The trek is in support of the band’s reunion effort, No Exit, which has been greeted with moderate success in the U.S. The album is No. 75 this week in its fifth week on the Billboard 200.

Tickets for the tour, which will run through June 10, will go on sale on Friday (April 9) through www.mp3vita.net and www.entiregoods.com, as well as local ticket outlets, beginning the weekend of April 10.

Ray Waddell, who covers talent and touring for industry trade publication Amusement Business, expects the tour to do good business. “There’s been a lot of media and a lot of buzz,” he notes.

Here’s the itinerary for Blondie’s No Exit tour:

5/15 – Orpheum, Boston
5/16 – Massey Hall, Toronto
5/18 – Tower Theatre, Philadelphia
5/19 – The Pier, Baltimore
5/23 – Fox Theatre, Detroit
5/25 – Fillmore Auditorium, Denver
5/27 – The Joint, Las Vegas, Nev.
5/28 – Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles
5/29 – Open Air Theatre, San Diego
5/30 – Warfield, San Francisco
6/1 – Paramount, Seattle
6/2 – Civic, Portland, Ore.
6/10 – Madison Square Garden Theatre, New York

In August, Chrysalis Records bought their contract from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the second album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November with the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie broke commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows’ 1963 hit “Denise,” renamed “Denis,” became a Top Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a second U.K. Top Ten, “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear.” Blondie turned to U.K. producer/songwriter Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. “Picture This” became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and “Hanging on the Telephone” made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the album’s third single, the disco-influenced “Heart of Glass,” that took Blondie to #1 in both the U.K. and the U.S. “Sunday Girl” hit #1 in the U.K. in May, and “One Way or Another” hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, “Dreaming,” went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, “Union City Blue,” went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, “Atomic,” became the group’s third British #1. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)

Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on “Call Me,” the theme from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondie’s second transatlantic chart topper. Blondie’s fifth album, Autoamerican, was released in November 1980, and its first single was the reggaeish tune “The Tide Is High,” which went to #1 in the U.S. and U.K. The second single was the rap-oriented “Rapture,” which topped the U.S. pop charts and went Top Ten in the U.K. But the band’s eclectic style reflected a diminished participation by its members – Infante sued, charging that he wasn’t being used on the records, though he settled and stayed in the lineup. But in 1981, the members of Blondie worked on individual projects, notably Harry’s gold-selling solo album, KooKoo. The Best of Blondie was released in the fall of the year. The Hunter, Blondie’s sixth and last new album, was released in July 1982, preceded by the single “Island of Lost Souls,” a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and U.K. “War Child” also became a Top 40 hit in the U.K., but The Hunter was a commercial disappointment. At the same time, Stein became seriously ill with the genetic disease pemphigus. As a result, Blondie broke up in October 1982, with Deborah Harry launching a part-time solo career while caring for Stein, who eventually recovered. In 1998, the original line-up of Harry, Stein, Destri and Burke reunited to tour Europe, their first series of dates in 16 years; a new LP, No Exit, followed early the next year.

Blondie All Music Guide Biography

Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much-vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late ’70s. The group was formed in New York City in August 1974 by singer Deborah Harry (b. July 1, 1945, Miami), formerly of Wind in the Willows, and guitarist Chris Stein (b. January 5, 1950, Brooklyn) out of the remnants of Harry’s previous group, the Stilettos. The lineup fluctuated over the next year. Drummer Clement Burke (b. November 24, 1955, New York) joined in May 1975. Bassist Gary Valentine joined in August. In October, keyboard player James Destri (b. April 13, 1954) joined, to complete the initial permanent lineup. They released their first album, Blondie, on Private Stock Records in December 1976. In July 1977, Valentine was replaced by Frank Infante.

In August, Chrysalis Records bought their contract from Private Stock and in October reissued Blondie and released the second album, Plastic Letters. Blondie expanded to a sextet in November with the addition of bassist Nigel Harrison (born in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England), as Infante switched to guitar. Blondie broke commercially in the U.K. in March 1978, when their cover of Randy and the Rainbows’ 1963 hit “Denise,” renamed “Denis,” became a Top Ten hit, as did Plastic Letters, followed by a second U.K. Top Ten, “(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear.” Blondie turned to U.K. producer/songwriter Mike Chapman for their third album, Parallel Lines, which was released in September 1978 and eventually broke them worldwide. “Picture This” became a U.K. Top 40 hit, and “Hanging on the Telephone” made the U.K. Top Ten, but it was the album’s third single, the disco-influenced “Heart of Glass,” that took Blondie to number one in both the U.K. and the U.S. “Sunday Girl” hit number one in the U.K. in May, and “One Way or Another” hit the U.S. Top 40 in August. Blondie followed with their fourth album, Eat to the Beat, in October. Its first single, “Dreaming,” went Top Ten in the U.K., Top 40 in the U.S. The second U.K. single, “Union City Blue,” went Top 40. In March 1980, the third U.K. single from Eat to the Beat, “Atomic,” became the group’s third British number one. (It later made the U.S. Top 40.)

