(WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The time has come for the Billtown Blues Association (BBA) to hold their 28th annual “Billtown Blues Challenge” Festival Audition Concert where local and regional musicians compete for the coveted spot on the BBA festival stage performing along with confirmed national and international acts.
This year’s BBA Audition Concert is set for Saturday, March 14, 2020, in the Genetti Hotel Ballroom, 200 West 4th Street, Williamsport. The competition will consist of the bands and solo/duo acts alternating throughout the night starting at 4 p.m. There will be a brief intermission and the acts will resume at 6 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m.
Admission is $15 for the general public and $10 for Billtown Blues Association members. Continuing with the same event format, the judges for this important event are drawn from the BBA’s current membership. All current members are eligible to receive a ballot and participate in the judging process as long as ballots are obtained prior to the first note of the event.
Competition this year includes local bands Roar and Jangle (solo/duo), Kevin Hyatt Band (band) from Mansfield, Noaker-Combs Duo (solo/duo) from Lewisburg, J.P. Williams with Eddie The Harp (solo/duo) from Tunkhannock, The Cadillac Cats (band) from Williamsport, Selinsgrove based Jason P. Yoder (solo/duo) and Becky Blue & the Brand New Review (band) from Selinsgrove.
All performers were required to apply through a submission process and all criteria and performance rules align with those set forth by the Blues Foundation in Memphis Tennessee. The first prize for the winners is a guaranteed performance spot on the Festival’s Sun-Gazette main stage. Winners also become eligible to register in the esteemed International Blues Challenge in Memphis held the following January.
Performers are judged in the following categories: Blues Content, Originality, Vocals, Instrumental Talent, and Stage Presence. Participants are not judged against each other but only through a numeric scoring system.
The event will also offer an opportunity for new member signups and membership renewals, as well as the opportunity to purchase the 31st Billtown Blues Festival tickets.
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