The FADER FORT Presented by Converse, long positioned as the spot to see live music during its March homestead, is back for its 13th year in Austin, TX. The FADER, launched in 1999, is also celebrating its 15th year and 90th issue this summer. To help celebrate, longtime fans of The FADER will see familiar faces take the stage this March: from artists who appeared on our cover first to artists The FADER broke early, to artists who played The FORT as emerging bands and are now coming back as our family and a household name. First time performances will also include FKA Twigs, The Orwells, Jeremih, and Isaiah Rashad, and additional acts will be announced in the days leading up to the festival via The FADER's twitter. 

Guests will be able to RSVP to attend the private event, and media can now submit credentials at the link. Check out www.TheFADER.com/FORT for more details.

“It's incredible to see how much The FORT and The FADER have both grown, and to look back at these epic moments that we've celebrated in Austin over the years,” said Andy Cohn, President and Publisher of The FADER. “There have been so many memorable moments and we're looking forward to celebrating this milestone of The FADER's existence with as many fans as possible. We've been fortunate to have the best musicians come through our doors to play for tens of thousands of music fans from around the world, and look forward to bringing another historic experience to Austin.”

This will be the third year The FADER and Converse Inc. have partnered to support and showcase emerging artists and culture.  This year's The FADER FORT Presented by Converse will continue to present some of today's most innovative programming and emerging artists to invited fans.

“Converse is thrilled to partner with The FADER again this year as we continue our ongoing mission of supporting the artistic community,” said Geoff Cottrill, Converse VP/GM of Brand & Segments. “The FADER FORT Presented by Converse has progressed into a stage for global artists, and we look forward to using this platform again this year to encourage creativity worldwide.”

The FADER FORT Presented by Converse will once again be joining forces with Dell, Inc., the end-to-end technology solutions leader born and headquartered in the Austin area. Dell, Intel and The FADER will share performances from The FORT, and exclusive artist interviews with fans around the world via live stream on TheFADER.com. The live stream will be powered by Dell Precision workstations.  Patrons onsite will be able to view Dell's latest Touch and tablet product and solutions inside The FORT, while also checking out the technology happening real-time via the Dell + Intel Livestream Pod.

Mazda is also participating this year as the first-time official vehicle sponsor of The FADER FORT Presented by Converse. This is Mazda's first time activating a music-related experiential program in Austin, where it will be showcasing its all-new 2014 Mazda3. Partnering with The FADER enables Mazda to engage with customers who are passionate about music. Creativity is a core value of Mazda, and its onsite and online presence will showcase this through various activities. In addition to its onsite activations, Mazda will be developing content with The FADER artists to run online during, and post activities at The FORT. On the ground, Mazda will be providing shuttle service in Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 vehicles so attendees can experience the cars first-hand while resting their feet, and much more.

For over a decade, The FADER FORT has established itself as a primary stomping ground for many then-unknowns such as Kendrick Lamar, Yelawolf, M.I.A., Florence and the Machine, Odd Future, Feist, Cold War Kids, Kid Cudi, and The Black Keys. While the focus has always been emerging artists, The FADER FORT has also showcased a laundry list of artists that have performed including Usher, P. Diddy, Rick Ross, Kanye West, Lou Reed, My Morning Jacket, Justin Vernon, Amy Winehouse, Moby, Nas, Damian Marley, N.E.R.D, among others.