Energizer Examines the Essence of an Encore During the Van's Warped Tour

ST. LOUIS, July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- From screaming and chanting to lighting their hair on fire, music lovers across the country try just about anything to call performers back to the stage for an encore. But how has this tradition evolved into the modern music era? And what do the fans and bands really think about encores?

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070723/AQM109)

"Encore" comes from the French word to mean again and is traditionally known as an extra performance at the end of the concert, not listed in the set list. In the past, the audience would request an encore with long applause or standing ovations, but today concert audiences will use everything from lighters to cell phones to get the artists back on stage.

Energizer studied the encore tradition from the bands' and the fans' point of view -- uncovering the planning, preparation and sometimes extraordinary execution of encores through a recently conducted survey. With access to today's most popular bands through the 2007 Vans Warped Tour, Energizer compiled the results to reveal what an encore means in today's music culture.

Energizer found that today's bands often save the best for last. Nearly two out of three of the bands polled say they save their most popular song or a special song they rarely play for the encore. For concert-goers who leave early, that means no encore, no "fan favorite" song.

However, fans shouldn't be upset if their favorite band doesn't return for an encore. Most often the reason is due to elements outside of the bands' control. Exhaustion, serious illness and a less than extensive play list are among the most popular reasons bands turn down encores or don't mind not being called back.

Popular Warped Tour band, Chiodos, comments on one such occasion, "We didn't expect an encore and we played all of our songs. We got off stage and they were yelling our name and we all realized we don't have a single song left to play... oops."

As an associate sponsor of the Vans Warped Tour, Energizer brought back its Encore Program for the third year in a row. This online demand competition that allows fans to vote for the band they'd most like to see play ten minutes longer at each tour stop, is powered by the Eventful, the leading events website which enables its community of users to discover, promote, share and create events throughout the world. Eventful's Demand service empowers music fans to influence the touring schedules of their favorite artists by persuading them to play in their local towns and cities. A far cry from chanting and applauding, today's fans can go online and vote for their favorite band to win the encore weeks before they arrive in town.

Energizer gives Vans Warped Tour bands the opportunity to keep their music going in this unique concert situation. With the number of bands playing at each tour stop and a rigid schedule for each performance, bands have the rare opportunity to stand out and play longer, which is hard to come by in most festival-like situations.

The competition launched in June on the Eventful website (http://www.eventful.com/energizer) and is featured in the "Contests" section of the Van's Warped Tour website. To date, more than 300,000 people have voted for the 62 participating bands in 45 cities.

Energizer sponsored the Energizer "Encore" Music Competition to build awareness for its Energizer(R) e2(R) Titanium Technology(R) battery among music listeners. Independent testing has proven Energizer e2 Titanium Technology AA and AAA alkaline batteries are the longest lasting alkaline batteries in high-tech music devices.

Energizer(R) e2(R) Titanium Technology(R) batteries are designed to power a high-tech, on-the-go lifestyle, at a low-tech price. Energizer e2 Titanium Technology batteries are the best performing AAA alkaline batteries in MP3 players* and AA alkaline batteries in CD players**. They are available in AA, AAA and 9-Volt to fit consumer needs. Additional information on Energizer e2 Titanium Technology batteries can be found at http://www.energizer.com/. To learn more about the 2007 Vans Warped Tour, visit http://www.warpedtour.com/.

Music fans can keep up to date on the Energizer "Encore" Music Competition as it hits up each city on the Vans Warped Tour by checking out the travel blog at http://www.myspace.com/energizer.

* Based on ANSI Digital Audio Test; **Results vary by device. All claims are based on the latest competitive information available at the time of printing. About Energizer:

Energizer Holdings, Inc. , http://www.energizer.com/, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of primary batteries, battery-powered devices and flashlights. Energizer, a global leader in the dynamic business of providing portable power geared toward the new digital age, offers a full portfolio of products including, the Energizer(R) MAX(R) premium alkaline brand; Energizer(R) e2(R) Lithium(R), the world's longest lasting AA and AAA batteries in high-tech devices, and Energizer(R) e2(R) Titanium Technology(R) performance brands; Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) Rechargeable batteries and chargers; and miniatures brand batteries.

The Energizer product line also includes specialty batteries for hearing aids and medical devices, as well as for keyless remote entry systems, toys and other uses. Through its flashlight unit, Energizer brings innovation to this important household device. Energizer continues its role as a technology leader with its newly launched Energizer(R) Energi To Go(R), portable battery- driven power packs for cell phones.

About Warped Tour:

"America's most successful festival" (Rolling Stone) and America's longest-running touring festival -- the Vans Warped Tour(R)Presented by THE NEW AT&T -- will launch its 13th year June 29 in Pomona, CA and wrap August 25 in Los Angeles, CA. The traveling punk rock summer camp fuses cutting-edge musical artists, action sports and a wide range of attractions for fans. Bands confirmed for this summer's tour include: Anberlin, Bad Religion, Bleed The Dream, Coheed and Cambria, Hawthorne Heights, Killswitch Engage, K-Os, New Found Glory, Pennywise, Pepper, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Tiger Army, Underoath, Yellowcard and many more. http://www.warpedtour.com/

For more information contact: Meredith Brengle, (314) 345-4181 mbrengle@webershandwick.com Jackie Burwitz, (314) 985-2169 JacquelineE.Burwitz@energizer.com