McDonald's(R) Live Tour Culminates in New York With Performances by Rising Music Sensations Keri Hilson and OneRepublic

    CHICAGO, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald's(R) Live, the unique music
 program that brought free concerts with the hottest emerging artists to
 young adults this summer, makes its final stop in New York on Sunday,
 September 30. Co-headliners Keri Hilson and OneRepublic will kick off the
 free concert at 5 p.m. at McDonald's restaurant in Spring Valley, NY,
 located at 106 Route 59.
     While the McDonald's Live concert series comes to a close, it's just
 the beginning for fans wanting to make an impact. Starting October 2
 through October 31, fans can vote at mcdlive.com for their favorite artist
 of the tour. The musician or group with the most fan votes will help decide
 whose music will be part of a future McDonald's advertising campaign next
 year.
     "McDonald's Live enables our young adult customers to experience live,
 free music from emerging artists," said Douglas Freeland, Director,
 Marketing, McDonald's USA. "And the fun continues online as fans have the
 power to choose by voting for their favorite artist and viewing concert
 footage at http://www.mcdlive.com."
     Keri Hilson was a signature voice of the summer having been featured in
 Timbaland's "The Way I Are," a Billboard chart-topper for 17 weeks and
 counting, recently peaking at #1 on the Billboard Pop 100. She also closed
 MTV's Video Music Awards on September 9 in a star-studded performance
 joining Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado.
     Opening the concert with their distinct blend of pop and rock is
 on-the-rise band, OneRepublic. Their hit song "Apologize" featuring
 Timbaland is climbing the Top 40 charts and the band remains the no. 1 band
 on MySpace and has been in MySpace Music's Top Artists since summer 2006.
     "It is very exciting to have artists from my label, Mosley Music Group,
 participate in an event as great as this," said Timbaland, who collaborated
 with both Hilson and OneRepublic on his latest duet album, Shock Value. "I
 hope all the fans enjoy this experience with them."
     At mcdlive.com, fans will vote from a roster of some of the hottest
 up-and-coming artists that performed on the 10-city tour, such as Sean
 Kingston, Kenna, Che'Nelle, Single File, Cherish, Kevin Michael, The Last
 Goodnight, Relient K, Matt White, Dropping Daylight and Jon McLaughlin.
 These talented acts visited cities across the country, including Denver,
 Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, Madison, Kansas City, and Austin.
 Ne-Yo, winner of the 2007 BET Best R&B Male Artist of the Year award and
 Grammy nominated artist, kicked off the tour on July 26 in Los Angeles.
     "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to close out a tour that had such
 an incredible list of musicians perform this summer. I know that
 OneRepublic and I will end the tour with a bang," said Hilson. "It's come
 full circle for me since 'The Way I Are' was featured in a McDonald's
 commercial kicking off the summer."
     McDonald's Live concerts take place at McDonald's restaurants or nearby
 local venues. Performances were promoted on the number one online music
 destination, Yahoo! Music. McDonald's Live was also featured on the back of
 McDonald's large and medium French fry boxes from August 8 until supplies
 ran out in September. Concert footage, artist messages and additional
 information can be found on mcdlive.com.
     About Keri Hilson
     This talented singer/songwriter has written hits for superstar
 performers, but this year she has taken center stage for herself. Keri is
 featured in one of the summer's top singles, "The Way I Are," which is also
 part of a McDonald's summer ad campaign. Keri, a self-proclaimed "musical
 flowerchild," gives birth to a fresh and unique style of R&B and will be
 mixing her talents with some notable entertainers to create her highly
 anticipated debut album. She will release her solo debut album in 2008 on
 Timbaland's Mosley Music Group and Polow Da Don's new joint venture, Zone 4
 Inc. (MMG/Zone4/Interscope).
     About OneRepublic
     For a band that has yet to release an album, OneRepublic has already
 had a ton of exposure.
     OneRepublic is the no. 1 band on MySpace and has been in MySpace
 Music's Top Artists since summer 2006, with over 12 million total song
 plays and counting. This pop-rock band was formed in Colorado by high
 school friends Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins. Now a quintet, they are
 gearing up for their self-titled debut album to be released later this
 year.
     About McDonald's
     McDonald's USA, LLC is the leading foodservice provider in the United
 States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients
 to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's
 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local
 franchisees. For more information about McDonald's visit
 http://www.mcdonalds.com.
     For more information contact:
 
     Molly McKenna, McDonald's USA
     630-623-6593
 
     Kelli Anderson, GolinHarris
     312-729-4432
 
 

SOURCE McDonald's USA