Feb. 18, 2011

Tickets are now on sale for Wendy's Rock 'n' Roll House Party XII, featuring Huey Lewis and the News. This year's event is part of Shawnee State University's 25th Anniversary Celebration and is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 at SSU's Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.

Since 1998, the annual Rock 'n' Roll House Party has been one of the premiere celebrations of the history of Rock and Roll. Held in cooperation with WNXT-FM "The Mix 99.3," Rock 'n' Roll House Party has brought original Rock and Roll performers to the Portsmouth region – selling out at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts every year.

As a nod to SSU's anniversary, this year's Rock 'n' Roll House Party will feature the No. 1 band in the country in 1986, the year that SSU became a university. Huey Lewis and the News formed as a band in 1979 with their first record hit in 1980 with the album "Picture This" and their first top 10 hit, "Do You Believe in Love."

In 1984, their album, "Sports," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Charts. The song, "The Power of Love," written for the movie "Back to the Future" became the band's first No. 1 song and was nominated for an Oscar. During the band's career, they have received multiple Billboard No. 1 hits, BPI "Artist of the Year" awards, and multi-platinum album sales.

Their latest album, "Soulsville," which was released in November, is already approaching the top of the charts. The group tours only a limited time each year and Rock 'n' Roll House Party will be their most intimate performance event in 2011.

Ticket sales began on Monday, Feb. 14 at the McKinley Box Office in the lobby of SSU's Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or call (740) 351-3600. Tickets are also on sale at ticketmaster.com and at all southern Ohio Kroger Stores or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are selling quickly. Lower tier seating is $85 and $95 and upper tier seating is $60 and $75.