Sugarland to headline Oklahoma State University Orange Peel

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Event will benefit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

(July 31, 2008   Stillwater, Okla.) -  Sugarland, the Grammy nominated duo, will headline Oklahoma State University’s Orange Peel festival in Stillwater on Friday, Oct. 3, in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Their appearance is one of only three performances of its “Love on the Inside” tour they’re giving west of the Mississippi River, according to the Orange Peel executive team. The show is taking place the night before OSU’s home football game with Texas A&M.

Special guests on the program will be American Idol finalist and country music star Kellie Pickler, country singer Ashton Shepherd, and Motion City Soundtrack.

Orange Peel is a concert and pep rally organized by selected student leaders each year to provide the OSU community with national and local headlining entertainment. Since its inception, more than 200,000 people have attended Orange Peel. It is now the largest student produced and student run event in the country, with almost 200 students contributing to the annual program.

Gates will open at 6 p.m. on Oct. 3, with Shepherd set to perform at 7 p.m., Pickler at 7:35 p.m., Motion City Soundtrack at 8:20 p.m., and Sugarland will take the stage at 9:15 p.m. All times are subject to change.

Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 18, the first day of classes at OSU, to current OSU students, faculty and staff. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Thursday, Aug. 21.

Tickets will cost $40 for reserved seats and $55 for floor seats. All tickets are reserved and there will be no general admission seats sold.

“The Executive Team and their student committees are incredibly excited about this line-up. This could be the most musically-talented line-up we have ever had,” said Clayton Cotton, executive director and Wichita Falls, Texas, accounting senior.

This year also marks the first indoor Orange Peel.

“Moving Orange Peel indoors was a difficult decision to make. It is never easy to change tradition, but the Executive Team and university administrators felt that a change was necessary if we wanted to ensure the perpetuation of this great event,” Cotton said. “The show remains geared toward the students, and we believe that Gallagher-Iba Arena will provide a more intimate atmosphere for the program.”

The Executive Team, composed of 12 undergraduate students, is excited to work with The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation this year. It is the first time the foundation has been selected as the benefiting philanthropy organization for the event.

During its tenure, Orange Peel has raised more than $200,000 for various philanthropy organizations through donations collected at the event and during “Feel the Peel” week (Sept. 29-Oct. 3). One of the main sources of donations is the annual “Chow Down” event that takes place the week before the show. Local restaurants pledge to donate a percentage of their sales or lump sum to benefit the philanthropy organization. Interested businesses are encouraged to visit the Orange Peel Web site for more information.

Sponsorship opportunities of various levels are also still available for Orange Peel 2008.  If your business or organization wishes to become a sponsor, contact information is listed below.

Artist Information:
Sugarland:
-New CD Love On The Inside release July 22, 2008
-Sold almost three million copies of their Mercury Nashville debut, Twice The Speed Of Life. The album has remained a fixture on country charts for more than 98 weeks.
-Received American Music Award for “Favorite Breakthrough Artist”
-Received an Academy of Country Music Award for “New Duo/Group of the Year”
-Received a Grammy nomination for “Best New Artist”
-Received six CMA nods
-Their follow-up album, Enjoy The Ride, is one of the year’s most anticipated releases (includes chart-topping single “Want To”
-Have appeared on TV shows The Tonight Show and Good Morning America”
-Performed with Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Brooks and Dunn, Bon Jovi

Motion City Soundtrack:
-Just released their third album Even If It Kills Me (debut album The Movie and follow-up Commit This To Memory
-They have taken the music scene by storm and have become loved by Pop fans for their unique variety of tracks that range from “piano ballads to weezer-worthy rockers” and their “introspective lyrics.”

Kellie Pickler:
-Debut album Small Time Girl. The album included top tracks Red High Heels, I Wonder and My Angel
-She made it to the finals of the fifth season (top 6) of American Idol
- Toured all around the country with the American Idols Live! Tour 2006.

Ashton Shepherd
-Up-and-coming country star
-Debut album Sounds So Good
-Hit Singles include Sounds So Good, and Taking Off This Pain
 
Contact Information:
If you have any questions or need additional information, please visit the Orange Peel Web site at http://union.okstate.edu/OrangePeel/ or call the Orange Peel office at 405-744-8393.
*artist images and logos are available upon request