We've got a winner, in the "I'm Going to Nashville" Contest!
Through weekly preliminary contests, beginning back in October, we've selected finalists for the trip to Nashville, including the making of a recording there. The finals were held on Tuesday, January 16th, and here's how it went...
Bonus! We've decided to do this contest again next year, so keep practicing!
NOTE: All of the photos from this final competition are at 100 dpi (dots per inch) so if you download them, you'll be able to print them at reasonable quality.
Eddie's was packed, by 7pm, when the contest started
With radio personality, Jim Ramsdell as MC, the contest was off to a start. All the finalists names were put into a container, and randomly selected for the order they'ld compete in. Jim kept everything upbeat and moving, and we had fun!
The judges, Frankie, Brook, and Trevor set out to pick a winner from the finalists, which wasn't easy.
Here are a couple of photos of the finalists...
Each finalist was allowed to do one tune. Some brought their own CD with the music on it, and others utilized "Brook Faulk and the Blue Dog Band", and a few played their own instrument (usually guitar) to create the music. So, we heard a huge variety of styles, which made it more interesting.
The contest was a blast, and the competitors had as much fun as the rest of us. After a couple of hours, the judges found that they had a tie, between the two remaining finalists, Denny and Tabatha... So, each of them was allowed to do another song, from which a winner would be chosen. This was a very tight competition, with both Denny and Tabatha being very popular with the crowd and the judges.
Denny and Tabatha, tied in the finals, and ready for a final head-to-head competition. Both of them were great!
Denny did an outstanding job, and so did Tabatha. Ultimately, Tabatha slayed the crowd with her fiery rendition of "Independence Day", which brought tears to many people's eyes. She edged Denny out to win the competition, and the Nashville trip.
Tabatha, getting the news that she's won the contest! There are a couple more photos of Tabatha's winning performance below.
One of Tabatha's strengths is her ability to be genuinely emotional when she's singing. She sounds great, looks great, and (obviously) made a big impression on everyone. Congratulations, Tabatha, and best of luck on your Nashville trip and recording!
January 16th was a special day for us in another way...
Brook Faulk returned from her 2-week trip to Nashville, where she's just finished her latest CD. Welcome back, Brook!
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, and to the audience, whose support made this event a great success. We appreciate all of you, and look forward to doing it again in 2007!
Photos from the 2006 "I'm Going to Nashville!" talent contest preliminaries
Most recent photos at the top)
Are you the next Nashville star?
Each week, from now until the finals, January 16th, our intrepid panel of judges, along with the audience, will choose a finalist to come back and compete for the grand prize, a trip to Nashville, including a demo recording opportunity.
The judges have a listed criteria, and make their judgments separately from the audience, whose applause and support for the contestant is considered.
So, come and show your talent, and compete for a great trip to Nashville. And... We''re still having our "Open Mic." after the contest, time permitting.
For details on the contest, see our Events page.
Results of the twelfth round of competition, on Jamuary 2nd, 2007
Several of the previous weeks' winners joined us to view the competition, and to sing an (not judged) song or two for the crowd. This week's competitors included a singer, and the "Croation Sensation", featuring "Dr. Bob" on sax.
Our judges took a few minutes to deliberate, then came up with the winner...
The "Croation Sensation", with "Dr. Bob" on sax, won this week's competition, and will be advancing to the finals, on January 16th. Congratulations!
There's one more week of competition, (January 16th) and then the finals will be on January 16th. Due to the number of finalists, we may start a little earlier, so stay tuned to this page for details.
Results of the eleventh round of competition, on December 26th, 2006
The day after Christmas, the competition was a little slow. It was interesting that more "jammers" than usual, along with previous weeks' winners came out, but only one new "contestant". That was a highly emotional singer, "Tabatha".
Tabatha was this week's winner, and will be advancing to the finals in January..
After the contest, Tabatha returned to the stage and sang a couple of tunes with the band, then "The Moccasin Stompers" played an entire set, followed by other guest jammers.
Stay tuned for updates on the date and time for the finals. We expect it to be January 16th, and due to the number of finalists, we may start earlier that night.
Results of the tenth round of competition, on December 19th, 2006
Lots of singers this week, some singing with their own CD, (best choice) and some singing with the band.
Jim kept the competition exciting with his always-energetic MC work..
We had a fun jam night, too. After the contest, a few of the past competitors sat in with the band, just for fun.
Joanne was this week's winner, and will be advancing to the finals in January..
Stay tuned for updates on the date and time for the finals. We expect it to be January 16th, and due to the number of finalists, we may start earlier that night.
Results of the ninth round of competition, on December 5th, 2006
This week, not many competitors showed up, but we still had some fun..
Two singers competed this week, and we had some previous winners as guests.
Terra, last week's winner, sang us a couple of tunes, which were great. She's a natural. Later, during the "jam" portion of the night, Pat Wendt joined us on bass.
Matt was the winner this week, whose singing and presence impressed the judges.
The finals should be interesting, as the competitors seem to be getting better, and therefore the finalists are all going to have a tough fight for the trip to Nashville. We expect the finals to be finished and the winner selected by January 16th.