Meanwhile, Harry was collaborating with German disco producer Giorgio Moroder on “Call Me,” the theme from the movie American Gigolo. It became Blondie’s second transatlantic chart-topper. Blondie’s fifth album, Autoamerican, was released in November 1980, and its first single was the reggae-ish tune “The Tide Is High,” which went to number one in the U.S. and U.K. The second single was the rap-oriented “Rapture,” which topped the U.S. pop charts and went Top Ten in the U.K. But the band’s eclectic style reflected a diminished participation by its members — Infante sued, charging that he wasn’t being used on the records, though he settled and stayed in the lineup. But in 1981, the members of Blondie worked on individual projects, notably Harry’s gold-selling solo album, KooKoo. The Best of Blondie was released in the fall of the year. The Hunter, Blondie’s sixth album, was released in May 1982, preceded by the single “Island of Lost Souls,” a Top 40 hit in the U.S. and U.K. “War Child” also became a Top 40 hit in the U.K., but The Hunter was a commercial disappointment.

At the same time, Stein became seriously ill with the genetic disease pemphigus. As a result, Blondie broke up in October 1982, with Deborah Harry launching a part-time solo career while caring for Stein, who eventually recovered. In 1998, the original lineup of Harry, Stein, Destri, and Burke reunited to tour Europe, their first series of dates in 16 years; a new LP, No Exit, followed early the next year. After more touring, this was followed by another studio set, The Curse of Blondie, in 2003, and a DVD of the Live by Request program from A&E was released in 2004. In 2006, Blondie celebrated their 30th anniversary with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the release of Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision, a best-of collection that contained all their classic videos as well.

Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, The O’Jays, Robin Thicke, Keyshia Cole, Teena Marie, Sean Paul, Gladys Knight and Anita Baker will also perform throughout the series, which runs until August 27.

The seaside shows will be held every Thursday 7:30 pm at Asser Levy/Seaside Park at West 5th Street and Surf Avenue in Brighton Beach. Chair rentals will be available for $5 or concertgoers can bring their own chairs.

Martin Luther King Jr. concerts will be held Monday nights at 7:30 pm at Wingate Field on Brooklyn Avenue.

The lineup is:

July 16
Salute to 40th anniversary of Woodstock: Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Mountain, John Sebastian

August 24
Caribbean Night – Sean Paul, “King of Calypso” The Mighty Sparrow

Don’t miss the bluegrass “Lust for Life” and the king-hell sweet Japanese acoustic “Lost in the Supermarket.”

We set off to meet our first group of Orthodox converts at St. Nektarios. We were greeted with hugs, songs, and dance. This was probably the most humbling experience of my life. I was in awe of their smiling faces and the way their bodies swayed with the uplifting Shona songs. They were sincerely happy to see us and to receive us as brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the way we were received at each and every indigenous Orthodox and non-Orthodox location throughout Zimbabwe.

His Eminence Bishop George smiled and spoke to the people with love, and he managed to say something that spoke to the heart. This is one of his many gifts. He is a dynamic leader, and those around him want to follow his kind smile, the twinkle in his eye, and his love of Jesus Christ’s Church.

The Church was beautiful, a tall stone structure with benches and wonderful iconography. There was not only a Church but also a Medical Facility and a two-story school. His Eminence really addresses the whole person: the spiritual healing of the Church, the body’s physical needs, and the education of the children – the future of Zimbabwe. This is what impressed me the most. I had only witnessed this holistic Orthodoxy once before, and that was at the Hogar Raphael Ayau orphanage in Guatemala, where Church, physical health, and expanding the mind were crucial in healing the hearts and souls of the children there.

This holistic approach was the taken in all of the villages and cities we visited. The Orthodox Church is there to heal the souls that endure so much and the physical ailments that plague the people and to teach them how to be self-sufficient and productive.

