HARTFORD – Yes, we’ve said this for the past 18 summers, and we continue to marvel that it can be said again and again in truth (and we have you, your support, and your love of live music to thank for that), but this year’s continuation of the Endless SummerTour is, once again, our biggest and busiest yet. It takes us to 1/10th of the United States over 48 shows (as of this writing), virtually every one of which, aside from residencies at the two largest casinos in the world, is either outdoors, on the water, in the sand, or all three. Here is where I would usually go into detail describing all the awesome town parks, fairs, colleges, killer beach bars, and new venues (e.g., Blu on the Waterfront and possibly a launch party at Jimmy Buffett’s brand new Margaritaville at the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, NJ). But instead, I’ll just list them out because it makes me giggle with adolescent excitement to see how much darn fun lies ahead this summer. Please, please, make it a point to save a date or two, grab some friends, bring the family, and share a few hot summer nights with us. You are 110% why we do this.

• May 2 Atrium Lounge – Foxwoods Casino Resort, Ledyard, CT
• May 10 Billy Joe’s Ribworks, Newburgh, NY
• May 16 Fairfield University – Alumni Hall Sports Arena, Fairfield, CT
• May 17 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• May 18 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• May 23 Shea’s American Bar and Grille, Manchester, CT
• May 31 Chicago Sam’s, Cromwell, CT
• June 1 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• June 7 McLadden’s Irish Publick House, West Hartford, CT
• June 8 Blu on the Water, East Greenwich, RI
• June 14 Billy Joe’s Ribworks, Newburgh, NY
• June 15 Chelo’s on the Waterfront, Warwick, RI
• June 20 Shea’s American Bar and Grille, Manchester, CT
• June 22 Geraldine’s, West Springfield, MA
• June 27 Summer Concerts on the Green, Colchester, CT
• June 28 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• June 29 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• July 4 Windjammer Beach Club, Misquamicut Beach, Westerly, RI
• July 6 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• July 9 Summer Nights at the Beach Concert Series – Jackson Cove Park, Oxford, CT
• July 11 Summer Concert Series – Salmon Brook Park, Granby, CT
• July 12 Pine Acres Pool Party, Wethersfield, CT
• July 13 Old Home Days, Village Center, East Hampton, CT
• July 19 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• July 20 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• July 21 Pavilion Beach Club, Soundview Beach, Old Lyme, CT
• July 25 Shea’s American Bar and Grille, Manchester, CT
• July 26 Chelo’s on the Waterfront, Warwick, RI
• July TBD Tentative Resorts Casino – Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville on the Beach, Atlantic City, NJ
• August 3 Blu on the Water, East Greenwich, RI
• August 8 Evergreen Walk – Rockville Bank Summer Concert Series, South Windsor, CT
• August 9 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• August 10 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• August 15 Shea’s American Bar and Grille, Manchester, CT
• August 16 King Neptune’s, Lake George, NY
• August 17 Gundelfest 2013, Warrensburg, NY
• August 22 Summer Concert Series – Town Hall, Windsor, CT
• August 24 Chelo’s on the Waterfront, Warwick, RI
• August 30 Atrium Lounge – Foxwoods Casino Resort, Ledyard, CT
• September 1 Pavilion Beach Club, Soundview Beach, Old Lyme, CT
• September 5 Wapping Fair, South Windsor, CT
• September 7 Geraldine’s, West Springfield, MA
• September 13 Billy Joe’s Ribworks Newburgh, NY
• September 14 Gelston House (Wedding), Essex, CT
• September 20 Chicago Sam’s, Cromwell, CT
• September 21 Friends Café, Southington, CT
• September 27 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
• September 28 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – Mohegan Sun Casino Uncasville, CT

NEWTOWN, Conn. – The holiday season is typically a time for reflection and giving, few more so than this year’s, which was marked by some very high highs in response to some unfathomably low lows.

K.I.C.K. (The Kick Institute for Charity and Kindness) was founded just months after the band was, as a means of raising funds, awareness, and positive karma through entertainment, bringing good times and attention to charitable organizations and causes close to the band’s heart.

The holiday season began with KICK playing the wildly successful “We Are the Children” recruiting event, which culminated Christmas morning in one of the biggest We Are the Children Christmas Parties ever, at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., where Gary Craig, morning radio personality of 96.5 WTIC-FM, hosted over 1,000 less-fortunate kids from throughout the state.

The seasonal cheer of a nation was marred by the Sandy Hook tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, and neither the band nor Craig wasted a moment looking for ways to help in any way possible. The band traveled to Newtown the Friday following the tragedy and hosted a Christmas event that morphed into an ad hoc fundraiser at All Stars in Manchester, Conn., for which the band, the venue, and their incredibly generous friends and fans donated several hundred dollars to We Are the Children to help build a playground in Newtown in the victims’ memory.

