By Mike Winslow
Hip-Hop star Fabolous and rock band OneRepublic have signed on to help promote the Crocs brand, an emerging designer and manufacturer of footwear for men, women and children.
As part of the deal, the two chart-topping acts will embark on the Croc’s Next Step Campus Tour, which kicks off April 10 at Florida International University in Miami.
"I knew we were on to something big but all of our expectations have been blown out of the water," said Mike Kociela of 360 Productions, the company producing the outing. "The tour booked in record time and we have two of the hottest acts in the nation, OneRepublic and Fabolous, along for the ride."
The tour will also feature the first ever "Virtual Battle of the Bands" competition, in which each university on the tour submits their three favorite local bands to compete for a the grand prize of opening the final show, as well as press in Spin Magazine.
"We couldn’t be more pleased with how the tour as a brand is shaping up," Kociela continued. "Excitement is at an all time high leading into our second edition of the tour and we’ve already started working on plans for the fall."
Below are the tour dates for the Croc’s Next Step Campus Tour:
04/10 Miami, FL Florida International University
04/12 Richmond, KY Eastern Kentucky University
04/14 PRIVATE SHOW
04/16 Mobile, AL University of S. Alabama
04/17 Mississippi State, MS Mississippi State University
04/19 Tampa, FL University of South Florida
04/20 Winter Park, FL Rollins College
04/22 Madison, NJ Fairleigh Dickinson University
04/25 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan University
04/26 Cincinnati, OH University of Cincinnati
04/27 Salisbury, MD Salisbury University
04/29 Erie, PA Gannon University
05/01 New Britain, CT Central Connecticut University
05/02 PRIVATE SHOW
05/03 Albany, NY SUNY Albany