With the lesson plans we had prepared. we spoke to the adults and then held separate lessons for the youth and young children. Our topics were wide and covered the History of the Church, the Role of Women and Youth in the Church, the importance of a prayer life, Salvation, the Lives of the Saints, Orthodox Marriage, and the many ‘on-the-spot’ topics that sprang up. The people were engaged at each and every session; they listened, took notes, and asked profound questions. They were very curious about the Coptic Orthodox and the split with the Eastern Churches, and they wanted to know the differences and the similarities between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. They were hungry for the truth and to learn how to share their faith.

One thing that really stood out for me was the knowledge-base and the amazing job that the indigenous priests have done. We were attending a Sunday school program at St. Nektarios. We began with some open questions about prayer. I asked the group what it means when we make the sign of the cross. “What do the three fingers together represent?” I asked. First of all, they all showed me the correct technique and said that it represents the Holy Trinity – right! Then I asked a tougher question, “What do the two fingers bent down mean?” There was silence, and then a young girl raised her hand. ”It means that there are two persons in one; Christ is God and Man!” she said. Wow. I gave her a special reward and am still amazed.

We were learner-servants; we were brothers and sisters in Christ. We taught in all of the locations where there were Orthodox Churches and future mission sites. We traveled the cities and the remote villages, and we witnessed the same love and sincerity at every turn. The holistic Orthodox Church is healing Zimbabwe, both the indigenous Africans and the warm-hearted Greek community. We will all continue to pray for this healing.

We experienced many special moments on this mission. We witnessed God’s great plan in action as we saw women growing peanuts and making organic peanut butter to survive. We were in the midst of the land of a modern day saint, Saint Efterpi, and we witnessed the beginnings of a new Church in a small, poor northern village. I pray to return one day to see the Church here in its totality.

How do you sum up a Mission Team experience? By the Grace of God is all that comes to mind. To go on a Mission Team is to leave the world you know and immerse yourself in another, to trust in God’s plan and know that you left a piece of you there and that you have returned with Africa in your heart. I will never forget the love that the people revealed to me, the love of His Eminence for all the faithful and seekers, and the true power of Africa, its history and its future. Keeping holistic Orthodoxy alive in Zimbabwe is the key for each and every person who wants it.

We now had a short time to complete our fundraising and learn about a new destination, while preparing our teaching topics. I read many articles, researched websites, and heard from people who knew someone who had been to Zimbabwe. The picture that was painted was not a pretty one. It involved AIDS/HIV orphans, people with a 45-year life-span, racial tension, militant leadership, the fall of the Zimbabwean dollar, and crime-filled streets. The basic message: really think before you decide to travel to Zimbabwe. We were also warned about the deteriorating healthcare system, poor drinking water, safari accidents and deaths, and the presidential motorcade that will mow you down if you are in their way. Wow, God must really need us in Zimbabwe!

During our Orientation at the OCMC headquarters in St. Augustine, Florida, we learned more about teamwork, Zimbabwe itself, and the Bishop, His Eminence George. We discussed our teaching topics, practiced some of the local Shona language, and completed final preparations. We were reminded to go as learner-servants and to be good ambassadors for Christ and the mission program. Most importantly we were told to expect the unexpected, and that is just what we got.

“Expect the unexpected…”

In the past, when I had thought of Africa I had pictured dry land, with tall distinctive trees and exotic animals feeding and running in herds. I thought that I would learn more Shona and Ndebele to communicate with the native Africans. I imagined eating corn, bread, and sugar cane. I imagined staying in a small round hut and walking great distances to plant mission churches. This vision was as far off as the warnings that the media supplied before our arrival.

After a long journey, we arrived at the Harare airport. Harare is the capital city of Zimbabwe and has a population of six million. We were greeted by His Eminence George, Father Michael (our team leader), and Father George (the priest at the Cathedral) – basically the Men in Black. They were all warm and friendly and very happy to see that we had arrived safely. As we drove through the streets of Harare, it appeared to be like any large city in North America. There was a distinct downtown with tall buildings and palm trees that lined the main thoroughfare. The men wore dress shirts with long sleeves and slacks – no shorts and t-shirts here – and the women had long skirts and flowery tops. The women balanced large bags, buckets, suitcases, and bags of oranges on their heads. (This was something I really wanted to master!) The men carried equally impressive loads, but on their shoulders instead of their heads. We were told that AmandaEve, Kevin, and I would stay in an apartment, and Clark and Father Michael would stay at the Metropolis house.