Just days later, the band was asked to join an all-star lineup assembled by Randy from The Zoo, hands down one of the best cover bands in the country, on a multi-band bill at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury, Conn. Just days after the January 5 event, over $11,000 has been raised for the Newtown United organization, which will ensure the funds go directly to the 26 families.

Alas, 2K13 has just begun. And one can never pay it too far forward. The band will be back for an encore performance at Maneeley’s in South Windsor on Friday, March 1, to perform at a Michael J. Fox Foundation fundraiser to fight Parkinson’s disease. Please contact Bruce Chamberlin at bruce.chamberlin@flotech.net for additional details and tickets.

HARTFORD, Conn. – It’s time for this year’s We Are The Children volunteer recruitment day, and this year’s event promises to be bigger than ever (and not simply because KICK will be performing).

The mandatory  We Are The Children volunteer recruitment day will take place on Sunday, December 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Maneeley’s Banquets & Catering in South Windsor, CT. KICK will be performing in the ballroom as volunteers arrive, sign up, and learn more about this fantastic organization. It is open to anyone age 18 an over who wishes to volunteer - and it is the only way to sign up to volunteer - in this year’s We Are The Children Christmas Party.

The band is profoundly honored to be asked to be a part of this phenomenal organization’s 2012 campaign. We Are The Children is an organization founded in 1985 by Gary Craig, morning radio personality of 96.5 WTIC-FM in Hartford, Connecticut. Gary Craig, along with a tremendous support committee including various corporations is committed to raising funds for abandoned, battered, disadvantaged, and needy children. To date, We Are The Children is a 100% volunteer organization with all goods and services donated by members of the local communities.

The organization has gained popularity and recognition through Christmas parties that have been held on Christmas day since 1985. The concept is to provide a holiday celebration for any needy child who has no place to spend the holiday. We Are The Children became a registered non-profit organization with 501 (c) 3 status as a result of the success of the first Christmas party, conceived just eight days prior to Christmas, 1985. The first party was attended by 350 children and their chaperones; $300,000 in goods and services were raised to provide a day for the children – a day that would otherwise have been only a dream.

We Are The Children has been supported by hundreds of corporations in Southern New England throughout the years. Countless numbers of private citizens, schools and community organizations have also given their time to We Are The Children. Since being incorporated in 1987, the We Are The Children organization has directly contributed to children needing transplants, short-term funding for women’s and children’s agencies, equipment for women’s shelters, various events for children and support for many other organizations and immediate crisis situations throughout Southern New England.

We Are The Children continues to support children and their families bringing the spirit of the holidays to Connecticut’s kids, one child at a time.

All volunteers must bring a valid ID, and be ready for a great time as we kick off this year’s We Are The Children season.

Maneeley’s Banquets & Catering is located at 65 Rye Street in South Windsor, CT.   For directions, maps and more, visit 965ticfm.com.

HARTFORD, Conn. – Following our biggest Endless SummerTour yet, marked by an unprecedented run of flawless outdoor shows (16-for-16 with no weather cancellations!) autumn 2K12 continues to fill up with some unreal bookings at some great new venues as well as welcome returns to some old favorites. Among the highlights: KICK debuts at the enormous Billy Joe’s Rib Works, right on the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY Friday, November 30; Molly Darcy’s in Danbury, CT Friday December 21; and the Wicked Stick Tavern at the Pine Valley Golf Course in Southington, CT Friday, November 9. And, get this, the band makes its long-anticipated return to Rookies (now in Chicago Sam’s) in Cromwell, CT Friday, November 16, and headlines Fallfest with a show from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, October 20 at the awesome Veteran’s Memorial Amphitheater at Elm Ridge Park in Rocky Hill, CT, as part of an all-ages celebration of all things autumnal including hayrides, a puppy parade, pony rides,  bonfire, and fireworks. This year, the KICKsgiving Eve Reunion (that would be the day before Thanksgivng) returns to City Sports Grille in Spare Time Lanes in Vernon, CT; and the band hosts a special Christmas show December 22 at All Stars in Manchester, CT, and – for the first time ever – KICK brings in the new year with a 2K13 welcoming bash at Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville (this, of course, in addition to the regular monthly doubleheaders there). Check the Calendar section of KICKband.com frequently and join the KICK Army to be sure you’re not left out.

WINDSOR, Conn. – Catch KICK’s August Concert on the Green show at Windsor Town Hall “On Demand” at this link or watch the rebroadcast on WIN-TV Channel 5 Friday night, September 7, at 9:00!

