December 17, 2010

Big Engine now on RockBand Video Game

Its official! Party Like A Rock Star is up on the RockBand Video Game Network Marketplace! Go download it and play it now!...Head over to RockGamer Studios website and tell them how excited you are about it.

NOW AVAILABLE (Xbox 360): Jacksonville, FL's own hometown heroes and hard-rockin' superstars, Big Engine, finally make their first appearance on Rock Band! They want you to get up and "Party Like a Rock Star" tonight. Grab it now on the Marketplace for 160 MSP!

http://www.rockgamerstudios.com/songs/party-like-a-rock-star-by-big-engine/

September 30, 2010

Big Engine Finished 8th in the Regional Semifinals...

Thanks to all of you who judged and rated us in the regional portion of the SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the Finals. We finished 8th place in the Semifinals which didn't allow us to advance to the Final round. We did pretty good to go that far though and we wouldn't have done it without all of you!! Thanks again. 

September 28, 2010

Big Engine are Semifinalists in the SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition

Big Engine ranked 8th in the Quarterfinals of the “SUBWAY FRESH ARTISTS” Competition & has automatically rolled into the Semifinals which began at 12:00:00 am ET and ends on September 29, 2010 11:59:59 pm ET (the "Semi Finals Voting Period"). During Round 3, OurStage.com members will have the opportunity to judge among the top ten (10) ranked Entries to determine the final fan ranking. There are 45 rounds of Head to Head Judging in this final round of public judging which ends at MIDNIGHT ON THE 29TH! SO, LET'S GO RANK "I'M READY LET'S GO" BEST BY FAR AGAIN BECAUSE THIS IS THE LAST ROUND OF PUBLIC JUDGING & you could help us get an opening slot on the Goo Goo Dolls Fall 2010 Tour! Click Here --> to Judge in the Semifinals of the Subway Fresh Artist Cometition 


Thanks Everyone!



September 24, 2010

Big Engine Advances to Quarterfinals in SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition



Round 1 is over in the Regional SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition. We ranked #1 in our region in Round 1 & were automatically placed in the Quarter Finals! The Top 20 entries were locked in at 12AM EST on September 24th. Judging continues on with just these twenty entries. This way, OurStage fans and can concentrate on deciding which music is the best of the best. So this stage is Big Engine against 19 other entries. Right now, we are in 18th place! Therefore, you should follow the link that we provide and start ranking entries to get Big Engine "I'm Ready Let's Go" to the top because we've gotta finish in the Top 10 to advance to the Semi Finals.


You can help Big Engine by following the link that we provide below. Next, login using your Facebook account or just create and account with OurStage. Next, you will do some random head to head judging! Just listen to at least 15 seconds of each song then rate which one you like best. Whenever, Big Engine "I'm Ready Let's Go" comes up just rate it best by far to help us move up in the ranks! After you have been shown all the entries once then you don't have to listen to them anymore. Its at this point that you can rate them without pressing play. It will go pretty fast at this point! 


Hurry over to OurStage to rank Big Engine Best By Far in the SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST COMPETITION because as of this writing; the Quarterfinals ends in less than 3 days and 18 hours!

Click this to help Big Engine and rank them Best By Far. -->REGIONAL SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST QUARTERFINALS

Thanks!

September 21, 2010

Help Us Win $, Gift Cards & A Chance To Open For the GOO GOO DOLLS!

Thanks to your help; Big Engine's "I'm Ready Let's Go" is in 1st place in the SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition! Let's keep it that way by voting daily because we can win $1000 in cash, up to $500 in Subway gift cards & a chance to open for the GOO GOO DOLLS!

ROUND ONE ENDS THIS THURSDAY (9/23) at NOON! The link included in this post will take you directly to polls for this competition. Then, simply rate songs 4 at a time by listening to at least 15 seconds of each song. Next, drag into place "Worst" to Best". When we come up simply put us in 1st place! No, you can't skip directly to us. Lol Lastly, click "Lock In Vote".

You must be a registered member of the site to vote but you can register and log in using your Facebook which makes it easy!

Click this text--> "SUBWAY FRESH ARTISTS™" (DE, MD,DC, VA, WV, NC, SC, GA, FL)

Thanks again for voting for Big Engine in the competition for the Sparks Sponsorship!  

September 18, 2010

SUBWAY, Clear Channel & OurStage.com present Round One of the “SUBWAY FRESH ARTISTS™” Competition starting on September 10 2010 at 12:00:01 am ET and ending September 23, 2010 at 11:59:59 pm ET. That's Right! ROUND ONE IS ALREADY UNDERWAY so help Big Engine rank #1 today because we can win $1000 in cash, up to $500 in Subway gift cards & a chance to open for the GOO GOO DOLLS! 