I learned that His Eminence was originally from Limmisol in Cyprus. We had much to talk about, as Cyprus is one of my favorite places I’ve visited. We learned later that many of the Zimbabweans of Greek-origin emigrated from this small island in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. What a blessing for me. My Orthodox life began in a Ukrainian Church, I also spent three years under the Greek Metropolis, and now I attend a church within the Antiochian archdiocese. God truly prepared me to feel at home with Father Michael, who is Carpatho-Russian, and His Eminence from Cyprus; we could share stories and the love of Halloumi cheese. I was able to follow the Greek services and felt quite at home with Father Michael’s Oche Nash (Our Father).

“I expected to stay in a hut, sleep with ants and eat corn and sugar cane…”

I expected to stay in a hut, sleep with ants and eat corn and sugar cane – instead we ate Greek delicacies, slept in comfortable beds and had hot showers daily. His Eminence George showed us every hospitality and acquainted us with both the Greek and indigenous Orthodox people in Zimbabwe. There were some disadvantages though; we were cautioned against leaving the safety of our apartment after 4:00pm, concrete walls with barbed wire and electronic gates and guards surrounded most of the buildings, homes, and apartments. Our own apartment had complete wrought iron gates that had to be locked in addition to our doors; we were even warned not to leave our bathroom windows opened as something may get stolen.

Within the Church, Shona and Ndebele peoples are coming in droves – over 800 for Liturgy at St. Nektarios in Harare–while the opposite is happening within the Greek Zimbabwean community. The duality of Orthodoxy here was interesting, and challenging. The Greeks love Zimbabwe – this is the only home that many of them have ever known – but when the land re-distribution occurred in 1980, many lost their family farms and their way of life. They left in droves, leaving only handfuls to keep the faith and to love the land they knew so well. This was a huge turning point for a country that was on the cusp of consumerism.

Since my first mission trip in 2002 as a part of an Orthodox Chirstian Mission Center (OCMC) Mission Team to Guatemala, I was praying for another Team opportunity. I have felt the call to Africa for seven years, but life always got in the way. This year, God had a plan for me and for the members of this small but well-orchestrated Team. We have all heard the saying that ‘God works in mysterious ways.’ Well, I would like to re-coin the phrase as ‘God works in purposeful ways!’

When I applied for a 2009 Team with OCMC, I had chosen to serve in Tanzania first, due to other friends who had participated. Nigeria was my second choice, and South Korea was my third. I quickly heard back from OCMC that Tanzania had been filled, so Nigeria would be my calling. I was thrilled; this was to be the first ever OCMC Team experience in Nigeria. There were two other team members from my hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Who would have thought that three Canadians would be the ambassadors to Nigeria for a North American Mission Team? I had some reservations as we had no priest or team leader, but we were assured that as long as the Bishop was okay with it, OCMC was okay with it. My supporters were visibly concerned about the safety of Nigeria, but I knew that if it was God’s will we would be under His complete protection.

After the half-way mark of my fundraising for Nigeria, we were asked to provide documents for the visa necessary to enter the country. We made sure that all was completed properly to fulfill our commitment. Unfortunately, we learned that since our visa application was for a religious purpose we would have to receive approval from the Nigerian immigration office in Nigeria; the process would take months. I was disheartened, as the Bishop there was organizing many opportunities for us to share Orthodoxy with various groups. But God had another plan for us: Zimbabwe.

Who would have known? A new plan was set, and a similar focus of teaching was prepared. This Mission Team would also be a first for the OCMC. There was a small contingent set: a team leader, Father Michael Miklos (who had been to various parts of Africa), along with Clark Wilson (who had been with Father Michael in Tanzania the previous year), and the original three Canadians, Kevin and AmandaEve Wigglesworth and me. This felt right, and the journey to Zimbabwe began.

Blondie

The original Blondie was formed in 1974 by art student/fallen away hippie guitarist Chris Stein and ex-Max’s Kansas City waitress and Playboy bunny, vocalist Debbie Harry, drummer Clem Burke and keyboard player Jimmy Destri joined in 1975. The band played in New York downtown circuit — CBGB’s, Max’s Kansas City and the Mercer Arts Center. They collected a big following and in 1976 they recorded their first album “Blondie”. It was released in 1977 and was well received. After a successful stint in L.A., the band toured in support of Iggy Pop and David Bowie.

