HOMETOWN WINNER WILL PERFORM ALONGSIDE NATIONAL HEADLINERS AT THE CONGRESS THEATER’S INAUGURAL CHICAGO BLUEGRASS & BLUES FESTIVAL
The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival, a one-day music fest to be held this November at the legendary Congress Theater, is bringing the Battle of the Banjos to the Windy City. Organizers today announce the kickoff of “LAST BANJO STANDING,” an online contest that will scour
Chicagoland to find the top bluegrass or blues inspired artist.
The winner, as voted on by fans, family, friends and music lovers around the city, will join a slew of national headliners including the legendary David Grisman Quintet, and the chart-blazing Avett Brothers, on stage this fall. 16 bands for a mere $31 bucks just got a whole lot sweeter, as one local band will get the chance to bring down the house, alongside:
The Avett Brothers, The David Grisman Quintet, Ha Ha Tonka, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Majors Junction, Billy Childers, Dollar Store, Blackdog, Blue Mother Tupelo, How Far to Austin, Mike Mangione, Cobalt & the Hired Guns, The Lindsay O’Brien Band, Jessica Lee, and Blue Room Hero
How Bands/Artists can enter:
Starting September 15th, until October 1st, bands can fill out an entry form and upload two of their original tracks to www.cbbfestival.com. Keep in mind that artists do not have to be of the traditional bluegrass and blues persuasions to be considered.
Winner will be announced:
On October 16th, the votes will be tallied and Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival organizers will choose the winning artist amongst the top 5 vote-getters. The winner will be announced at 12:00 a.m. on October 17th, at www.cbbfestival.com.
Online Voting:
The online voting period begins on October 2ndth, and concludes on October 16th, 2008. Each e-mail address will be allotted one vote per day, and as is the tradition in Chicago, encourage your supporters to vote early and often!
“As we kick off the inaugural Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival, we launched the Last Banjo Standing contest to give every musician a shot at taking the stage. Chicago boasts an un-elitist reputation for recognizing good music, and we’re excited to give an up-and-coming, still-to-be-discovered musician the exposure they need to break through to the next level,” said Michael Raspatello, founder/organizer of the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival.
And although the festival will get to break a band, festivalgoers will get to save a heart. A portion of each $31 ticket will be donated to the Saving Tiny Hearts Society (www.savingtinyhearts.org), a non-profit organization that raises money for grossly under-funded, crucial, life-saving research of congenital heart defects (CHD), America’s #1 birth defect. Nearly one of every 125 babies born in America each year is affected by a Congenital Heart Defect.
