Media

The 11th annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase, presented by Verizon and official banking sponsor SunTrust Bank, will welcome celebrated actress and Grammy-winning singer Brandy to the stage as a special guest performer at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on January 26th, alongside eight of the nation's top Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands. This year's "House Party" theme will be brought to life with additional performances and an on-the-field fan participation dance contest.

The 2013 Invitational Showcase will begin at 3:00 p.m. EST, and will feature spirited performances from the HBCU marching bands, which will perform in the following order:

1. Edward Waters College, Triple Threat Marching Band (Independent)
2. Albany State University, Marching Rams (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
3. Tennessee State University, Aristocrat of Bands (Independent)
4. Alcorn State University, The Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
5. Jackson State University, Sonic Boom of the South (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
6. Winston-Salem State University, The Red Sea of Sound (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
7. Bethune-Cookman University, Marching Wildcats (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
8. North Carolina A&T University, Blue and Gold Marching Machine (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)

In honor of this year's "House Party" theme, the Showcase will open with a performance by American dance music singer and songwriter, Crystal Waters, popular for her dance music hits.  

To keep the "party" going, there will be a dance-off between participating HBCU dance teams, whose songs were selected by fans via social media. 

Additionally, Verizon will sponsor two dance contests for fans: one for individual fans to show off their best moves on the Georgia Dome field; the other for couples who want to dance in an iconic "Soul Train" line-style contest.

The Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase is the largest and most popular music event of its kind. Widely known by fans as "The Honda," the Showcase not only serves as a platform to highlight and celebrate the heritage and showmanship of HBCU marching bands, but also stands as the only national music scholarship program dedicated to supporting HBCU music education programs. The qualifying marching bands have each earned a $20,000 grant for their school's music education programs, along with an all-expense paid trip to perform at the Invitational Showcase in Atlanta.

The final eight bands were chosen through a voting process incorporating online fan votes, band directors, the presidents of HBCU schools and representatives from American Honda.

For the eight participating bands, the journey to Atlanta involves months of intense practice and training, all in preparation for their Georgia Dome performance, where each band will have 12 action-packed minutes to showcase the musical excellence, distinctive style and superior showmanship that earned them a place in the 2013 Invitational Showcase.

The Honda Battle of the Bands actively engages with fans through social media, providing access to the latest updates, photos and videos. Fans can connect with the Honda Battle of the Bands at:

Twitter – @The_Honda, #HBOB2013 (http://twitter.com/The_Honda)
Facebook – (www.facebook.com/HondaBattleOfTheBands)
YouTube – (www.youtube.com/hondabotb)
Instagram – #HBOB2013

For more information on the 2013 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase, including group and individual tickets, updates, photos and video footage, and all details about the program, please visit: www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com.

About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., was founded in 1959 as the U.S. sales and marketing subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.  Honda produces automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers and engines at its nine major U.S. manufacturing operations, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Honda's long-standing commitment to the support and success of the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities began more than 20 years ago with the establishment of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, a program designed to showcase the academic gifts and prowess of HBCU students. American Honda established Honda Battle of the Bands 11 years ago as an effort to support HBCU music programs.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves nearly 96 million retail customers, including 90.4 million retail postpaid customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 75,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About SunTrust Banks, Inc.
SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients.   As of June 30, 2012,
SunTrust had total assets of $178.3 billion and total deposits of $128.4 billion.  Through its flagship subsidiary, SunTrust Bank, the Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The Company also serves clients in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services.  Through various subsidiaries the Company provides mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, investment management, equipment leasing and investment banking services. SunTrust's Internet address is www.suntrust.com.

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For more information, contact:
Ajana Adams at Flowers Communications Group: 312-228-8823

Melissa Martinez at American Honda: 310-783-3549

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