Public Service Press Release: January 15, 1996 Contact Kathy Peck PO Box 460847 San Francisco, CA 94146 tel: 415.431.EARS fax: 415.552.4296 hear@hearnet.com www.hearnet.com Vibe-o-thon Benefit Concert Will Showcase Unique Tactile Sound System Mermen, Mo'Fessionals and Surprise Guests Slated to Rock for Charity February 14th --San Francisco, CA - San Francisco's music and entertainment community is pulling together to stage a benefit concert for Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers (H.E.A.R.) at the turn of the century lnternational Center Ballroom, located at 50 Oak Street, near the Civic Center. Reserved tickets for the February 14, 1997 concert are on sale now through Ticketweb http://www.ticketweb.com/ or by phone at 510-594-1400. Advanced tickets are $10.00 and will a1so be available at the door the night of the concert for $12.00. Doors open at 8 PM. ln addition to the great music supplied by surf-icons the Mermen, the infectious beat of the Mo'Fessionals, Puzzlefish, White Trash Debutantes, Vktms, Budderball and Sex is a Witch, the world's first large-scale "Tactile Sound System!" will allow concert-goers to 'feel and hear' the performances like never before - at a volume that will not risk hearing damage to the audience/ "By vibrating the floor, and using the human body itself as a bone resonator, we are able to turn down the overall volume to help prevent hearing loss for those with hearing while deaf and hard hearing people will be able to 'hear' the concert via sound vibrations,' states H .E.A.R. Executive Director, Kathy Peck. "It will feel loud, but it won't be!" The unique system is made possible by generous donations by Clark Synthesis, the inventor of the Tactile Sound Transducer that is used in US military flight and tank simulators, the US Olympic Training Center, as well as the latest generation of virtual reality theme park rides to allow people to feel and hear sounds in a way that no ordinary loudspeaker can reproduce. The Tactile Sound Transducers will be mounted in a custom built wooden floor donated by Wenger Corporation based in Owatonna, Minn. Peck knows of which she speaks. Having been a punk-rocker in the late 70's band The Contractions, Peck suffered a major hearing loss due to continued exposure to high levels of music on stage. As a result, she founded H.E.A.R. in 1988 to alert musicians and the public to the very real risks associated with loud music. "It's truly amazing how much support we're getting from sponsors all around the country for this Valentine's Day Benefit concert," continues Peck. "In addition to the bands, we have over 25 companies donating funds or services to help out with the event." "Music fans around the world will also be able to "attend" the concert via the Internet as we'll be web-casting with sound, video and commentary the night of the concert via MediaCast and on www.hearnet.com. We're looking forward to continuing to spread the message for music lovers and musician to be sensible and informed about the risk of hearing loss through exposure to high levels of sound." H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education about the dangers of hearing loss through exposure to high levels of sound. H.E.A.R. distributes information to tens of thousands of people each year, as well as providing low-cost/no-cost hearing tests. They annually produce Public Service Announcements seen by millions of people on MTV, ABC, CBS, FOX, and WB. This summer they gave out over 60,000 sets of earplugs to attendees of the Lollapalooza Tour - the first major music event to ever include ear protection for the audience as part of the 26 city tour. This event was made possible with the help of our friends: Clark Synthesis, Wenger Corporation, Live 105 radio, KOME radio, KUSF, Bay Guardian, BAM Magazine, San Francisco Weekly, Guitar Player Magazine, Musicians Union Local 6, Doc's Pro Plugs, EarWear, Squared Circle Communications, Perception Graphics, Central Arts Printing, JK Sound, Studio Instrument Rentals, Premier Catering, Key Productions, Potpourri A Video Forum, TV 26, MediaCast, Samuel Adams Beer, Golden Brands. Golden State Audiology Assoicates, DJ Jet, MC Dirk Dirksen, Nancy Kravitz, San Francisco State University Audio Engineering Society, Hearing Society for the Bay Area, Keith Hatscheck and Associates, Ryan Altman, Jay Austin Productions and H.E.A.R. volunteers. For information call (415) 431-EARS or visit H.E.A.R. on the Internet at http://www.hearnet.com/. Complete presskit, Kathy Peck bio and band bios available.