Illinois College Rock Band Edges out More Than 700 Others to Win Briggs & Stratton Battle of the Bands

The Run Around will perform June 28 at Milwaukee`s Summerfest, the world`s
largest music festival
MILWAUKEE--(Business Wire)--
Briggs & Stratton, whose music-loving CEO sits on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
board, today announced the winner of its international Briggs & Stratton Battle
of the Bands contest -- The Run Around from Normal, Ill. The online contest,
which concluded Sunday, garnered more than 850,000 votes over three months and
drew 777 band entries from around the world.

As the winning band, The Run Around will play the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard
Stage at Milwaukee`s Summerfest, the world`s largest music festival, on June 28
at 5 p.m. The band`s five members, all in their 20s, met at Illinois State
University and have been playing together for about three years. Until now, the
pop punk/alternative rock band influenced by Blink 182, Alkaline Trio, Sublime
and others could be found playing gigs on Midwest college campuses.

"This is fantastic and we are absolutely blown away," said vocalist Jason Fein.
"We knew we had a local following, but apparently others out there enjoyed our
music as well. We are really looking forward to tearing up the Big Backyard
stage with our music."

Briggs & Stratton encouraged all kinds of bands to enter the contest. CEO John
Shiely has had his own corporate rock band for years and feels a real connection
to those looking to break through to the next level.

"We really saw this as a way to showcase all of the quality music talent the
world has to offer, and it ties in perfectly with our history of supporting
bands on our stage at Summerfest," said Shiely, whose company is the world`s
largest producer of air-cooled engines for outdoor power equipment. "We`re
thrilled to offer this ultimate opportunity for an up-and-coming band."

The Run Around`s members include Fein from Naperville, Ill.; bass player Jason
Enders from Hoffman Estates, Ill.; drummer Brent Steinberg from Peotone, Ill.;
and guitar players Jared LeCount of Chicago and Adam Sharp of White Heath, Ill.

Other finalists included North of Mason-Dixon from Pittsburgh; Shuvlhed from
Kingston, Ill; and Kyle Megna Band from Kaukauna, Wis. For more information and
to hear music entries from the bands, visit www.briggsbattleofthebands.com.

for Briggs & Stratton
Brian Knox
(414) 276-6237

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