AEG and FGI Partner to Create WaMu Theater Within Seattle's Qwest Field Event Center

AEG and FGI Partner to Create WaMu Theater Within Seattle's Qwest Field Event Center

SEATTLE, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- AEG Live, one of the world's largest live entertainment companies ("AEG"), and Seattle-based First & Goal Inc. ("FGI") have formed a partnership to create a unique, multi purpose theater and corporate events facility within Seattle's Qwest Field Event Center.

(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060912/SFTU105 )

AEG and FGI are also announcing that WaMu, a Seattle based bank, has agreed to a 10 year naming rights agreement for the new venue to be called the WaMu Theater.

"We are excited to partner with AEG and FGI on this innovative and dynamic music venue that will bring exciting entertainment to our home city for years to come," said WaMu Chairman and CEO, Kerry Killinger. "We are also thrilled that our local customers will have the opportunity to participate in special ticket offerings including pre-sales surrounding theater events."

The state-of-the-art music and live entertainment venue, which features a flexible seating capacity ranging from 3,300 to 7,000, will showcase the industry's newest sound, lighting and other technological features as well as an array of guest friendly amenities and comforts. The theater's unique design and versatility will accommodate corporate and special events, seminars, television productions and other hospitality-related functions in record changeover times.

"We are delighted to offer a new music experience in Seattle and believe this will be an outstanding venue within the Qwest Field Event Center," said Tod Leiweke, CEO, First & Goal. "The new design elements, technology and additional space, along with our partnership with AEG Live will enable us to bring additional high profile concerts and corporate meetings to the venue. We also are pleased that WaMu will become our naming rights partner for this wonderful theater. Not only do they share our vision of creating the finest venue of its kind for Seattle, their philosophy of providing outstanding customer service is one that both AEG and FGI are clearly committed to as well," Leiweke added.

"WaMu Theater is bound to be one of the most unique and busiest venues in the country," said Randy Phillips, president & CEO, AEG Live. "The industry will welcome and support a new world-class theater to the Pacific Northwest and working with our partners at FGI, we have located an ideal setting to create a theater that artists will respect and that our guests will love going to. The technology and overall designs we are developing for WaMu Theater will be something that the industry has not seen and will likely be the model for future venues."

"We are excited to have booked Seal as the grand opening performer in the new WaMu Theater on Friday, November 3rd!" said Alex Kochan, vice president of AEG Live's northwest regional office. "Our goal for WaMu Theater is to bring the industry's most popular and successful performers to this world-class showplace. By securing Seal, followed the next evening, November 4th, by Van Morrison, we have already set the bar high for WaMu Theater." The on-sale date for tickets will be announced shortly.

A percentage of proceeds generated at Qwest Field Event Center are paid to the Common School Fund benefiting State-wide K-12 education initiatives. Since 2002, nearly $700,000 has been contributed from the Event Center to the Common School Fund. For more information on the Common School Fund visit http://www.stadium.org/publicPermanent.asp .

FGI currently hosts over 300 events in the Qwest Field Event Center on a year round basis ranging from large scale consumer events to community programs. More than 1.2 million people visit the Qwest Field Event Center annually. It is located adjacent to Qwest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks.

About WaMu

WaMu, through its subsidiaries, is one of the nation's leading consumer and small business banks. At June 30, 2006, WaMu and its subsidiaries had assets of $350.70 billion. The company has a history dating back to 1889 and its subsidiary banks currently operate more than 2,600 consumer and small business banking stores throughout the nation. WaMu's press releases are available at www.wamu.com .

About First & Goal Inc. (FGI)

FGI was formed by Paul Allen in 1997 after voters in Washington State approved the construction of a new football/soccer stadium and adjoining event center on the site of the former Kingdome. FGI was formed to serve as the developer and operator of Qwest Field and Qwest Field Event Center. Qwest Field is home to the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Sounders Soccer Club. The stadium and event center are owned by the Washington State Public Stadium Authority and is leased to FGI, who has responsibility to operate and maintain the complex. Visit www.qwestfield.com for more information.

About AEG

AEG, one of the world's leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center, NOKIA Theatre Times Square and NOKIA Live at Grand Prairie; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), four Major League Soccer franchises, two hockey franchises operated in Europe, management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race and San Francisco's annual ING Bay to Breakers footrace.

AEG LIVE, the organization's live-entertainment division, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring and a variety of programming and multi-media production. Recent national and international tours promoted by AEG Live include Bon Jovi, Prince, Paul McCartney, Usher, Kenny Chesney and Rod Stewart as well as "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," an international museum tour of the artifacts of King Tut. For more information, visit AEG today at www.aegworldwide.com .

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060912/SFTU105
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Seattle Seahawks

CONTACT: Suzanne Lavender, Director, Corporate Communications, Seattle
Seahawks, +1-206-381-7852, or suzannel@seahawks.com; or Michael Roth, VP,
Communications, AEG Live, +1-213-742-7155, or mroth@staplescenter.com

Web site: http://www.aegworldwide.com/
http://www.qwestfield.com/
http://www.seahawks.com/

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