Virgin Mobile USA asks music fans to 'Book the Band' for Festival

The Virgin Mobile Festival, one of the largest music events on the East Coast, has built a reputation for bringing together the world's best bands. This year's festival, which will take place August 9 and 10 in Baltimore, will feature more than 40 acts, including Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots and Bob Dylan.

For the second year in a row, Virgin Mobile USA is letting fans get in on the act of talent selection for this top-flight event. Along with Kyocera Wireless and MySpace, Virgin Mobile USA is once again launching "Book the Band By Virgin Mobile" -- an opportunity for five emerging bands with different sounds to vie for a slot in the Virgin Mobile Festival lineup.

The bands participating in "Book the Band By Virgin Mobile" are:

- AUTOMATIC LOVELETTER, Tampa, FL
- HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, Los Angeles, CA
-THE PARLOR MOB, Red Bank, NJ
- THE VIRGINS, New York, NY
- WE ARE SCIENTISTS, Brooklyn, NY

Band content from each of the five contenders selected by Virgin Mobile USA and festival producer I.M.P. debuts today on the Festival website as well as MySpace website.

Last year's 'Book the Band' was an enormous success, with over a million votes cast," said Ron Faris, director of Brand Development and Partnerships at Virgin Mobile USA. "We're very excited to relive the drama this year by introducing five great break-out artists to our music fans. We can't wait to see who they pick to open the largest music festival on the East Coast."

Fans checking out the videos at Virgin Mobile Festival website will also be able to stream original MP3s, read bios and vote for their favorite band, as well as buy tickets and get additional information about the Festival. Voting will take place through July 21 and the winning band, based on audience voting, will be announced July 24 and then appear at Virgin Mobile Festival on August 10.

Kyocera Wireless, the premier handset sponsor for the Festival for the third consecutive year, is sponsoring 'Book the Band' for the second consecutive year. "Finding the next big talent is all about the fans' response, so let the texting begin," said Gary Peterson, director of branding and advertising at Kyocera Wireless.

Source: Infibeam.com