Dallas, TX (Top40 Charts/ Chevy
Texas Official Website) - It was a long way to the top, but the Austin/San Angelo-based country rock outfit Bad Rodeo found a way to get there. Last night, the Chevy Dad Bands contest culminated at a
State Fair of
Texas concert in front of fans, event-goers, and Big Tex himself. Five bands, chosen from 120 entries, each played a 15-minute set during the final battle. In the end, the panel of judges chose Bad Rodeo as the best of the bunch.
Founded by singer/guitarist Dan Tucker and singer/bass guitarist Jeff Reynolds, Bad Rodeo has been playing their special brand of 'Texas country rockin' blues' for close to 20 years along with bandmates Bennet Spielvogel on keyboard, steel guitarist Kevin Engbretson, drummer Todd Kelly, and guitarist C.R. Holland.
'What an amazing experience,' said Tucker. 'There were some terrific bands here tonight so we're extremely honored to hold the title of 'The Best Dad Band in Texas.''
Bad Rodeo competed on the Truck Row Stage at the fair with four other finalist dad bands: The Marfalites (Dallas), Driver (Austin), The Krayolas (San Antonio), and qanda (Houston).
During the final concert, bands were given a score by each of the three judges based on quality of music, stage presence, and crowd engagement. The band with the highest aggregate score was named the winner.
The judging panel included radio personality Ryan Fox of 99.5 The Wolf in Dallas, State Fair of Texas director of food service Carey Risinger, and Jerry's Chevrolet general manager Andrew Anderson.
'This was every bit as difficult as I expected it to be. The talent in each one of these bands was tremendous,' said Fox.
The Chevy Texas Dad Bands Contest began accepting entries on September 4 through www.chevydadbands.com. Submissions spanned several genres including rock, country, jazz, soul, and pop, including many with a distinctive Texas sound. In addition to the wide range of musical styles, submissions were accepted from towns and cities across the state including Austin, Houston, Waxahachie, Big Spring, and San Angelo.
For earning the title of 'The Best Dad Band in Texas,' Bad Rodeo will receive VIP passes to 2011 SXSW Auditorium Shores performances and the opportunity to videotape an interview and performance on the set of Texas Music Scene (www.txmusictv.com), a locally produced music program aired on television stations in several Texas cities including Dallas and Houston.
'From the contest's outset, Chevy aimed to capture the spirit of dads and music, and I think our five finalists delivered in spades,' said Chevrolet regional marketing manager Mark Harland. 'Chevy is thrilled with the tremendous response to the contest and would like to congratulate Bad Rodeo for an awesome performance.'
