Brite Lite Brite Gets the Gig of a Lifetime, Opening for a Stellar Lineup at Virgin Mobile FreeFest

Voters Name Music Newcomer as a Fan Favorite in Virgin Mobile’s Annual “Book the Band” Contest

WARREN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After four weeks of surveying music fans online through Virgin Mobile’s FreeFest “Book the Band” contest, thousands of voters and Virgin Mobile’s panel of judges have selected Brite Lite Brite as the up-and-coming band to open at the mobile carrier’s annual rock festival next month. Brite Lite Brite will open for such headliners as M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, Pavement, T.I. and Ludacris.

“We’re really excited for all of the Sonicbids members who participated in this contest as Virgin Mobile is a cool, music-minded brand and this was a great experience for them”

Brite Lite Brite representing Boston, Mass., will invade the stage for the performance of a lifetime at the Virgin Mobile FreeFest on Sept. 25 at Merriweather Post Pavilion, in Columbia, Md. With entertainment spanning across two stages, a dance tent, and acres of arts and attractions, FreeFest will host Brite Lite Brite as they take to the stage with their fusion of electronic and pop music.

“The outpouring of support for the five finalist bands this year was awesome and it was cool to offer our loyal fans a free download of a music track,” said Ron Faris, director of Brand Experiences, Virgin Mobile USA. “Brite Lite Brite clearly has a large number of loyal, crazy fans who made their voices heard through the Book the Band contest. We are stoked to be able to provide Brite Lite Brite with a bunch of tickets to distribute to their fans that helped them earn their spot on the stage at FreeFest.”

“We’re really excited for all of the Sonicbids members who participated in this contest as Virgin Mobile is a cool, music-minded brand and this was a great experience for them,” said Panos Panay <http://panosbrew.sonicbids.com>, founder and CEO, Sonicbids. “Brite Lite Brite’s dedicated fan base catapulted them to victory and I’m confident the FreeFest audience will enjoy their music at the event next month.”

Fans and judges selected five finalists from more than 1,400 bands entered the contest hosted by Virgin Mobile USA and Sonicbids, the website that helps bands discover and book gigs. Brite Lite Brite won by receiving the majority of the thousands of votes placed online via download of a free music track from Aug. 23 to Aug. 30. Bern & The Brights came in a close second place. The other participating bands were Ivan Ives, League510 and Maria Kanellis.

For more information about Brite Lite Brite and to learn how you can score free tickets, visit the Book the Band section of the Virgin Mobile FreeFest website – http://www.virginmobilefreefest.com. Fans can also sign up for news and updates here.

About Virgin Mobile USA

Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint's prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk™ plans for mobile phone service and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access. Virgin Mobile branded handsets are available at more than 40,000 retail stores, including Target, Walmart, Best Buy and RadioShack. Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide and can be used for Broadband2Go services. Purchase and experience Virgin Mobile on the Web and at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and www.virginmobileusa.com.

About Sonicbids

Sonicbids is the website the helps bands get gigs and promoters book the right bands. Our community includes more than 245,000 bands and 21,000 promoters and licensors from all around the world. With festivals, clubs, colleges, music licensing and much more, Sonicbids offers a diverse range of gigs for every kind of musician. Last year alone, Sonicbids booked more than 71,000 gigs on the site. The company, founded in 2001 by Panos Panay, continues to focus on its core mission of empowering the artistic middle class. Get a gig or book a band at www.sonicbids.com.