LIVE NATION'S SUMMER SPREAD

Live Nation gathered acts heading out on summer tours to press the flesh with media Monday at the concert promoter’s New York City HQ. Jeff Beck, members of Styx and O.A.R., Pentatonix's Kirstin Maldonado, Counting Crows’ Adam Durwitz and others were on hand to discuss pressing topics such as what a thrill it is to play a state fair in Des Moines in August.

Actually, the event was a roll-out of LN’s National Concert Week promotion during which they sell $20 all-in tickets to more than 2,000 shows across the country.

Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara joked, “I personally think its great because it means any shows coming up before we go on tour, we can go see for 20 bucks. Actually, last time it happened, my cousin was texting me saying it offset the price of traveling and allowed them to make the trip to see some shows.”

Pentatonix’s Maldonado, whose three-month run on Broadway in Kinky Boots ends Saturday, was easily the youngest of the rock ‘n’ roll crowd assembled. The a cappella group will roll out an entirely new set on their July-September tour, drawing on their latest RCA release, Top Pop Vol. 1.

“The first five years, we were grinding for the group,” Maldonado tells HITS. “Yet everyone has different opinions and different musical tastes and it’s amazing that we’ve gotten to do other things [Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying did Superfruit; Maldonado released an EP].

“The things we learn from those [projects], we bring back to the group. Having done the EP, I felt I could bring something better to the group. Same with Broadway.”

Among the others on hand were Ann Wilson, Paul Rodgers, Foreigner’s Mick Jones, Warren Haynes, Amy Lee, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Dean DeLeo and Jeff Gutt of Stone Temple Pilots, and 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold and Chris Henderson. To make up for the for the ticket price reduction, the acts vowed to add extra M&Ms and quinoa bowls to their riders.