On This Page: Blues Challenge Band Application Form On This Page: Blues Challenge Band Play List Form The opening act of the 2008 Riverside Bluesfest will be selected through a series of blues band playoffs to take place in the St. Marys area in 2008. The Riverside Bluesfest Blues Challenge will be four dates of Preliminary playoff competitions, the winners of each Preliminary playoff to compete against each other in the Finals. Dates are scheduled from 1-5 pm one Sunday each month Jan-May 2008: Jan. 27 - Varsity Lanes Bowling Alley, St. Marys, Ohio "Suitcase" v. "M.C. Blue" (M.C. Blue advances) Click HERE for article. Feb. 24 - Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar (BW3), Lima, Ohio "Lady Bird & the Dirty Dirty Earth Worms" v. "Shootin' Blanks" (Lady Bird & the Dirty Dirty Earth Worms advances) Click HERE for article. Mar. 16 - C & C Loft and Lounge, St. Marys, Ohio "Big Worm & the Nightcrawlers" v. "Jon Justice Band" (Big Worm & the Nightcrawlers advances) Click HERE for article. Apr. 13 - Moose Lodge, Celina, Ohio (this event open to public) "No Right Turn" v. "Back Beat Blues" (No Right Turn advances) Click HERE for article. May 18 - FINALS - Eagles Lodge, St. Marys, Ohio (this event open to public) "M.C. Blue" v. "Lady Bird & the Dirty Dirty Earth Worms" v. Big Worm & the Nightcrawlers v. No Right Turn. ("No Right Turn" placed 1st  "Lady Bird and the Dirty Dirty Earthworms" placed 2nd  "Big Worm and the Nightcrawlers" placed 3rd  "M.C. Blue" placed 4th.) First Prize: Sixty-minute opening set for 2008 Riverside Bluesfest, August 30, Saturday of Labor Day weekend, St. Marys, Ohio, including promotion of that performance and on-site sale of band merchandise, if any; DVD of the band's Riverside Bluesfest performance; $500 Who Can Enter? While the Riverside Bluesfest Blues Challenge cannot be considered a purely “amateur” contest, the goal is to seek out the best “undiscovered” blues band in the greater St. Marys, Ohio region. “Band” is defined as any act with three or more musicians. Vocalists are counted as musicians for the purpose of the Blues Challenge. Electric and acoustic instruments are allowed but not judged separately. Solo or duo acts will not be accepted. Band applications will be reviewed by the Blues Challenge organizers. Bands will be assigned to Playoff venues/dates based on band characteristics including, but not limited to, number of personnel and instruments featured. The intent of band assignment is to compare apples to apples during judging. Band applications to the Blues Challenge will be accepted or not accepted at the sole discretion of the organizers. Entry fees will be returned to bands not accepted. Playoff Format The Riverside Bluesfest Blues Challenge is NOT affiliated with the International Blues Challenge (IBC). Bands must submit an application form and a $50 entry fee on or before January 1, 2008. Bands will be notified of their scheduled Preliminary playoff date and venue on or before January 14, 2008. Planned Preliminary playoff venues and dates in Lima, Celina and St. Marys, Ohio to be announced. Sunday afternoons are tentatively planned, January through April, with Finals May 18 at the St. Marys Eagles Lodge (open to the public for this event). The winning band will compete two times prior to the Riverside Bluesfest, once in a Preliminary round and again in the Final round. Each playoff will feature two, three or four bands. The winning band of each Preliminary playoff advances to a Final playoff competition and wins back its $50 entry fee (to be returned upon appearance at the Finals). Twenty minutes will be permitted between sets. Each playoff band must play a 40-minute set featuring a minimum of four (4) blues songs. Songs may be traditional blues covers or original material, but original material must be recognizably in the blues genre. A play list must be submitted in advance specifying all song titles and original composers. At least two (2) blues songs different from the Preliminary play list must be performed for the Finals. Bands will use a common drum kit, PA/mixing system and audio technician to be supplied. Other equipment may be shared as the venue and the situation may dictate. This is not a best-equipment competition. Bands must maintain the same personnel throughout both playoff and Riverside Bluesfest performances. Judging Bands will be judged by a three-member panel on a fifty-point scale. 