Log on to OurStage.com and take a moment to become a member. ITS FREE AND ONLY TAKES A MOMENT. You can even do it with your Facebook login!

VERY IMPORTANT.....1ST round is regional, so please make sure you click the region with FL/GA. This link should get you right there: Subway Fresh Artists - GA / FL Region


Unfortunatly you can not go right to Big Engine (if your lucky they will be one of the 1st 4), but you have to judge a few until Big Engine Shows up.Obviously when you get to Big Engine's "I'm Ready Lets Go", you drag and drop it into the 1st spot. Then the rest as you see fit, lol.

This will help us and give you a chance to get turned on to some other great music!!

So, check it out and help us too!

THANKS AGAIN HELPING BIG ENGINE WIN THE SPARKS SPONSORSHIP!

August 24, 2010

ONLY 7 DAYS LEFT! Your Help is Needed!

Voting Ends August 31st, 2010 at 5:59:59 EST Hi Everyone! As most of you know, Big Engine is competing to win a sponsorship from Sparks; a product distributed by Miller Beer. Many of you have taken action and voted for us everyday and I am excited to report that we are back in 1st place! WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH for that!  


However, things can change in a matter of an hour in this competition and its not over yet. So, keep voting once daily per e-mail address if you can. Winning this Sponsorship and its prize could really make a difference for Big Engine.  


Although things have been moving steadily in the right direction for Big Engine, like anything; its not without its challenges. Now more than ever it is hard to keep our wheels in motion as the down economy has affected the entire music business from the top to the bottom. That's why having a nationally distributed beverage company sponsoring us feels so important to us. It has potential to help offset some expenses and give us more social approval through our association with the brand. It may even help open the door for more sponsorships and even endorsements.  


So please keep voting! All you have to do to keep from getting our song on your hard drive over and over again is Stop the download just after it begins. It will not void your vote as it is counted as soon as you click download. Lastly, I ask that you keep sharing info about Big Engine on the Sparks Digital Playlist and keep urging everyone to grab a Sparks and vote! Even if only one of your friends feels compelled to vote; it might add up to enough to award us a top 3 finish!...maybe even 1st place!  


You may not know this but the band Vampire Weekend won this same Sponsorship in 2008. 13 months later, they enjoyed the feeling of having their first album debut at #1 on the Billboard 200. Since then, one of their songs was placed in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. See how one good opportunity can lead to an even better one?  


Are you ready to see Big Engine win this Sparks Sponsorship? ...I know that we are!  


Now! If you haven't voted yet; here's all you have to do:      


Voting Ends August 31st, 2010 at 5:59:59 EST   


Sparks, a Malt Beverage Distributed by Miller Beer is giving you Free Tunes on the Sparks Digital Playlist! Jacksonville, FL's Big Engine is one of 52 Bands nationwide that you will find competing on the Sparks Digital Playlist. Each FREE download counts as a vote for the band! The band with the most votes wins an official sponsorship from Sparks and their song may be used in advertising! Also, the top 3 bands will be awarded cash and prizes totaling $45,000!!!   


Help Big Engine Win! All you have to do is buy a can of Sparks, available at most convenience stores, liquor stores and some grocery stores. There is a code on the bottom of the can. Go to http://www.sparks.com/ and click on the "Get Free Tunes From The Sparks Digital Playlist" can on the right. Find Big Engine's song "Party Like A Rock Star" on the page and click download!  


You will be asked to enter some info including your email address but you don't have to join a mailing list. You can ENTER ONCE A DAY PER E-MAIL ADDRESS AND VOTE FOR BIG ENGINE EACH TIME! Residents of AL, CT, HI, IN, ME, MN, MO, NC, NJ, OR, SD, TX, UT, or WV don't even have to buy a can of Sparks! Just enter the offer code 7727. If you have friends or relatives in any of those states, please turn them on to this free offer! - Otherwise don't use it because they are tracking how many downloads come from this free code and will suspect the band of cheating if all of you use it!    


This is a really big opportunity for the band and we really appreciate your help!  


Take care and thanks again!

August 20, 2010

Your Last Chance To Help!

Voting Ends August 31st, 2010 at 5:59:59 EST 

Sparks, a Malt Beverage Distributed by Miller Beer is giving you Free Tunes on the Sparks Digital Playlist! Big Engine is one of 52 Bands nationwide that you will find competing on the Sparks Digital Playlist. Each FREE download counts as a vote for the band! The band with the most votes wins an official sponsorship from Sparks and their song may be used in advertising! Also, the top 3 bands will be awarded cash and prizes totaling $45,000!!!

