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Last Updated: March 8, 2005 12:35 AM
DOWN And KROQ-FM Present 'Souls 2005' Benefit Concert - Mar. 8, 2005
Multi-platinum-selling group SYSTEM OF A DOWN will headline "Souls, 2005", a
benefit concert presented by Los Angeles radio powerhouse, KROQ-FM, and held
in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 24 at the Universal Amphitheatre. All
tickets for the concert will be priced at $45.00 and will go on sale at
10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 12 at the Universal Amphitheatre box office,
all Ticketmaster outlets including Tower Records, Robinsons-May, Wherehouse,
Ritmo Latino, Ticketmaster.com, and HOB.com. Doors are at 7:00 p.m. and the
show will begin at 8:15 p.m.; support acts and other details will be
announced shortly.
This is the third "Souls" benefit concert that SYSTEM OF A DOWN has
organized and headlined, and as before, the four band members ~W Serj
Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan ~W have earmarked
the proceeds from "Souls, 2005" to benefit organizations that work to
eradicate genocides across the globe. This includes the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA), an organization that supports legislation in
the U.S. Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide that was perpetrated by
the Ottoman Empire during World War 1. During this first genocide of the
20th century, 1.5 million Armenians were annihilated and hundreds of
thousands deported from their ancient homeland. April 24 was chosen as the
date for the concert as this year, it commemorates the 90th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide.
The members of SYSTEM OF A DOWN, who are of Armenian descent, all lost
family members and family history to the Armenian Genocide. "Because so much
of my family history was lost in the Armenian Genocide," said Malakian, "my
grandfather, who was very young at the time, doesn't know his true age. How
many people can say they don't know how old they are?" Tankian, Dolmayan and
Odadjian all identify their grandparents' memories as the only links they
have to their respective family heritages, as most of their families were
obliterated during the Armenian Genocide.
Why should SYSTEM OF A DOWN fans be concerned about the Armenian Genocide,
something that happened nearly one-hundred years ago and far away from the
United States?
"It's important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide," explained
Tankian, "and that those actions continue to be covered up by the Turkish
government, the U.S. State Department, Turkey's allies in the defense and
oil industries, and by our present U.S. Administration. Had the Armenian
Genocide been acknowledged as a Crime Against Humanity as it was, Hitler
might not have thought he could get away with the Jewish Holocaust. History
does and will repeat itself, unless we stop that cycle."
Last Updated: March 8, 2005 12:35 AM
DOWN And KROQ-FM Present 'Souls 2005' Benefit Concert - Mar. 8, 2005
Multi-platinum-selling group SYSTEM OF A DOWN will headline "Souls, 2005", a
benefit concert presented by Los Angeles radio powerhouse, KROQ-FM, and held
in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 24 at the Universal Amphitheatre. All
tickets for the concert will be priced at $45.00 and will go on sale at
10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 12 at the Universal Amphitheatre box office,
all Ticketmaster outlets including Tower Records, Robinsons-May, Wherehouse,
Ritmo Latino, Ticketmaster.com, and HOB.com. Doors are at 7:00 p.m. and the
show will begin at 8:15 p.m.; support acts and other details will be
announced shortly.
This is the third "Souls" benefit concert that SYSTEM OF A DOWN has
organized and headlined, and as before, the four band members ~W Serj
Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan ~W have earmarked
the proceeds from "Souls, 2005" to benefit organizations that work to
eradicate genocides across the globe. This includes the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA), an organization that supports legislation in
the U.S. Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide that was perpetrated by
the Ottoman Empire during World War 1. During this first genocide of the
20th century, 1.5 million Armenians were annihilated and hundreds of
thousands deported from their ancient homeland. April 24 was chosen as the
date for the concert as this year, it commemorates the 90th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide.
The members of SYSTEM OF A DOWN, who are of Armenian descent, all lost
family members and family history to the Armenian Genocide. "Because so much
of my family history was lost in the Armenian Genocide," said Malakian, "my
grandfather, who was very young at the time, doesn't know his true age. How
many people can say they don't know how old they are?" Tankian, Dolmayan and
Odadjian all identify their grandparents' memories as the only links they
have to their respective family heritages, as most of their families were
obliterated during the Armenian Genocide.
Why should SYSTEM OF A DOWN fans be concerned about the Armenian Genocide,
something that happened nearly one-hundred years ago and far away from the
United States?
"It's important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide," explained
Tankian, "and that those actions continue to be covered up by the Turkish
government, the U.S. State Department, Turkey's allies in the defense and
oil industries, and by our present U.S. Administration. Had the Armenian
Genocide been acknowledged as a Crime Against Humanity as it was, Hitler
might not have thought he could get away with the Jewish Holocaust. History
does and will repeat itself, unless we stop that cycle."