Musician Franky Perez tours new album “Suddenly 44” on a unique Las Vegas to New York tour on his Ducati

• The COVID-19 lockdowns inspired Franky Perez to write and record during his home isolation his newest album “Suddenly 44”
• With traditional music venues closed, Franky partnered with Ducati Motorcycles to create “Crossing the Great Divide Tour” to play for free at outdoor music venues, healthcare facilities and public spaces within the restrictions in place during the time of COVID-19
• Franky covered the 13-day, 4,000+ mile tour on a Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour fitted with a custom Hoffee Case to carry his Martin acoustic guitar
• An eight-episode video series documenting the best moments of the “Crossing the Great Divide” tour to be released on Ducati.com on August 25, 2020

 Sunnyvale, Calif. August 25, 2020 - When much of the country began to implement COVID-19 lockdowns, like most musicians Franky Perez faced great uncertainty on when his performing career could again resume. Not wishing to sit idle at his home in Las Vegas, Franky turned this unprecedented moment in history as the creative inspiration to write and record an intimate album is his guest bedroom titled “Suddenly 44,” which reflects on his past, the challenging times we presently face and the relationships that keep us grounded and optimistic for an unknown future.
 

From the challenge posed by the pandemic, the “Crossing the Great Divide” tour was born. Inspired by a song on his new album, the tour became a cross country mission for Franky to share his music for free, in any way possible under the strict considerations of safety and social distancing. To support Franky, a Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour was custom fitted with a carbon-fiber Hoffee guitar case to protect the Martin 000-17 Black Smoke Guitar that he selected as his acoustic companion.
 

This unique and aspirational journey was documented on film online as an eight-episode series highlighting his unique journey and experiences, all complemented by the soundtrack of his new record, Suddenly 44. This video and photo series may be viewed on Ducati’s website here: https://www.ducati.com/us/en/franky-perez-suddenly44-tour
 

“Music is meant to be shared and while digital distribution makes music so much more accessible now, there is no substitution for the live experience,” said Franky Perez. “The feedback and relationship between artist and the audience is vital when performing music that is so personal, but with the normal approach for a new album release no longer possible I called my friends from famed Italian motorcycle marque Ducati to help me develop a completely different approach to touring.”
 

As the planning for the tour evolved the mission broadened to not only share the new music but also bring attention to the people affected during this time of crisis in the US. Many live music venues have closed while others have been able to adapt, albeit with limited capacity. With these venues being an essential part of the traveling musician, Franky called upon many of his friends to weave their stories into his adventure bringing awareness to their situation. When some of his friends in the healthcare industry found out about this tour, Franky was asked to stop at some of the facilities to reward frontline healthcare workers that have had little reprieve these past few months. Lastly, he planned to visit some of the Ducati dealers along his journey to share his passion of motorcycling with his music and pop-up shows.
 

Franky Perez’s new record ‘Suddenly 44’ is available via all streaming services: https://frankyperez.hearnow.com/suddenly-44
 

Tour stops & performance locations: 

• Las Vegas Sign | Las Vegas, NV
• The Viper Room, Rock Store | Los Angeles, CA
• Zeitgeist, Golden Gate Bridge | San Francisco, CA
• Carson City, Thunder Mountain Monument | Imlay, NV
• Harrison Eurosport, Storm Mountain Amphitheater | Salt Lake City, UT
• Lucky Joes | Fort Collins, CO
• Wheat field | Salina, Kansas
• Arthur Bryants, Cross Roads | Kansas City, KS
• Hoffee Cases | Joliet, IL, Chicago, IL
• Free riding day | Fort Wayne, IN
• Ducati Detroit, Hitsville USA, Tin Roof Detroit | Detroit, MI
• Pearl Street Warehouse | Washington D.C.
• Woodholme Gardens | Pikesville, MD
• Martin Guitars | Nazareth, PA
• South Street Pedestrian Bridge | Philadelphia, PA
• Symphony Square | Bala Cynwyd, PA
• Times Square, Ducati New York | New York, NY

 Tour Partner 

• Ducati North America – Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour
• Belstaff – Racemaster riding jacket
• Martin Guitars - 000-17 Black Smoke acoustic guitar
• Hoffee Cases – Carbon fiber guitar case
• Cardo Systems – Packtalk Bold bluetooth helmet communication
• Count’s Kustoms, Las Vegas – Custom fabrication for on bike guitar case mount