Help Big Engine Win! All you have to do is buy a can of Sparks, available at most convenience stores and some grocery or liquor stores. There is a code on the bottom of the can. Go to 
http://www.sparks.com/ and click on the "Get Free Tunes From The Sparks Digital Playlist" can on the right. Find Big Engine's song "Party Like A Rock Star" on the page and click download!

You will be asked to enter some info including your email address but you don't have to join a mailing list. You can ENTER ONCE A DAY PER E-MAIL ADDRESS AND VOTE FOR BIG ENGINE EACH TIME
!

Man if we win this, we are going to have a big party! This is a really big opportunity for the band so we really appreciate your help!

Take care and thanks again!

June 8, 2010

Help Big Engine Win A Sponsorship!

Hey everybody! Big Engine is one of only 40 bands nation wide to be up for a Sparks sponsorship! There is somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000 in prizes to the band that gets the most votes! We are currently in second place! You get a free download of our song "Party Like A Rockstar" so tell everybody! If you have already voted for us, please vote again! You can vote every day! Even if you already have the song, please download it so we get a vote and a chance to show that we have the best support! Most of the other bands are on decent sized record labels that are going to be campaigning for them so your votes are critical!

Here's some of the details. Sparks is a Miller Beer product. When you buy a can of Sparks at any grocery store or convenient store, there is a code on the bottom of the can. Go to 
http://www.sparks.com/ and click on the "Get Free Tunes From The Sparks Digital Playlist" can on the right. Find Big Engine on the page and click download!

You will be asked to enter some info including your email address but you don't have to join a mailing list. You can enter once a day per email address and vote for us each time! Voting ends on August 31, 2010 at 5:59:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. 



Man if we win this, we are going to have a big party! This is a really big opportunity for the band so we really appreciate your help!

Take care and thanks again!



Tony Mikus

June 2, 2010

HAVE A DRINK TO HELP OUT BIG ENGINE!

WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP. Miller Beer is using "Party Like A Rockstar" as a free download to promote one of it's products called "Sparks". Buy any can of Sparks and there is a code on the bottom. Go to this website http://www.sparks.com/ and follow the directions.

There are 45 songs to choose from. Please pick "Party Like A Rockstar" to download for free! I know you all already have the song but each download is a vote. If we get the most votes, there is a big prize for the winner! We don't know what the prize is but it probably is something the band could use. We are up against bands from all over the nation that are on record labels so we really need your help!

Sparks is available at convenience stores, grocery stores, etc. in the beer section!

Thanks for your support!

Tony Mikus

May 10, 2010

Hello friends, we need your help! First I must ask you; doesn't Big Engine's "Party Like A Rock Star" seem like an obvious fit for Rockstar Energy Drink with their high speed energy drinks and of course their slogan "Party Like A Rockstar"? We feel the same way too! So, what Big Engine needs from you (our devoted fan) is to help create a buzz about Big Engine by becoming a fan/friend of Rockstar Energy Drink on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube. Then, post, tweet and comment about how awesome you think Big Engine and our song "Party Like A Rock Star" is and encourage everyone to check us out!   

In your posts; we encourage you to share links to one of our profile addresses and especially one to our music video for "Party Like A Rock Star"!

Let's all get to work on this together! Here are the links for Rockstar Energy Drink:

http:​​/​​/​​www.​​myspace.​​com/​​Rockstar69
http:​​/​​/​​twitter.​​com/​​Rockstar6969
http:​​/​​/​​www.​​facebook.​​com/​​rockstar
http:​​/​​/​​www.​​youtube.​​com/​​user/​​RockstarEvents

Here are all our social network addresses:


http://www.myspace.com/bigenginerocks
http://twitter.com/bigengine_band 
http://www.youtube.com/bigenginetv
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Engine/146691269017?v=app_178091127385

Thanks for your support! You are elemental to keeping Big Engine's wheels in motion.

March 24, 2010

What Happened with the radio station?

First of all thanks to everybody that took the time to send an email to the radio station. I really appreciate the support!


So here is how it all went down.


In the past, stations in Valdosta, Daytona, Tallahassee, and Savannah among others have contacted the band and requested on air interviews with members of the band. This is always great and helps promote the shows in the area. Some time during or after the interview, the station would play a song or two of ours. We can't thank those stations enough!


