Published: May 27, 2009 10:15 pm      

Auditions set for HolyPalooza

Youth concert will be July 11

Ashland — Local bands are invited to compete next month for a chance to play at HolyPalooza in July.

Six bands will be selected to play at the third-annual youth concert in Ashland’s Central Park and at the Paramount Arts Center.

Five bands will play during the afternoon in the park and one group will be chosen to open for recording artist Big Daddy Weave at the PAC later that evening.

Auditions for local bands will be June 20 at Plaza Church of the Nazarene in Russell. Bands may register by sending information to holypalooza07@gmail.com. An online registrar will be available in the coming days on the WZAQ 92.3 The Highway’s Web site at www.wzaqfm.com.

Jason Crum, event organizer and youth leader at Durbin Church of the Nazarene, said bands will be given a time slot for their audition once all the bands have registered. More than a half dozen bands have already contacted the organization about auditioning, he said.

“The way things are looking right now we’ll have to start about 10 a.m. and go all through the evening,” Crum said.

According to Crum, the top six bands will be selected that day by judges. The top three bands will have short flash videos of their auditions posted on the PAC’s Web site to allow the public to vote for their favorites.

“We are going to do just like we did with our ‘American Idol’ competition,” said PAC spokeswoman Jenny Pemberton. She said videos will be posted on the Paramount’s U-tube site, www.utube.com/paramountartscenter, and voters will be allowed to cast a single vote per e-mail address.

The band that receives the most votes will open the portion of the concert at the Paramount that will feature the Jason Lovins Band and Big Daddy Weave. That concert will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The remaining five bands will perform during HolyPalooza’s free concert in Ashland’s Central Park from noon to 4 p.m. July 11. Free food, inflatables, corn hole games and prizes will also be offered during the concerts in the park.

Tickets for the Jason Lovins Band and Big Daddy Weave concert are available at the PAC, Shield of Faith Bookstore, Family Christian Bookstore and the Mustard Seed Bookstore. They range from $10 to $25.

CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.