Bud Light Launches 'Music First,' A Summer-Long Celebration Of Music Culminating With Concerts In All 50 States On One Day

ST. LOUIS, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, Bud Light is making a commitment to bring fans closer to the music they love with the introduction of "Bud Light Music First," a program that will create and celebrate various music firsts. Bud Light Music First will culminate on Thursday, Aug. 1, with "50/50/1," a never-before-seen live music event that will see Bud Light present one concert in each of the 50 states on a single day.  

"Music is such a unique platform because it brings people together, yet everyone interacts with it on a personal level," said Rob McCarthy, vice president, Bud Light. "With Bud Light Music First, we have an amazing collection of artists and partners that will make sure every adult fan can experience music in a fun, interesting way this summer."

Fans can become part of the Music First experience by downloading the Bud Light Music First app, which is now available through the Apple and Android app stores. The app will be music fans' primary destination to score Bud Light Music First prizes, including Monster DNA Headphones, Live Nation^® Concert Cash^®, Universal Music Group (UMG) music downloads and 50/50/1 concert tickets throughout the summer. Adults can enter codes found in specially-marked packages of Bud Light, Bud Light Lime or Bud Light Platinum into the app for a chance to instantly win a Music First prize. In total, Bud Light will give away more than 500,000 music-centric prizes this summer.  For more information on prizes and how to enter, including how to play without making a purchase, see the Official Rules at www.BudLight.com/MusicFirst.

Bud Light has also partnered with Myspace to build an interactive home for the Music First program. The Bud Light Music First Myspace hub, located at https://new.myspace.com/BudLightMusicFirst, offers fans a single destination on the newly redesigned platform where they can receive updates on concerts, connect and listen to 50/50/1 artists and download the Bud Light app via iOS and Android mobile devices for a chance to win tickets to shows in their town or redeem prizing directly from their desktop computers. The Bud Light Music First Myspace hub will also house a series of exclusive interviews with artists who will each share stories about their own personal music firsts and livestream select 50/50/1 concerts on Aug. 1.

"We're excited to partner with Bud Light as the Music First initiative gives fans the opportunity to connect to music on a massive scale, tapping into Myspace's platform as a destination for 50/50/1," said Christian Parkes, global vice president of marketing, Myspace. "Like Myspace, Bud Light shares the desire to create unique experiences in music and provide fans greater access to their favorite artists."  

Bud Light Music First's finale, 50/50/1, will feature an eclectic lineup of artists from around the globe. Bud Light unveiled the first 26 50/50/1 artists today, including Kendrick Lamar, Sublime with Rome, Alex Clare and The Flaming Lips.  The 50/50/1 concert series was created in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment.

"It's not uncommon for fans to travel cross-country to see their favorite acts perform at summer music festivals, but we're turning the traditional festival concept on its head by bringing the show to everyone," said McCarthy. "With one act playing in each state, the entire country will have the opportunity to be part of Music First's 50/50/1 experience."

"Music is a uniting force in our culture," said Russell Wallach, president of Live Nation Network. "Through the Bud Light Music First program, we are able to bring together an entire nation, for the first time, in celebration of live music. There's no doubt it will be a summer to remember for fans across the country."

The other music acts confirmed to perform in 50/50/1 include: Emeli Sandé, Drive-By Truckers, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Dirty Heads, Capital Cities, Citizen Cope, Coheed & Cambria, Gogol Bordello, Mastodon and Machine Head, Halestorm, Under the Sun Tour, Guster, The Mowgli's, Minus the Bear, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Best Coast, Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls, Wavves, The Hold Steady, Corey Smith and Portugal. The Man. Additional acts will be announced in the coming weeks. The 50/50/1 lineup is being curated by Live Nation.

50/50/1 TICKET INFORMATION

Bud Light 50/50/1 concerts will be held on August 1 in the following markets: Birmingham, Ala., Anchorage, Alaska; Phoenix, Ariz.; Little Rock, Ark.; Los Angeles, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Hartford, Conn.; Wilmington, Del.; Miami, Fla.; Atlanta, Ga.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Boise, Idaho; Chicago, Ill.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Iowa City, Iowa; Lawrence, Kan.; Louisville, Ky.; New Orleans, La.; Portland, ME; Silver Springs, Md.; Boston, Mass.; Detroit, Mich.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Biloxi, Miss.; St. Louis, Mo.; Missoula, Mont.; Lincoln, Neb.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Portsmouth, N.H.; Atlantic City, N.J.; Albuquerque, N.M.; New York City, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; Fargo, N.D.; Columbus, Ohio; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Providence, R.I.; Columbia, S.C.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Nashville, Tenn.; Austin, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Burlington, Vt.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Seattle, Wash.; Charleston, W. Va.; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Jackson Hole, Wyo.

All Bud Light 50/50/1 concert attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Fans can attend the Bud Light 50/50/1 concert in their local market with a valid ticket. Consumers can win tickets through the Music First app or purchase them through Live Nation. Tickets for select concerts will go on sale Friday, May 3. Ticket sales for the remaining events will be announced in the coming weeks.

To stay up to date on the latest Bud Light Music First announcements, visit the Bud Light Facebook page at www.facebook.com/budlight or the Bud Light Music First Myspace hub at https://new.myspace.com/budlightmusicfirst.

About Anheuser-Busch
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 47.6 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews Budweiser and Bud Light, two of the world's largest-selling beers. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

About Live Nation Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment is the world's leading live entertainment comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation Management and Live Nation Media/Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.

About Myspace
Myspace (new.myspace.com) is a place where people come to connect, discover, and share. Showcasing artists and their work, the site gives people access to 53 million tracks and videos—the world's largest digital music library. With roots in music and social, the platform is built to empower all artists—from musicians and designers to writers and photographers—helping them connect with audiences, collaborators, and partners to achieve their goals. Through an open design, compelling editorial features, and analytics-based recommendations, Myspace fosters a creative community of people who connect around mutual affinity and inspiration for the purpose of shaping, sharing, and discovering what's next.

About Universal Music Group (UMG)
Universal Music Group is the global music leader, with wholly owned operations in 60 territories. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry's premier music publishing operations worldwide.

Universal Music Group's record labels include A&M/Octone, Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol Records, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, I.R.S., Island Records, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, Manhattan, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group and Virgin Records, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalogue of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world's most popular artists and their recordings. UMG's catalogue is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media and technologies division and Bravado, its merchandising company.

Universal Music Group is a fully owned subsidiary of Vivendi.

Media Contact:
Phillip Cleveland, Bud Light
(314) 577-9637
[email protected]

SOURCE Bud Light