Ben Harper and the Relentless7 debut on Billboard charts

Grammy-award winning artist Ben Harper and his new band Relentless7’s new album, White Lies For Dark Times debuts at No. 9 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, which was released May 5th on Virgin/EMI. This marks Ben Harper’s 3rd consecutive Top 10 Billboard debut. In addition, the album is the #1 Top Digital album and #3 Top Internet album in the US, and has also reached the top 10 charts in France (#6), Italy (#7) and Switzerland (#7). The release follows a stint of successful appearances on Last Call with Carson Daly (twice), The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Next up, BHR7 will take over the outdoor stage at Jimmy Kimmel Live in June as well as a one-hour special performance from SXSW airing on DirecTV’s 101 Network on June 8. Fans can also look forward to a legendary Austin City Limits performance to air in October.

Ben Harper and Relentless7 recently had the opportunity to participate in the ABC Special “Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist,” which aired May 7th. Fox & Harper discussed the connection between music and optimism, and included a special acoustic performance of “Fly One Time.”

The press is raving about the new album. The Associated Press gives the album an “A,” calling it “another superb collection” while USA Today says “Harper revisits his blues-rock roots with renewed energy.” White Lies For Dark Times is a “Critics Choice” at People Magazine and Spin dubbed it “an impressive array of American music, ranging from muddy blues to eerie folk to Hendrixian wah-wah.”

Ben Harper and Relentless7’s energetic live performance is the heart of the band. On April 22, they performed to over 120,000 people at the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Italy for the Nat Geo Earth Day Festival. The entire set also aired live on the internet for fans across the globe to watch.

Following the band’s current sold-out U.S. tour, they will perform at festivals across the country and abroad including Mile High, Bonnaroo, Hard Rock Calling, Fuji Rock, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Music Festival.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES /DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL:

05/15/2009 Detroit, MI Saint Andrews Hall – SOLD OUT
05/16/2009 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre – SOLD OUT
05/25/2009 George, WA Sasquatch Music Festival
05/27/2009 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore – SOLD OUT
05/28/2009 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre – SOLD OUT
06/13/2009 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/19/2009 Neuhausen ob Eck. DEU Southside Festival
06/20/2009 Scheessel, DEU Hurricane FEstival
06/22/2009 Berlin, DEU Columbiahalle
06/23/2009 Munich, DEU Tonhalle
06/25/2009 Amsterdam, NLD Paradisco – SOLD OUT
06/26/2009 Brussels, BEL Couleur Cafe Festival
06/27/2009 London, GBR Hard Rock Calling (Hyde Park)
07/04/2009 Des Moines, IA 80/35 Music Festival
07/09/2009 Ottawa, ON CAN Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
07/11/2009 Masontown, WV All Good Festival
07/18/2009 Commerce City, CO Mile High Music Festival
07/25/2009 Niigata, JPN Fuji Rock Festival
08/08/2009 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza
10/04/2009 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Music Festival