HARTFORD, Conn. – It’s official: KICK lead guitarist Greg Gioia is engaged! On August 3, Greg asked the lovely Amara Litten to be his roadie for life, and to the unrestrained joy of all who have seen them together, she (actually) said “yes.” Seriously though, the entire KICK community couldn’t be happier, especially since we so often get to see just how happy they make each other, and we wish them nothing but the very best with their 2013 nuptials and for decades to come.

PLANTSVILLE, Conn. – Fans of good drink and song will be amply sated at the 4th Annual Beer and Wine Tasting Festival, to be held from 5:30 to 9:30, Thursday evening, July 12 on the unspeakably beautiful grounds of the Aqua Turf in Plantsville, CT. Tickets are just $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased online at http://calvanesefoundation.com/index.htm or at Modern Formals in Southington, Just For You…Country Gifts in Plantsville, or WineWorks of Southington. The event is sponsored by The Joe & Kay Calvanese Foundation, a charitable not-for-profit group established to improve the quality of life in its community by sponsoring local charities, assisting individual causes, and helping make seemingly impossible dreams come true.

HARTFORD, Conn. – If KICK’s rhythm guitar riffs sound a bit chunkier, thicker, and more gut-bustingly awesome in the not-so-distant future, it may probably be attributable to the products of the band’s newest sponsor, Splawn Amplification, a high-end, North Carolina-based boutique amplifier shop known for making some of the very best guitar products on the market for a veritable who’s who of tone connoisseurs. KICK’s Brian Penn certainly fits that bill, which is why he’s (almost) literally clicking his heels at the prospect of working with the Splawn design team to create a one-of-a-kind custom combo amplifier. Check KICK live in the fall to see what they came up with!

ORLANDO, Fla. – KICK announced its Endless SummerTour 2K12 schedule this week, a smattering of shows spread across four states and 14 venues that promises to be one of the band’s biggest and best yet. Following a pair of warmup blowouts at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, the shenanigans begin in earnest June 1 at The Stadium in Waterbury, CT; continuing to the band’s only summer appearance at Geraldine’s in West Springfield, MA and the first of a series of three First Thursday apperances on the outdoor patio at Shea’s in Manchester, CT, roughly a mile from the band’s birthplace and – conveniently - one of the hottest new outdoor venues in Connecticut. Not only will the June, July, and August Shea’s shows be extra special in that they were slipped into the already-full calendar entirely on the basis of popular demand, but they will each feature the band’s reunion with former skinsman and monster percussionist extraordinaire Eddie Bast.

In fact, the band performs almost exclusively outdoors all summer (by design), thanks to a series of return shows to the absolutely gorgeous Chelo’s on the Waterfront in Warwick, RI; first-time performances at the Windsor Locks Fire Carnival and Parade and the Windsor (CT) Summer Concert Series; and a 4th of July blowout at the best beach bar in New England, the Pavilion Beach Club, on the sands of Soundview Beach, in Old Lyme, CT.

In addition to monthly double-night stands at Margaritaville and visits to City Side at River Falls in Woonsocket, RI and the legendary Windjammer on Misquamicut Beach, RI; the band will also be playing a number of private events, including the weddings of some long-time KICK fans as well as the not-so-private Gundelfest 2012 in Warrensburg, NY. If you know what that means, you’re probably already going. If you don’t, well, keep your ears open.

It is possible that additional dates at select prime venues will be scheduled as well, although any such additions may prove to be countered by the reality that there are only so many days in summer. Check KICKband.com frequently for the first word on any scheduling updates or changes, especially at outdoor venues where weather may be a factor.

HARTFORD, Conn. – It’s official, KICK will be performing aboard a float, navigating the streets of downtown Hartford in the St. Patrick’s Parade once again, from 11:00 a.m. to whenever, March 10. Attendees will not only be treated to one of the largest parades of its sort in the Northeast, they will be able to take in a rolling KICK concert along with their Irish breakfast. As they have for every parade since 2006, KICK will perform aboard the float sponsored by the good people at McKinnon’s Pub, home of one of the best parade-viewing vantagepoints and – unquestionably – the event’s premier corned beef sandwich and afterparty.

Hear the radio commercial

The parade  begins at 11:00 a.m. sharp at Capitol Avenue by the State Capitol Building, takes a left on Main Street, a left on Asylum, a left on Ford Street, and then ends by the Memorial Arch. The parade will be held rain or shine, and will also be broadcast live by 104.1 WMRQ (Radio 104 – listen for a chance to win a spot on the float!), Red Wolf Radio, and WTIC-TV FOX 61.

Please note, there will be some road closures along the parade route before the parade. Parking is available in various lots and garages near the XL Center area and Convention Center. For additional information and route map, visit the links in the Calendar section of KICKband.com.