Are you ready to rock? With the weekend just around the corner, there’s plenty of musical entertainment on deck throughout Orlando.

Universal Studios Florida kicks off its first weekend of Mardi Gras with an evening of high energy street performers, a festive, bead-throwing parade and the first concert featuring Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The concert starts at 8:30 pm immediately following the Mardi Gras parade.

Mardi Gras doubles the fun next weekend with a two-day celebration. On Sat. Feb. 19, the concert headliner will be The B-52s followed by a Sunday Mardi Gras party with KC & the Sunshine Band.

Meanwhile, across town at SeaWorld Orlando, the park will be throwing its second of four Bands, Brew and BBQ events. The party features 60 craft beers from 21 breweries, BBQ from local restaurants and a live concert with country icon Willie Nelson. Additional concerts will feature REO Speedwagon on Feb. 26 and Josh Turner on Mar. 5.

SeaWorld concerts will kick off at 4:30 pm. Park hours are 9 am to 7 pm and the event is included with regular park admission.

For more on Orlando area theme parks and concerts as well as discount Orlando vacation packages, go to www.WestgateReservations.com.

Mardi Gras is coming and Universal Studios has released its list of musical performers for this year’s festivities.

A popular, long running annual event at Universal, Mardi Gras takes place every Saturday from Feb. 12 thorugh April 23, 2011. As an added bonus, there will be three Friday night concerts and one Sunday concert event. The festivities, which include a Mardi Gras parade, street entertainers and a concert on the Musical Plaza stage are included with regular admission to Universal Studios Florida.

For additional details on Universal’s Mardi Gras, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com.

Tentatively scheduled musical guests include:

Feb. 12: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

Feb. 19: The B-52s

Feb. 20 (Sunday): KC & the Sunshine Band

Feb. 26: Pitbull

Mar. 5: Lynyrd Skynyrd

Mar. 12: Foreigner

Mar. 18 (Friday): Neon Trees

Mar. 19: Thirty Seconds to Mars

Mar. 25 (Friday): OneRepublic 

Mar. 26: Blake Shelton

Apr. 1 (Friday): Sean Kingston

Apr. 2: Ne-Yo

Apr. 9: Lifehouse

Apr. 16: Beach Boys

Apr. 23: TBA

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort presents its monthly Velvet Sessions concert featuring Better than Ezra, September 30, 2010. The rock band is best known for its hits “Desperately Wanting,” “Good,” “Rosealia,” “In the Blood” and “Extra Ordinary.”Velvet Sessions is open to adults age 21 and over. The evening includes themed specialty drinks and hors d’ouevres which are included in the price from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Starting at 8:30 p.m., additional cocktails are available at a cash bar while the band takes the stage in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando. Parking is free at the hotel situated adjacent to Universal Studios theme park.

Admission for the Velvet Sessions program is $35 in advance online or $40 at the door. For details, see http://www.universalorlando.com/.

Discount Orlando hotel accommodations and discount Universal Studios theme park tickets are available at http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/.

Other popular bands that have recently played Velvet Sessions include The Fixx, Psychedelic Furs, Everclear, Asia, the Romantics, Joan Jett, and others.

What would you rather do… enjoy a fun-filled getaway in a popular vacation destination or attend a top-notch concert or sporting event featuring your favorite artist or team?Well, now you can do both! Westgate Resorts’ special premiere events program combines the best in entertainment with a VIP stay at a luxurious Westgate Resorts property in locations such as Las Vegas or sunny Orlando!

Better yet, each special premiere event getaway also includes a variety of other extras such as a welcome party and dinner reception, personal concierge services, local transportation to and from the event, and more. As a result, you can get you’ll be treated like a true VIP every step of the way.

Westgate premiere events are scheduled year round and feature a wide range of possibilities including NFL and MLB sporting events, top Vegas shows such as Elton John and Cher, popular concerts with such artists as Justin Bieber, Shakira, Carrie Underwood and Tom Petty. And every event includes exceptional luxury accommodations at a beautiful Westgate Resorts property.

