Know an up-and-coming band? It’s time again to nominate your favorite rising star bands to enter the Bank of the West Celebrates America Opening Band Contest on CelebratesAmerica.com. The winner will earn the chance of a lifetime to open a summertime outdoor concert featuring Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame’s Joan Jett & the Blackhearts with special guest Eddie Money. The 25^th anniversary of Bank of the West Celebrates America annual concert and fireworksshow is Friday, June 26, 2015, at Memorial Park in Omaha, Nebraska. The event has become one of America’s largest free outdoor concerts drawing more than 60,000 people from the Midwest.
Contest details are on CelebratesAmerica.com. Previous winners of the contest are The Talbott Brothers, The Morgan Leigh Band, Scarlett Drive and Take Me to Vegas. “To open a show with such big names in music was amazing,” said Nick Talbott, lead guitarist and co-songwriter for The Talbott Brothers, which won the contest in 2014. “It was a really cool experience to perform for a crowd of so many people.”
The public can nominate their favorite up-and-coming bands and then vote for one of five Finalists. Input for selecting the top five Finalists will be provided by Bank of the West executives in addition to music industry representatives from Warner Music Group, Creative Artists Agency and Romeo Entertainment Group.
“It’s our fifth year of hosting this nationwide competition, and the field of entrants grows each year as word of the contest continues to spread among emerging bands across the country,” said Robert Dalrymple, Executive Vice President, Bank of the West’s Midwest Division. “The ultimate prize is the experience of opening the region’s most popular free, outdoor summer concert, and warming up the crowd prior to the performances of nationally known artists.”
The public is invited to nominate their favorite up-and-coming bands on CelebratesAmerica.com until May 24, 2015. Online public voting for the winning band will be June 8 through June 14, 2015, on CelebratesAmerica.com. Bank of the West will announce the winning band in mid-June.