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features Finalists gear up for the '07 Sound Off! Competition

With the field sufficiently whittled down to just a trio of local bands, the stage has been set to crown the winner of the sixth annual SoundOff! Competition, the Pacific Northwest’s largest battle of the bands for musicians under 21. That’s right, they may be able to rattle off an awe-inspiring performance, but you still can’t buy them a drink after the show. The finals will take place Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Experience Music Project’s Sky Church venue, with three young bands vying for a coveted spot on the 2007 Bumbershoot lineup.

“There are a lot of ‘battle of the bands’ in the community that take place in bars and cater to an older audience,” Janine Logsdon, educational program coordinator for the EMP said, “so we feel like we’re filling a niche that isn’t really being filled at other places and really providing something for the all ages music scene.” Since its inception in 2002, SoundOff! has served as the launching pad for a host of young musical acts, with standouts including Schoolyard Heroes, Mon Frere, Dyme Def, and Idiot Pilot (currently signed to Reprise Records).

Before the contest could begin, a pre-screening jury sifted through 85 submissions until they found 12 qualified bands. After three exciting rounds of performances, this year’s competition will come down to the indie-folk stylings of For Years Blue, the driving electro-dance tunes of Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, and the Death Cab-esque Army Corps of Architects. “They are a good representation of the different kinds of genres that we had in SoundOff! this year,” Logsdon said, “They’re all doing something unique.”

The judging panel, composed of both music professionals and peer evaluators, will score the bands on composition and arrangement, technical ability and musicianship, creativity and originality, and audience response. The stakes are high for the competitors, as winners will receive radio airplay, recording studio sessions, and high-end musical equipment.

To top it off, the winning band will earn a coveted slot on the 2007 Bumbershoot lineup. Since it’s inception, Bumbershoot has been a festival known for exposing local talent, with 40 percent of last year’s artists hailing from the Pacific Northwest region. The winners of the ’07 SoundOff competition will no doubt add to this musical tradition.

“Every year we are impressed with the caliber of the bands and how professional the musicians are at such a young age,” Logsdon said, “and this year is absolutely no exception.”

Tickets to the event are $7 for EMP Members and students (with valid student ID), $10 for the public. For more information visit SoundOff! 2007.

Next: Interview with the Sound Off Winner

posted February 21 '07 at 12:33PM by eschwimmer in bumbershoot, music, sound off