Let's Party: "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse" Is Returning For Its Annual Four-Day Live Music Event

NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The FADER FORT Presented by Converse, long positioned as the spot to see live music during its March homestead, is back for its 13^th year in Austin, Texas. The FADER, launched in 1999, is also celebrating its 15^th year and 90^th issue this summer. To help celebrate, longtime fans of The FADER will see familiar faces take the stage this March: from artists who appeared on our cover first to artists The FADER broke early, to artists who played The FORT as emerging bands and are now coming back as our family and a household name. First time performances will also include FKA Twigs, The Orwells, Jeremih, and Isaiah Rashad, and additional acts will be announced in the days leading up to the festival via The FADER's twitter.  

Guests will be able to RSVP to attend the private event, and media can now submit credentials at the link. Check out www.TheFADER.com/FORT for more details.

"It's incredible to see how much The FORT and The FADER have both grown, and to look back at these epic moments that we've celebrated in Austin over the years," said Andy Cohn, President and Publisher of The FADER. "There have been so many memorable moments and we're looking forward to celebrating this milestone of The FADER's existence with as many fans as possible. We've been fortunate to have the best musicians come through our doors to play for tens of thousands of music fans from around the world, and look forward to bringing another historic experience to Austin."

This will be the third year The FADER and Converse Inc. have partnered to support and showcase emerging artists and culture.  This year's The FADER FORT Presented by Converse will continue to present some of today's most innovative programming and emerging artists to invited fans. 

"Converse is thrilled to partner with The FADER again this year as we continue our ongoing mission of supporting the artistic community," said Geoff Cottrill, Converse VP/GM of Brand & Segments. "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse has progressed into a stage for global artists, and we look forward to using this platform again this year to encourage creativity worldwide."

The FADER FORT Presented by Converse will once again be joining forces with Dell, Inc., the end-to-end technology solutions leader born and headquartered in the Austin area. Dell, Intel and The FADER will share performances from The FORT, and exclusive artist interviews with fans around the world via live stream on TheFADER.com. The live stream will be powered by Dell Precision workstations.  Patrons onsite will be able to view Dell's latest Touch and tablet product and solutions inside The FORT, while also checking out the technology happening real-time via the Dell + Intel Livestream Pod. 

Mazda is also participating this year as the first-time official vehicle sponsor of The FADER FORT Presented by Converse. This is Mazda's first time activating a music-related experiential program in Austin, where it will be showcasing its all-new 2014 Mazda3. Partnering with The FADER enables Mazda to engage with customers who are passionate about music. Creativity is a core value of Mazda, and its onsite and online presence will showcase this through various activities. In addition to its onsite activations, Mazda will be developing content with The FADER artists to run online during, and post activities at The FORT. On the ground, Mazda will be providing shuttle service in Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 vehicles so attendees can experience the cars first-hand while resting their feet, and much more.

As the ultimate go-to location in Austin for fans to discover new music, "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse" provides a one-of-a-kind environment for music fans to take part in during the four-day festival. While at "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse", attendees will experience:

• New to the world, Captain Morgan White Rum will be taking over the bars at The FORT with specialty cocktails as smooth as the Captain himself. Guests at "The FADER FORT Presented by Converse" are all 21+ and encouraged to please drink responsibly. 
• Glass Is Life, will be present to introduce its community to guests, who are joined by the belief that glass packaging makes life better.
• vitaminwater® is back again as the official hydrator of The FADER FORT, serving cold beverages to invited guests.
• SiriusXM is returning for its fourth year at The FADER FORT and will broadcast live all four days on SiriusXMU, North America's indie rock channel, on SiriusXM channel 35, and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as on line at siriusxm.com.  For more information, visit www.siriusxm.com/siriusxmu.

For over a decade, The FADER FORT has established itself as a primary stomping ground for many then-unknowns such as Kendrick Lamar, Yelawolf, M.I.A., Florence and the Machine, Odd Future, Feist, Cold War Kids, Kid Cudi, and The Black Keys. While the focus has always been emerging artists, The FADER FORT has also showcased a laundry list of artists that have performed including Usher, P. Diddy, Rick Ross, Kanye West, Lou Reed, My Morning Jacket, Justin Vernon, Amy Winehouse, Moby, Nas, Damian Marley, N.E.R.D, among others.

For more information and to be the first to hear further news, check out www.TheFADER.com/FORT and follow us on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/TheFADER.

About The FADER

Launched in 1999 and founded by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen, The FADER is an award-winning, ahead-of-the-curve, music, style and culture publication and the unofficial guide to what's next in music. Led by President and Publisher Andy Cohn, The FADER is credited with giving early exposure to top artists including Kanye West, Bon Iver, Kendrick Lamar, Outkast, The Strokes, Drake and The White Stripes. The FADER brand has expanded in innovative ways, providing a cross-platform reach across print, digital, experiential, mobile, and social media realms. The FADER and its network of partners speak to a combined audience of 2 million influential young adults monthly, and include Insound, Afropunk, 1200Squad.com, East Village Radio, Oh My Rockness, and The Cornerstone Mixtape.

About Converse

Converse Inc., based in N. Andover, Massachusetts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as "America's Original Sports Company"™ and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe, the Jack Purcell® shoe and the One Star® shoe. Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including men's, women's and children's footwear, apparel and accessories. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 67 company-owned retail locations in the U.S. For more information, visit Converse on the web at www.converse.com.

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