Seagate provided storage lockers for concertgoers at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in the Bay Area.

Cutting-edge rock met high tech at the Download 2008 festival, powered by Seagate, where the company brought its storage solutions to a hip audience of trendsetting music fans.

The fourth-annual festival, which included stops in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles , concluded in Philadelphia on Aug. 2. Among the many alternative and indie rock bands appearing at Download 2008 were the Killers, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and Mute Math.

Christopher Porter of Live Nation, the concert promoter behind Download 2008, said Seagate's presence fit well with the festival and its audience.

“From music and film, to gaming and everyday lifestyle products, Seagate’s reputation as a technology leader spoke naturally and directly to the Download festival’s early-adopter audience,” Porter said.

At each concert, 50 fans had the opportunity to win a 250-GB Seagate® FreeAgent™ Go portable hard drive through a “text-to-win” promotion. In addition, Seagate provided a technology tent at each venue, where music fans could play video games in between acts and even test their skills against professional gamers the Frag Dolls, who were also handing Seagate products to lucky gamers.

“Seagate is a part of everyone’s digital life, although they may not realize it,” said Brian Ziel of Seagate corporate communications. “Consumers, artists, directors, musicians, photographers and gamers all use our products to create, protect, and enjoy their digital content. This festival was a way to promote our brand and let more people know who we are and what we have to offer.”

Along with its involvement in Download 2008, Seagate also recently announced that it’s the official digital-storage partner of the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., and Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre in Englewood, Colo . As part of this program, Seagate will host FreeAgent Go text-to-win sweepstakes for attendees at events throughout the year.

Seagate was plugged into all the digital action at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

Download festivals feature bands that incorporate technology into their careers. Many of the bands at Download use computers, mixing boards and other high-tech gear in their recording and live shows, for example.

“Most of these bands rely on and have benefited from the new frontier of the music industry,” Live Nation’s Porter said, “including the Web, music blogs, streaming and social networking. Bringing all these cutting-edge artists and in-the-know fans into one festival setting gives us the chance to create a unique new music experience.”

The strategy in booking this year’s lineup, Porter said, was to assemble a mix of established artists like Iggy Pop, 61, whose career goes back to the 1960s, and new talent like the Killers, whose 2004 debut album, “Hot Fuss,” sold more than 5 million copies and scored multiple Grammy nominations.

“Download festival fans are typically the first to discover and try out new things,” Porter explained, “from the latest gadgets to fashion and music. This festival gives Seagate the opportunity to reach out to these potential customers in a dynamic and fun environment while also adding to our guests’ experiences.”

All of which is, well, music to Seagate’s ears.

“More artists are going straight to digital with their new releases,” said Pat King, SVP of the company’s consumer solutions division. “Digital content is exploding, and we’re thrilled to start a relationship with Live Nation, which shares our vision of the digital lifestyle and arts.”