Popular rock band OneRepublic kicked off its national tour, “Tag This Tour!” 2008, with an exclusive online auction benefiting City of Hope.
OneRepublic’s debut album “Dreaming Out Loud” has sold more than 1.6 million copies and 8 million singles worldwide.
 OneRepublic supports City of Hope research through its auction of memorabilia. |
The band donated “Tag This Tour!” 2008 memorabilia for the auction, including a one-hour song-writing lesson with Ryan Tedder, the band’s lead singer, guitarist and pianist, who has written and produced for top artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, James Morrison, Jennifer Lopez, Natasha Bedingfield and Leona Lewis. The auction also included an autographed lyric sheet of one of Tedder’s hit songs.
Fans participated in the online auction in October and raised more than $20,200 for City of Hope. “Tag This Tour!” 2008 is traveling nationwide through Dec. 7.
OneRepublic also provided an exclusive “Tag This Tour!” 2008 T-shirt, a set of four tickets for each concert, four backstage passes, a copy of “Dreaming Out Loud,” a $25,000 Kawai digital grand piano, a Gretsch drum set and drum lesson with OneRepublic drummer Eddie Fisher, and a Gibson Les Paul Studio guitar with a free lesson from OneRepublic guitarist Drew Brown.
The band’s “Tag This Tour!” 2008 and auction were promoted on Premiere Radio Networks’ “American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest,” Clear Channel Online, AP Radio, USA Today and KIIS-FM in Los Angeles.
“Everyone is affected by cancer on some level,” said Tedder. “We’ve had a great year, and we appreciated a chance to give back to such an important cause.”
Alissa Pollack, senior vice president of music initiatives at MediaBase/Premiere Radio, said: “OneRepublic represents a new generation of music artists who are joining the fight against diseases like cancer that take too many lives too soon.
“This auction allowed the band’s fans to bid on a range of items while making a meaningful contribution to the lifesaving research and treatment programs at City of Hope.”
City of Hope leaders expressed their appreciation for the band’s enthusiasm and support. “Their efforts will directly impact the lives of patients at City of Hope by advancing both research and treatment,” said Steve Martin, associate vice president of marketing at City of Hope.
OneRepublic recently was nominated in the “best new act” category at the European Music Awards, which will be announced Nov. 6.
For information on OneRepublic’s “Tag This Tour!” 2008, visit www.onerepublic.net.
