News: Rock Bands Can Stay Free at Motel 6 For a Post on Their Website

From today's NY Daily News

A new promotion links the budget chain Motel 6 with budding rock bands, in hopes of helping poor musicians while also giving the frumpy chain a hipper image. (Right now, the average age of their guests is 35 to 64.)

Here’s how it works: Motel 6 will give free rooms to developing bands on the touring circuit. (The cheapo chain has roughly 1,000 properties in every U.S. state save Hawaii.) In exchange, the bands promise to give shout-outs to the chain on their web sites, and even from the concert stage.

The promo will begin next month with the Massachusetts-based alterna-country band Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. Other acts on board include the punk-pop band Hit the Lights and the rock act Sparks the Rescue.

All the bands involved are signed to Primary Wave Music, which brought the idea to Motel 6 several months ago.

Later, the promotion is expected to expand beyond bands affiliated with Primary Wave.

To ensure that the groups don’t pull a Keith Moon on the rooms, company spokesman Jeff Palmer told Reuters, they’ve asked Primary Wave to insist that its bands “not go crazy" during their stays.