For a complete list of current upcoming events in Orlando and Las Vegas, visit http://www.ownerevents.com/. Be sure to check back on the site frequently as new events are continually being listed. For more on Westgate Resorts properties, go to http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

The Mardi Gras party keeps on rolling at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. The popular spring Mardi Gras celebration continues now through mid-April with a variety of rocking musical guests appearing each weekend. This week’s artist is the amazing Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

Her list of achievements goes on and on, including a dozen million-selling singles, 20 Number 1 R&B hits, a cover story in Time magazine, the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 15 Grammy Awards with a lifetime achievement award in 1995, and a roll in the movie, The Blues Brothers.

Now the legendary singer brings her smooth voice to the big stage at Universal Studios Florida starting at 8:30 pm on Saturday, March 13, 2010.

You can go to http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/ for additional details on Universal Studios, Mardi Gras and the many other Orlando area theme parks and attractions. Or check out the list of discount theme park tickets and money-saving Orlando vacation packages. If you would like information on discount Orlando resort and hotel lodging, you can also visit www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

The party goes on and on at Universal Studios Florida as the popular Mardi Gras celebration continues through mid-April. This week’s musical guest stara is Akon, the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter and one of the music industry’s fastest-rising stars.

Akon’s special mix of hip-hop, R&B and rap includes a number of chart-topping hits like Lonely, I Wanna Love You, Don’t Matter and Dangerous. He’s the first artist to accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.

A frequent guest on TV’s American Idol, Akon brings his act to Universal’s Mardi Gras at 8:30 pm on March 6, 2010.

Go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on Universal Studios, Mardi Gras and other Orlando area theme parks and attractions, as well as details on discount theme park tickets and Orlando vacation packages. Or visit www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm for information on discount Orlando resort and hotel lodging.

Get ready to celebrate. While the official Mardi Gras celebration kicks off in New Orleans, Mardi Gras Universal Studios style has already started in Orlando with a a long list of weekly concerts and parades plus fabulous food and plenty of beads.

The party really gets cranking tonight, Feb. 16, at Pat O’Brien’s within Universal CityWalk where the popular restaurant/club is hosting a Fat Tuesday celebration to kick off the Lenten season. From 4pm til close, you can enjoy a live party band, special drink discounts, New Orleans style food specials, stilt walkers, bead girls and plenty of other fun and entertainment.

Admission is free until 7 p.m.

After 7 p.m., admission is $8 per person or $20 for a VIP ticket offering private balcony access, light appetizers from 4-8 pm and free admission to select CityWalk clubs.

This week’s Mardi Gras concert features the music of Blondie and lead singer Deborah Harry. Ranging from disco and punk to new wave and hip hop, Blondie is best known for hits like Call Me, The Tide is High, One Way or Another, Heart of Glass and Rapture.

For additional information on Mardi Gras events at Universal Orlando or discount Orlando vacation packages and theme park tickets, visit http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/. Or to register for a free resort getaway sweepstakes, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

December 17-20, 2009. Aventura’ is a Bachata music group formed in The Bronx, New York in 1994. After more than ten years of sparring in the music business, these four young, dynamic musicians with a seldom-seen chemistry continue to auto-produce soulful, original music that gleams with excellence. They are the first “Bachata-boy band,” the first band to fuse the essence of bachata with R&B, hip hop and other American pop styles; the first Bachata band to perform in English, Spanish and “Spanglish.” Aventura is also the first bachata group to feature songs that address serious life situations, delighting fans in the process.  !

The group comprises lead singer and featured composer Anthony “Romeo” Santos, guitarist and producer Lenny Santos, bassist Max Santos, and singer and composer Henry Santos Jeter. Aventura has sold over 1 million albums, and are also known for their hit singles “Obsesión”, “La Boda”, “Ella y Yo” and “Un Beso”, to name a few! Click here for Aventura Concert Tickets! Click here for your Aventura tickets in Orlando, Florida