1. Technical Proficiency (20): a. Individual Artistic Ability 1-10; Band members displaying instrumental or vocal virtuosity will score highly. b. Band "Tightness" 1-10; the judges will evaluate the band's cohesiveness and synchronization as a unit. 2. Presentation (20): a. Showmanship 1-10; entertainment value, stage presence and originality will be judged. b. Schedule 1-5; includes setting up, tearing down, and beginning and ending set on time. c. Song Selection 1-5; subjective rating of all material performed by the band. 3. Judge's Impression (10): gut feeling about the overall performance 1-10. Blues Challenge Band Applications Blues Challenge Band Applications and $50.00 Entry Fees must be received by the organizers on or before January 1, 2008. Applications may be downloaded below and printed (or obtained from the organizers), completed and mailed to the address at the bottom of this page; or applications may be downloaded below, filled out on a computer with Microsoft Word, Open Office Writer or Adobe Acrobat software, saved and sent as an email file attachment to the email address at the bottom of the page; or applications may be filled out on this page and submitted electronically in the fields below. No matter what method is used to submit an application, the application AND $50.00 entry fee must both be received by the organizers on or before January 1, 2008. Downloadable Riverside Bluesfest Blues Challenge Applications (includes Play List Submittal Form): .doc format (Microsoft Word, Open Office Writer). .pdf format (Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader). Blues Challenge Band Application * REQUIRED INFORMATION: Band Name: * Band Web Site: Band Contact Person Name: * Band Contact Person email address: * Band Contact Person phone: * Band Mailing Address Street: * Band Mailing Address City: * Band Mailing Address State and Zip: * Band Personnel         Band Personnel Name:                 Instrument or Instruments: 1.* 2.* 3.* 4.   5.   6.   7.   8.   All performing personnel must be submitted. Each Band Personnel Name must match driver license ID on day of playoff, on penalty of disqualification. No ringers for the playoffs. Deadline: January 1, 2008   Click the PayPal button to pay $50.00 Entry Fee now. ($2.50 handling fee will be added.) Deadline: January 1, 2008 ...or mail check or money order in the amount of $50.00 to: Riverside Bluesfest 2008 Blues Challenge PO Box 514 St. Marys, Ohio 45885 Payable to: "KC Geiger Park / Riverside Bluesfest" Deadline: January 1, 2008 Thank You and Good Luck! Blues Challenge Band Play List Play List must be received by the organizers at least 30 days prior to the scheduled Playoff appearance. Play List changes after 30 days prior to the Playoff must be approved by the organizers. Each playoff band must perform a 40-minute set featuring a minimum of four (4) blues songs. Songs may be traditional blues covers or original material, but original material must be recognizably in the blues genre. Traditional delta- or Chicago-style covers will be favored over Stevie Ray/Clapton wannabes. A play list must be submitted specifying all song titles and original composers. This Play List submittal procedure must be repeated for the Playoff Finals. Each band competing in the Finals must perform a minimum of two (2) DIFFERENT blues songs from those played in the preliminary playoff. The judged portion of the performance will consist of four blues songs, to be performed following two (2) warm-up songs. Play List submittal forms are on page two of the Riverside Bluesfest Blues Challenge Applications, downloadable above. Blues Challenge Band Play List * REQUIRED INFORMATION: Band Name: * Band Contact Person Name: * Band Contact Person email address: * Set Play List (check box if original composition)         Warm-up song:                 Composer or Composers: 1. 2.             Blues song:                     Composer or Composers:   3.* 4.* 5.* 6.* Extra songs (time permitting):         Composer or Composers:     7. 8. 9. PLEASE NOTE: Performing longer than the allotted 40 minutes will result in score deductions. Thank You and Good Luck! Riverside Bluesfest c/o K.C. Geiger Park Improvement Committee P.O. Box 514 St. Marys, Ohio 45885 blues@ridertown.com