by Gary Graff, Detroit |
June 03, 2009 9:40 EDT
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction has joined Trent Reznor's effort to raise money for a fan who's urgently in need of a heart transplant.
Reznor has been selling special VIP packages to nine inch nails' NIN/JA tour with Jane's Addiction to raise the funds for Eric De La Cruz, the 27-year-old brother of former CNN reporter Veronica De La Cruz, who alerted Reznor of his plight. De La Cruz, who will die without the transplant, has been unable to secure a heart because he's on Medicaid, which will not pay for the transplant search and procedure. Reznor has raised nearly $860,000 by selling three tiers of VIP packages for the tour: $300 for a soundcheck and meet-and-great; $1,000 to also hang out with the band before the show, have a backstage dinner and watch the concert from the side of the stage; and $1,200 for an additional two tickets.
The promotion was so successful that Reznor had to stop selling the packages -- "We had no idea this would generate THIS MUCH interest and simply can't accommodate any more people," he Twittered -- and has been selling autographed copies of nin's "Still" and Tony Hawk skateboards to raise additional money.
Jane's cast its lot starting with Wednesday night's concert in Boston. For a $1,000 donation, the group is allowing up to 10 fans per show to watch the quartet's nightly pre-show dressing room jam and then watch the concert from the side of the stage and receive an autographed item. "The guys saw what a meaningful cause it was and said, 'OK, we'd like to help. What can we do?' " Jane's manager, Peter Katsis of Prospect Park, tells Billboard.com. "This is a promotion they've done before but never sold.
"We worked with Trent's team to figure out a price that might make sense for such a VIP experience. We got a great response as soon as we put it up, so the guys are just excited they found a way to help, and that their fans are responding."
Katsis says the warm-up period serves as "a private little concert for 10 people. They play for a good while, just loosen up and have fun and play covers songs, Jane's songs. It's about as intimate as it gets."
Fans can purchase the VIP package through the group's web site, janesaddiction.com, which will link them to the page Reznor maintains for the program. Katsis says the packages will be offered for the remainder of the NIN/JA tour, which wraps June 12 in Charlotte, N.C.
Reznor has been selling special VIP packages to nine inch nails' NIN/JA tour with Jane's Addiction to raise the funds for Eric De La Cruz, the 27-year-old brother of former CNN reporter Veronica De La Cruz, who alerted Reznor of his plight. De La Cruz, who will die without the transplant, has been unable to secure a heart because he's on Medicaid, which will not pay for the transplant search and procedure. Reznor has raised nearly $860,000 by selling three tiers of VIP packages for the tour: $300 for a soundcheck and meet-and-great; $1,000 to also hang out with the band before the show, have a backstage dinner and watch the concert from the side of the stage; and $1,200 for an additional two tickets.
The promotion was so successful that Reznor had to stop selling the packages -- "We had no idea this would generate THIS MUCH interest and simply can't accommodate any more people," he Twittered -- and has been selling autographed copies of nin's "Still" and Tony Hawk skateboards to raise additional money.
Jane's cast its lot starting with Wednesday night's concert in Boston. For a $1,000 donation, the group is allowing up to 10 fans per show to watch the quartet's nightly pre-show dressing room jam and then watch the concert from the side of the stage and receive an autographed item. "The guys saw what a meaningful cause it was and said, 'OK, we'd like to help. What can we do?' " Jane's manager, Peter Katsis of Prospect Park, tells Billboard.com. "This is a promotion they've done before but never sold.
"We worked with Trent's team to figure out a price that might make sense for such a VIP experience. We got a great response as soon as we put it up, so the guys are just excited they found a way to help, and that their fans are responding."
Katsis says the warm-up period serves as "a private little concert for 10 people. They play for a good while, just loosen up and have fun and play covers songs, Jane's songs. It's about as intimate as it gets."
Fans can purchase the VIP package through the group's web site, janesaddiction.com, which will link them to the page Reznor maintains for the program. Katsis says the packages will be offered for the remainder of the NIN/JA tour, which wraps June 12 in Charlotte, N.C.
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