That being said, when we were contacted by the Golden Isles Speedway to play a Bike Rally there, I asked if they were going to be advertising on the rock station there and they said yes. So I told them to tell the station that we would be happy to do an interview on air and donate a few cds and t-shirts for the station to give away to help promote the event. The people in charge of the event thought that was a great idea and they said they would add some free tickets to the give away too.


So they got in touch with the station and told them the idea when they purchased the advertising. The contact at the station said it would have to be approved by the program director. So I sent off an email to the station telling them about Big Engine, the places we have been playing, the others acts we have played with etc. Then I mailed 4 cds to the station with a letter about the band and included that we would love to do an interview and do some give aways and saying it would be great if they could spin one of our songs a time or two the week of the show and have callers call in to win the prize package. I mentioned how well that had worked in other places on other stations.


So when we didn't hear anything back from the station, I got the feeling that they weren't going to help at all. I contacted the person with the event and told him that the station would probably come back with the "doesn't fit our format" crap instead of telling the real deal about airplay. That's when I asked if he would mind if I sent an email to all of you guys and he said go for it. I checked out the station website, noticed that the format was "New and Classic Rock" so how can we not fit? I also copied and pasted into the email I sent out the paragraph on the stations site from the program director that said how they wanted to be your LOCAL station and wanted to hear your comments on anything and had an email link to the program director. Many of you emailed and got a rejection message and others actually got a form letter type of reply from the program director. This was his response to the emails below.




To All Concerned,

Thanks for your feedback concerning “Big Engine” and Solid Rock 107.7 the Fox. As a former touring bass player I appreciate your campaign for airplay. However in the case of 107.7, I fear your efforts will be in vain. We at the Fox are part of Qantum Communications. We have a playlist that is tightly scheduled and consulted. It is not our policy to play any materiel that is unsolicited by Major labels or their subsidiaries. In addition, I as Program Director do not feel that “Big Engine” fits our current format. We do have an occasional “Sunday Showcase” feature that is dedicated to local bands with label interest. Unfortunately that show is not for touring artists either.

On the bright side, We at 107.7 will be promoting Big Engine’s upcoming performance at the Golden Isles Speedway as part of their Spring Break Bike Rally March 26th-28th, and one of the on air give-a-ways linked to that event includes 2 CDs furnished by the band.

I might suggest to the band and it’s loyal following that in this day and age, you might do better to hire and entertainment lawyer who can professionally shop the band to the “powers that be” in our industry. The days of the small, locally owned radio station that can change a rotation, or break a band at will are winding down at best. That being said, We appreciate your comments and suggestions, and encourage you to continue to support original rock music wherever and whenever you can.



Sincerely,

Mark Douglas, Program Director WHFX-FM

Solid Rock 107.7 the Fox


So they are cool with using our music on the radio ad because it is being paid for! They can't play anything that doesn't come from a major label? So they will play music by bands that will never set foot in Brunswick let alone play a show there but they won't even consider a single play of a song by a band that is playing two shows there? Why do you think that is? Money of course.


Let me first say that I am not angry at Mark Douglas. I don't know the man. He may be a great guy just doing his job. I emailed him and thanked him for his honest response. I wanted everybody to see how songs get on the radio. This particular station, like most is just one of many owned by a parent company out of the area. So where do they decide what goes on the air in Brunswick, Georgia, well Boston of course! I'm sure the people in charge up in Boston have their finger on the pulse of what's happening in Brunswick, Georgia. That's the way it is all over. In order to get airplay, you have to have tons of money going into the right hands. Payola is illegal and several record labels have been sued and lost millions because of paying off stations so now they have legal ways to go around it. One of the ways is the label pays radio promoters who in turn pay the stations to be a consultant of their playlist. That is just one way of getting around it. I remember reading an article years ago about how stations were taking money from labels to play songs in their entirety as an advertisement. They would have to say before the song played, "this is a pay for play" and then the song would play. Limp Bizkit's label paid stations $5000 each to spin a song 50 times. I don't blame the bands at all. They all have to do it to get on the air. It has always been this way but most people don't know about it.


My point is, out of an entire week the station couldn't find one minute for an interview or 3 and a half minutes to play a song to promote a local event? This is Brunswick, Georgia not Boston or New York City! How much is going on in Brunswick this week? How many bands are playing in Brunswick this week? Other places are able to find the time and actually approach the band about interviews but this one did not even entertain the idea. I told Mark that I think this is ridiculous. In my opinion, local radio that is making money off advertising for an event like this should help promote the event in other small ways so that the event is a success which then leads to the promoters having other events in the area which leads back to more advertising dollars back to the station and equally important, GOOD WILL in the community!