In the summer of 1977 they released their second album, “Plastic Letters” and toured Europe and Asia. In March of 1978 the single “Denis” hit #1 in the UK. That summer the band worked with producer Mike Chapman to hone their radio sound and create the album “Parallel Lines”. The single “Picture This” made #12 in the UK and the follow-up “Hanging on the Telephone” hit #1. At the end of the year Debbie made her first film, Union City.

In 1979 Blondie had their first #1 US hit with “Heart of Glass” which also sold over a million copies in the UK. The album sold over 20 million copies. The fourth single from “Parallel Lines”, “Sunday Girl,” also hit #1 in the UK. In September 1979 the band’s fourth album “Eat to the Beat” was released, along with the first ever album length video. Before the year’s end, Blondie had its fourth UK #1 hit with “Dreaming.”

In February 1980 they hit #1 in England again with “Atomic.” Two months later they hit #1 in the U.S. a second time with “Call Me,” from the film American Gigolo. Before the end of the year, “Eat To The Beat” was certified platinum and Debbie was on “The Muppet Show.”

The fifth Blondie album, “Autoamerican”, was released in January and the first single “The Tide is High” made #1 in the UK. The first reggae tinged hit, it was #1 in the U.S. by March. Debbie appeared on the popular TV show “Solid Gold,” and soon the album was solid platinum. In August, Debbie released her first solo album, “Koo Koo”, produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic and featuring a cover by H.R. Giger, the Academy Award winning sci-fi artist who created Alien creature.

By 1982 there was dissension in the band, but they still managed to produce a final album “The Hunter”. The single “Island of Lost Souls” was the band’s last U.S. hit. In the meantime, Chris was felled by a rare and often fatal genetic disease, and the band fell apart. Debbie spent the next several years nursing Chris back to health.

Debbie went on to appear in numerous films and plays and to create music in various contexts. In recent years she has become the featured vocalist of the Jazz Passengers. Jimmy left music for awhile to become a family man and contractor. Chris produced various bands in New York. Clem continued to record and tour with top acts.

The new album, the seventh Blondie album of new material, was produced by Craig Leon, who actually worked on their first album with legendary producer Richard Gottherer.

Blondie was considered one of the inventors of new wave and/or punk, but the group always resisted classification. At the height of punk anti-disco sentiment, the group rocked the dance floors of the world with the updated disco of “Heart of Glass.” Today, Blondie is as elusive, uncategorizable and ironic as ever.

Hearing “No Exit” is truly surprising because it’s a perfect evolution of Blondie as we knew it. It’s as if the band continued to develop, to tighten even, despite the fact that they weren’t together. The trademark elements are still there: that perfect, propulsive beat; Debbie’s unmistakable voice, seductive, soulful yet ironic; atmospheric keyboards, sometimes lush, sometimes eerie; and brilliantly articulated guitar lines that never approach cliché. And, of course, the thing that stands out, especially today, is the band’s ability to create perfectly crafted pop songs — catchy, instantly memorable, yet full of subtleties that continue to grow on you with repetition. It’s just as good as it ever was, but sweeter.

“Maria,” is a sexy pop anthem in the tradition of the great Blondie hits –dynamic but sweet, sensual but with a streak of wicked wit, unique but utterly contagious. “Night Wind Sent” is a haunting, delicate love song, that’s all beauty. “Forgive and Forget” is a sort of tom tom driven creation myth — jungle drums meet electronic rhythms to create an exotic rhapsodic, moody dance music — hypnotism with hooks.

Blondie was never a novelty act, but even their hits showed a remarkable gift for transcending genres and fusing different moods and styles. Now, as bona fide adults and virtuoso players and writers, they’ve developed some even more startling hybrids. “No Exit” is a high powered monster mash, a Transylvanian rap dozens-duel between Debbie and Coolio that’s the musical equivalent of Mystery Science Theater 3000. “Screaming Skin” is a wild vampire ska romp, sort of Bela Lugosi meets Skatalites. Blondie shows off cool and kooky chanteuse moves in “Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room.”

It’s a classic Blondie album, but even better in ways. The band takes itself less seriously so the songs are even wittier. And two of the good things about getting older are that if you play your cards right you can get smarter and you can get more skilled. Blondie‘s holds a winning hand with “No Exit”.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… CY: wait… I: wait… L: wait… YCat: wait… I: wait… Top: wait… C: wait…