Results of the eigth round of competition, on November 28th, 2006
This week some real talent showed up, and everybody had a great time.
Lots of singing talent apparent in this week's contest.
Due to the undeniable talent of the contestants, this week's judges agreed almost entirely on the scores, and the audience was pleased to see the results.
This week's winner, Terra, a server at Eddie's, was allowed to compete, and won by a landslide. (Three "10's") and will be advancing to the finals. She's a very strong singer!
After the contest, Tara, a previous winner, sang for the crowd, and Mike Olson joined the band for nearly a set, followed by Pat Wendt on both bass and harmonica.
Results of the seventh round of competition, on November 21st, 2006
Skewed results from judging controversy...
There may have been more variety this week than any round before.
Judging was skewed this week, with a wide range of scores in each round. In some rounds, scores ranged from a "2" to a "9".
This week's winner, Liz, happy to be advancing to the finals.
As always, we encourage competitors to return and try again, as there's always a chance that you'll get a higher score.
Results of the sixth round of competition, on November 7th, 2006
Competitors are improving!
This week's competitors face the judges, with Jim (far right) MC-ing. Fun as always
This week, the judges seemed more in agreement, with scores going roughly as the audience would've predicted. Last week's winner, "Tye" also returned to entertain us with a few tunes. Nice work.
Congratulations to this week's winner, singer "Rick" (far left) He sang a Bon Jovi tune that got the audience cheering, and also stuck around to sing a tune with the band later.
The contest continues up through the finals in January. So, we urge all competitors who haven't won a "finalist" status to come back and try again. With experience and the advice of the judges each week, anyone could win, by simply trying harder. Don't give up!
Results of the fifth round of competition, on October 31st, 2006
This was an interesting night...
This week's competitors, including "Tye", in her "schoolgirl" costume.
Our Halloween party and costume contest was the previous Saturday night, October 28th. Still, some people showed up in costume, so when Jim, the MC showed up, he threw another costume contest, and gave away some prizes, just before the talent contest.
Congratulations to this week's winner, singer "Tye" (right) She sang "Crazy" with us during the contest, then joined the band to sing "It Hurts So Bad" during the "jam" portion of the night, after the competition. She got a perfect score, and will advance to the finals.
Several of the past competitors have returned to try again, and some have even changed their "image" from one week to the next. This week, the "Croation Sensation" returned to try his luck as a cowboy, singing "Crazy".
Results of the fourth round of competition, on October 24th, 2006
Wow! We had some seriously-talented competitors this week! Among the competitors was our good friend Andy Mullen, and some serious singers.
This week's competitors... A tough bunch for the judges to pick a winner from.
Congratulations to this week's winner, singer Bridgette Sullivan! (right) She sang up a storm during the contest, then joined the band for another song during the "jam" portion of the night, after the competition.
This competition continues to improve each week. Some of the previous competitors have returned to try again, and are polishing their acts. It's not easy for any musician to walk in "cold", jump up on stage, and perform with the fire that a pro does, and we appreciate the guts it takes for those who are competing, to do that. Keep it up!
Results of the third round of competition, on October 17th, 2006
This week there were slightly fewer contestants than the week before, and a couple nearly bailed out, when they realized that they weren't prepared. Regardless, the competition was tough, and the judging was tough too. Hey, not everyone gets a "10"...
This week's competitors included a guitar/vocal duo (left) and two individual singers. (right)
Tallying up the point total, this week's winner was the duo, "Wild Buck and Badger". (right) They advance to the January 16th finals along with winners from previous weeks. Congratulations!
After the contest, Bonnie Thayer and Pat Wendt joined Brook Faulk and the Blue Dog Band on bass, and Denny Bacon joined them for a few songs too. Then a new drummer in town ("Marilyn") joined the band for several tunes. Our thanks to all the talent contest competitors and the musician jammers.
Results of the second round of competition, on October 10th, 2006
This week, the judges had a hard time, and the scores resulted in a 3-way tie. Not wanting to eliminate anyone this early, it was decided that the tied winners would all advance to the finals. The judges have the tough job of evaluating the competitors and giving them advice on how to improve, while still being encouraging.
Lots of competitors this week! We were happy to see such a great turnout.
The scores were close, and resulted in a 3-way tie, so three winners will all advance to the finals.
Singer/guitarist Denny Bacon, (left) singer Cassindra, (middle) and the duo, "The Moccasin Stompers". (right)
Tuesday, after the contest is still our "jam night", so Denny Bacon joined us for a few songs, followed by last week's winner, Paige, who sang a couple of songs with the band. Pat Wendt also joined the band on bass for the last set, for some bluesy jamming.
Results of the first round of competition, on October 3rd, 2006
This week started with "The Croation Sensation" duo, a female singer, "Paige", who brought her own recordings to sing with, Allison King, singing and playing bass, and finally, another female singer, "Elizabeth", who sang with the band.
After listening and critiquing all the competitors, (photo on left) "Paige" emerged as the first finalist to go on to the January 16th finals. (photo on right)
Other competitors are welcome back to try again.