Mark said that he might do an interview with me this week. It's Wednesday, we play Friday, and I haven't heard a word.


In summation, I am not bitter. If anything, I'm more thankful than ever to the stations that have done interviews with us and played our songs. We know how tough it is to get songs on the radio and so we don't even pursue it. In this case, I was just offering to the station what other stations had requested of us in the past. I thought the station would appreciate a band going out of it's way to try and promote an event in the stations area and offering to give the station some prizes for the station to pass on to it's listeners. We don't get cds and t-shirts free you know.

I am glad that you guys get to see how things really work. I can't thank you all enough for the support.


Take care,


Tony Mikus

March 18, 2010

This blog has moved


This blog is now located at http://bigenginerocks.blogspot.com/.
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Attention South East Georgia Fans! March 26th & 27th we are playing in the Brunswick, Ga area for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally.

Attention South East Georgia Fans! March 26th & 27th we are playing in the Brunswick, Ga area for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally. They are advertising for the event on The Fox 107.7. We have sent our cds to the station for them to use "Party Like A Rock Star" in the advertising. The Fox prides itself on being "YOUR Rock Station" and "working hard to make your station better sounding, with more music, more features, more tickets and prizes, and more community involvement, because that’s what you expect and deserve…"

Obviously, they aim to please YOU, their listener. So, now that they have Big Engine's "Rock n Roll Machine" and "That Girl" CDs; feel encouraged to e-mail their Program Director or call the request line to let them know that YOU want to hear your favorite Big Engine song to get you pumped up for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally!

Contact Mark Douglas, Program Director for The Fox 107.7 at mark@​​1077thefox.​​net or call the request line 912-264-WHFX

Thanks for your friendship and support!

Radio Airplay in Southeast Georgia?

Attention South East Georgia Fans! March 26th & 27th we are playing in the Brunswick, Ga area for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally. They are advertising for the event on The Fox 107.7. We have sent our cds to the station for them to use "Party Like A Rock Star" in the advertising. The Fox prides itself on being "YOUR Rock Station" and "working hard to make your station better sounding, with more music, more features, more tickets and prizes, and more community involvement, because that’s what you expect and deserve…"

Obviously, they aim to please YOU, their listener. So, now that they have Big Engine's "Rock n Roll Machine" and "That Girl" CDs; feel encouraged to e-mail their Program Director or call the request line to let them know that YOU want to hear your favorite Big Engine song to get you pumped up for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally!

Contact Mark Douglas, Program Director for The Fox 107.7 at mark@​​1077thefox.​​net or call the request line 912-264-WHFX

Thanks for your friendship and support!

South East GA Radio Airplay?

Attention South East Georgia Fans! March 26th & 27th we are playing in the Brunswick, Ga area for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally. They are advertising for the event on The Fox 107.7. We have sent our cds to the station for them to use "Party Like A Rock Star" in the advertising. The Fox prides itself on being "YOUR Rock Station" and "working hard to make your station better sounding, with more music, more features, more tickets and prizes, and more community involvement, because that’s what you expect and deserve…"

Obviously, they aim to please YOU, their listener. So, now that they have Big Engine's "Rock n Roll Machine" and "That Girl" CDs; feel encouraged to e-mail their Program Director or call the request line to let them know that YOU want to hear your favorite Big Engine song to get you pumped up for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally!

Contact Mark Douglas, Program Director for The Fox 107.7 at mark@​​1077thefox.​​net or call the request line 912-264-WHFX

February 3, 2010

Rock n roll Machine 2010 is now available!!

We got the new version of our cd "Rock N Roll Machine"! It has a new song on it called "Anywhere But Here" and a bonus track, a live version of "Party Like A Rock Star". You can check it out at

http://www.digstation.com/..AlbumDetails.aspx?albumID=..ALB000043015

Oh and on our Bike Week schedule, Pub 44 Riverfront is now called Fresh On Main! It is right on the river on Main Street Daytona Beach!

There is a new video of "Sister Mary" live on youtube. Check it out when you get a chance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?..v=H7BMnFC-M8U

If you haven't checked out the video for "That Girl's a Freak" from Biketoberfest, here's a link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?..v=HrKu2N0Weeo

January 18, 2010

New Weekly Shows for Wednesday & Thursday Nights!

We are back to ROCK THE BOX every Wednesday night! That's right! We are returning to Box Seats on a new night, at a new time, with a bunch of new songs! We start at 8:30pm so come out early! Looking forward to restarting the westside tradition!

Announcing Thursday nights at Cheers in Mandarin from 9pm-1am. This is our first time there so come out and party with Big Engine if you are in the area.