the caravan will travel to Times Square. The riders will then be invited to attend an exclusive performance by QUEENSRŸCHE at the Hard Rock Café.

At the end of the first leg of the tour, there will be a ride in Seattle on October 16 and afterwards, both of the Buell Ulysses motorcycles ridden by Tate and Stone, along with their Buell riding jackets and helmets, will be auctioned to raise money for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.

"As a band, we've always believed in music's profound power to change lives," Tate explains. "Personally, music has always been my saving grace because it's given me a positive way to express my emotions. This charity ride along is a simple way for me to make sure that a new generation will have the same opportunities through music that I had."

A nonprofit organization founded in 1997, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation is dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in America's public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as a part of each child's complete education.