The 24th annual Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase kicked off its third round Thursday Feb. 11 at Stickyz Rock ‘N’ Roll Chicken Shack in Little Rock.
Over the course of four weeks, five bands will perform at Stickyz for semi-finals. One band is chosen at each round; those advancing compete on Feb. 26 at the Rev Room, host Tiffany Hollands said.
The prize package for the final winner is over $2500, a much bigger prize than last year. The package includes a headlining spot at Legends of Arkansas and Riverfest, recording time, a cash prize and more, Hollands said.
Each set was about 30 minutes long including set-up time before the performance.
Judges’ scoring was based on song writing, originality and showmanship to create a range of points.
The four judges sat at a table in the back. There were three regular judges: Sarah Strickland, Shawn Brown, Jim Harris and a guest judge, Christopher Terry, Hollands said.
However, everyone in the audience got a ticket to vote for their favorite act when they walked in. This counts as a small percentage to each band’s final score.
The show started off at 8 p.m. with blues singers Trey Johnsonand Jason Willmon.
Oddy Knocky, a rock band, was the second act up. This was their first time to play as a group; they have all played separately in the past, lead singer Paul Bowling said.
Love and a Revolver, another rock band, performed around 10 p.m.
“We love music, and we love listening to it as well,” lead singer Jenny Clayton said.
The Uh Huhs performed last and were the overall winner. Their performance was unique because it was the only one with a slideshow projecting behind the band while they played.
Lead singer Zack Hale created the band’s name after they went through six terrible names, guitarist Trent Whitehead said. They threw out about 20 names, but The Uh Huhs stuck.
The band has mostly played local gigs, but has traveled to Chicago, Nashville and Memphis, Whitehead said. They’ve played for about a year together.
The next round of the showcase will be Thursday Feb. 18 at Stickyz to determine the last semi-finalist.
image via arktimes.com
