There were aspirations of stardom in the hearts of three talented musicians on the evening of Oct. 12 when the Olds radio station Rock 104.5 brought its Rock Star Search competition to Innisfail.
Folksinger-songwriter Tyler Lizotte from Fort Vermilion took on two members of the rock band Young Fellas during the Thanksgiving weekend competition, which took place at the popular Innisfail hot spot, The Zoo.
Both teams entered the event with pre-existing challenges to overcome -- with Lizotte sporting a leg cast and crutches, and Young Fellas short two of their band members. Showing true determination, however, the musicians did not let these pitfalls prevent them from giving their best performances possible when their time came to entertain the enthusiastic crowd that had gathered for the show.
Four judges with ties to the local music scene evaluated the performances based on a variety of criteria including overall musicality of each song, and performer's stage presence. In the end, the Lacombe-based band Young Fellas emerged victorious by a margin of only two points.
Andrew Galloway and Dalton Case assured the audience and judges that their fellow band members Jordon Galaway and Dane Blacquiere would join them for the Star Search Grand Finale, Oct. 18 at Tracks Pub in Olds. The band attended the finale and competed against winners from the Crossfield and Olds competitions, which took place earlier this fall. Following an enthusiastic performance, Young Fellas won the Rock Star title, and along with it an array of prizes, including a professionally recorded single, airplay on Rock 104, and an opportunity to open for the headliners of the radio station's annual Birthday Bash.
While Innisfail has often been one of three host communities for this event in the past, this year's competition marks the first time that The Zoo has been a participating venue. Manager Shawn Pears said that she really enjoyed the opportunity to host the event. "There is a lot of local talent and it is great to be able to help promote that," she said. Pears hopes that if The Zoo is given the chance to host the event next year, there will be even more performers signing up to compete. "The more people who get involved in this sort of thing, the more entertaining it is for everyone -- and of course the more exposure these talented musicians will receive. It's a win for everybody."
