'Sgt. Pepper Live' is returning to the stage

No doubt, the Hollywood Bowl show where I saw Cheap Trick and a number of guests perform The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in 2007 was one of my most memorable concert-going experiences. It ranks with unforgettable shows by U2, Paul McCartney, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen where I have simply been blown away.

If you couldn't make one of those shows (if memory serves me well, Cheap Trick offered another performance of the Beatles' classic album last year too), make plans to go to Las Vegas next month!

"Sgt. Pepper Live" Featuring Cheap Trick at the Las Vegas Hilton Announces Special Guest Artists Joan Osborne, Ian Ball and Rob Laufer

More Guest Artists to Be Announced in Coming Weeks

"Sgt. Pepper Live" featuring Cheap Trick will be performing an exclusive engagement Sept. 13-15, 17-19 and 21-23 at the Las Vegas Hilton, joined on stage by special guest artists Joan Osborne, Ian Ball and Rob Laufer. The Bill Edwards Presents, Inc. production will also feature several other guest artists who will be announced closer to the show dates.

Joan Osborne's major label debut, "Relish," stormed the charts in 1995 with the runaway smash hit "(What If God Was) One of Us." The whirlwind that followed included a top five hit, multi-platinum album sales, five Grammy nominations and "(What If God Was) One of Us" was tapped a decade later for the critically acclaimed CBS series "Joan of Arcadia." Since then Osborne has recorded numerous albums, performed with artists such as Taj Mahal, Luciano Pavarotti, Spearhead, Bob Dylan, The Dixie Chicks and sat in on lead vocals with The Dead (formerly The Grateful Dead). Osborne also joined Cheap Trick on stage during the 2007 40th anniversary celebration of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Her most recent album, "Little Wild One," was released in 2008.

As one of the principal singer/songwriters in the acclaimed British rock band Gomez, Ian Ball has shared in the band's great success since inception, including the UK's prestigious Mercury Music Prize for the group's 1998 debut album. Gomez earned its biggest U.S. commercial and critical success with the 2006 album "How We Operate," featuring the hits "See The World" and the album's title track. In October 2007, Ball released his solo debut "Who Goes There," which began as a spontaneous jam session and turned into a full length album. That same year, Ball was a guest performer at the Hollywood Bowl's 40th anniversary celebration of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Earlier this year Ball completed another successful Gomez album titled "A New Tide."

Rob Laufer has written songs for and performed with numerous prominent artists including Johnny Cash, Frank Black, Fiona Apple, George Martin, BB King, Peter Noone and Shawn Colvin, among others. He released two critically acclaimed albums in the mid '90s, and his latest release, "The Iron Age," contains the song "In the Frame," which was used in Hewlett-Packard's award-winning "Frames" television campaign. Additionally, Laufer was the featured vocalist at the 1999 Hollywood Bowl Tribute to the Beatles with George Martin and also performed in the 2007 40th anniversary celebration of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Cheap Trick is best known for its classic singles, "I Want You To Want Me" and "Surrender." The American power-pop progenitors recorded the album, "All Shook Up," in 1980 with Sir George Martin and Geoff Emerick, producer and engineer of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Emerick will continue to be in charge of the audio production for "Sgt. Pepper Live." He received Grammy Awards for the engineering of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Abbey Road."

Tickets for "Sgt. Pepper Live" featuring Cheap Trick, Sept. 13-15, 17-19 and 21-23 (all at 8 p.m.) are priced at $65, $80 and $95 plus tax and fees. Tickets can be purchased at the Las Vegas Hilton box office or by logging onto www.lvhilton.com, www.vegas.com, www.ticketmaster.com or phone at 702-732-5755 or 1-800-222-5361. For more information on "Sgt. Pepper Live" featuring Cheap Trick, please visit www.LVHilton.com, www.CheapTrick.com or www.BillEdwardsPresents.com.