Medford, NJ (www.hearitfirst.com) – Creation Festival, the largest outdoor Christian music and teaching festival of its kind, has partnered with hearitfirst.com, a fan-driven online community for Christian music fans, to present the Indiescovery Ultimate
Battle of the Bands.
'We are very excited to be working alongside hearitfirst.com for this one-of-a-kind talent contest,' says, Nick Kulb, VP of Marketing for the Creation Festivals. 'Both Creation and hearitfirst.com have the ability to provide a great platform for independent artists to show off their talent and we're pleased to partner together to bring national attention to gifted musicians who may have otherwise never been heard outside their hometown.'
Through April 14th, independent and previously unsigned artists are invited to submit an original song in mp3 format, along with two photos and a short biography via the Indiescovery section on hearitfirst.com. Each entry must also indicate a preference of battling it out at Creation Northeast in Pennsylvania on June 30th or at Creation Northwest in Washington on July 28th. All submissions will be posted on the hearitfirst.com website and visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite performers April 15th – May 15th. The online votes will then be tabulated and the top three artists for each festival will be determined.
The six semi-finalists, three for Creation Northeast and three for Creation Northwest, will have the opportunity to perform live during the Friday night Late Night Café Ultimate Battle of the Band competition, hosted by Sparrow Records artist Sanctus Real. The winner will be chosen by the audience, with the crowd favorite receiving the loudest response as measured by an applause meter.
"We've performed at Creation for the past four years and always look forward to it every summer. This year we're excited to not only play, but also host the Indiescovery Ultimate Battle of the Bands,' says, Matt Hammitt, lead singer of Sanctus Real. 'Having been an independent band not so long ago ourselves, we understand how important an opportunity like this can be to an undiscovered artist and we're honored to play a role in helping an artist live out their dream."
The Ultimate winner at each festival will receive a Saturday morning opening slot on the X2006 Fringe Stage and the opportunity to record a demo in Nashville, TN for a major Christian record label.
'hearitfirst.com is all about letting the fans decide for themselves. With the Indiescovery Ultimate Battle of the Bands, fans can become both the artist and the critic by submitting their music and voting on the best bands,' explains Mark Adikson, co-founder of hearitfirst.com. 'In partnering with Creation Festivals, we are creating the stage online and ultimately giving away the stage at the festival.'
This year's 28th Annual Creation Festival will feature a main stage line-up including Third Day, TobyMac, Newsboys, Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, Audio Adrenaline, Hillsong United, David Crowder, Salvador, Sanctus Real, Stryper, popular mainstream band Relient K and American Idol finalist, George Huff, along with many other nationally known favorites. The Festival will also present many new artists who are on the rise, including Flyleaf, The Afters, Mainstay and M.O.C and the Tooth and Nail Records sponsored 'X2006 Fringe Stage' will feature the best of up-and-coming alternative Christian artists, including Krystal Meyers, Seventh Day Slumber, John Reuben, Hawk Nelson, Falling Up, House of Heroes and 4th Avenue Jones, among others. Creation Northeast will be held June 28th – July 1st at the Agape Farm in the beautiful mountain ranges of Mount Union, PA. Celebrating its 9th year, Creation Northwest will be held at the amazing Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA July 26th –29th.
