Six southern Alberta bands will battle it out for $1,000 in cash and a Cottonwood Records monthly feature package at the Shine On Summer Festival Community Fair. Battle of the Bands will take place Sunday, Sept. 3 at the University of Lethbridge Community Stadium.
Part of the U of L’s 50th anniversary celebrations and Homecoming Weekend, Battle of the Bands is one of the feature events at Sunday’s free Community Fair. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Stadium and will also include a craft market, food trucks, Horns rugby tournament, inflatable obstacle course, round dance, cultural demonstrations, beer gardens, kite making and flying, face painting and a variety of fun family activities.
The six bands will take the stage looking to emerge as the battle champion, with the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA) sponsoring the $1,000 cash prize and locally-owned Cottonwood Records awarding the monthly feature package that includes professionally-produced interviews, pro tips and song recordings with accompanying video.
“Summer festivals always feature outstanding music and we felt this was a great way to support and give some exposure to great local musical talent,” says Michael Gabriel (BA ’04), president of the ULAA. “This battle will feature a diverse cross section of musical styles and promises to be great fun. In the end, the winner will get a real boost through their relationship with Cottonwood Records.”
Cottonwood Records is an independent record label created with the mission of connecting talented artists with music fans throughout the world.
“We’re excited to support these artists through the Battle of the Bands and can’t wait to work with the winner to help showcase their music in ways friends, family and fans may have never seen it showcased before,” says Cottonwood Records co-founder Clayton Varjassy (BMgt ’13). “For us, the story begins locally; there’s so much talent in a relatively small community. We want to do our part by building a platform that will be recognized and respected domestically and internationally, and leverage that platform to help artists from the community continue their growth.”
The bands taking part in the Shine On Summer Festival Battle of the Bands are as follows:
Youngbloods
Youngbloods are a band of brothers who have come together to create high energy, loud, pop punk/rock music. They have been inspired by bands such as Beartooth, Parkway Drive, Blink 182, Four Year Strong, Belvedere and many amazing local musicians. Youngbloods deliver a high-energy professional performance that is very exciting to watch.
Alyssa McQuaid and Coyote Junction
Together, Alyssa McQuaid and Coyote Junction create an ensemble of talented musicians supplemented with excellent harmonies. In this 5-piece band, their passion, talent and drive collide to form something truly memorable and special. Collectively, Coyote Junction has over 50 years of experience in the music industry in Alberta, while McQuaid has been performing across North America for 10 years, opening for acts such as The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aaron Prichett, Lindsay Ell and Hey Romeo!
Awd Fellas x Adequate
The vibrant and energetic hip hop sound of Awd Fellas mixed with the funky grooves and live presence of Adequate leads to a careful layering of conscious lyrics, catchy choruses and expert rhythms that will get you on your feet.
Nevada Place
Nevada Place are unique and quirky. They are not afraid to stir the musical pot. Made up of five talented musicians who play a wide variety of instruments, they always try to twist their covers to make them new and entertaining for the audience.
DIVERSIFIED
DIVERSIFIED is a cover band that consists of two guys and four girls. Now all 15 and 16 years of age, they started performing when they were in GS Lakie Middle School and have continued through to high school. They play a variety of music from the 1950s to more current hits.
Scotch Whisky Limousine
Scotch Whisky Limousine are old rock and roll fans - they're a guitar-driven rock and roll band that is bringing back that old rock and roll sound but with a modern fresh spin that includes keyboards and sax.
For more information on Homecoming weekend and Shine On Summer Festival and Community Fair, visit https://blogs.ulethbridge.ca/50-years/homecoming/.
