Category Archives: – Contests

Kerrville New Folk accepting entries

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The Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters is now accept submissions for the 2018 contest.

Held each year at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas, this prestigious contest has long brought songwriters from across the U.S. and worldwide.

Each year, as many as 800 songwriters submit 2 songs, which are listened to by a panel of presenters, artists, and music enablers. From these entries, 32 songwriters will be selected as 2018 New Folk Finalists and will be invited to play their submitted songs at one of the two New Folk Concerts held during the first weekend of the 3-weekend festival. From those 32 finalists, 6 will be selected as the 2018 New Folk Award Winners.

Official Entry Guidelines are posted on the Website: www.KerrvilleFolkFestival.org/new-folk

Rusty Wier contest, Rd 2 Wk 3

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Photo by Ivonne Maxwell, Stone Creek Photography

Photos by Mary Jane Farmer, with some added by Ken Maxwell and Ivonne Maxwell   For all photos, click here 

Round Two of this year’s Rusty Wier Singer/Songwriter challenge ended just as it began — with many incredible musicians having fun, making music, making fans, and making more friends.

Sponsored this and every year by Love & War in Texas and held at L&W’s Plano location, the contest kicked off with dozens upon dozens of musicians, and now, entering the Semi-Finals this coming Sunday there’ll be 12 musicians still vying for top honor.

Those competing in Round 2 Week 2 were:  Ken Maxwell, Robin Willis, Bryan Adam Joyner, John Wesley (Dub) Shelton, Rio King, Hanah & Hailee, Nick Flint, and Kevin Edwards.

Moving into Round 3, aka the Semi-Finals, are:  (Week 1, 4 p.m. Sunday, March 5) are:  David Byboth, Marina Rocks, Wesley Joe Malone, Kevin Edwards, Stacey Shope, Larry Martin, and Town Walsh. Then, on the second week of the Semi-finals, (4 p.m., Sunday, March 12) there’ll be Byron Dowd, Jess Skelton, Nick Flint, Whitney O’Neil, Tanner Sparks, and Harley Dale Brown on the Love & War stage.

No cover charge for these events.

Two asides here:  (1) There hasn’t been a loser in the group, not a single one, and that’s no Texas bull! … and (2) Byron Dowd and Town Walsh have been involved every year since it started.

And one more aside:  Anyone is welcome to download and use any photo of this week, or weeks past, that they wish to.

 

Rusty Wier contest Rd 2 Wk 2

Rd 2 Wk 2, Group photo

For all photos, click here

Love & War in Texas (Plano location at the NE corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway), annually hosts the Singer/songwriter contest named after the late and oh-so-great Rusty Wier, a Texas Hill Country-based musician who entertained countless folks for decades.

Round Two of this year’s Rusty Wier singer/songwriter contest continued showing the best of the best Sunday (Feb. 19) with 9 of the 25 remaining musicians swapping songs and making more friends, and just all-about having fun while making music and friends.

Week 2  featured: Byron Dowd, Ed McGory, Matt Nix, Whitney O’Neil, Marina Rocks, Tanner Sparks, Mr. Troll, Tyler John, and Town Walsh. Walsh and Down have played in this every one of the many years it’s gone on.

UPDATE:  Three of the Round 3 songwriters have had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. Jake Bays, J.D. Cobb, and Matt Dunn, all strong contenders to keep moving on, let coordinator Brett Dillon know they can’t make it. So, Dillon has invited some of the top-scoring musicians from Round 1 to again compete.

Joining Kevin Edwards, Nick Flint, Hanah & Hailey, Bryan Adam Joyner, and Robin Willis for this Round 3  Sunday, Feb. 26, will be John Wesley Shelton and Ken Maxwell. The third contender invited back hasn’t yet responded with a yay or a nay — so, we’ll just see and hope for the best.

Playing in Week 1 of Round 2 were:  Alex Lease, Zack Jones, Wesley Joe Malone, Stacey Shope, Larry Martin, David Byboth, Jess Skelton, and Harley Dale Brown.

All these are competing against everyone in the round, not just those also playing on the same Sundays.

Rusty Wier challenge, Rd 2 Wk 1

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Gus and Tracy Samuelson with Guthrie Kennard

For all photos, click here: All photos by Mary Jane Farmer, except for two, as depicted, by Ken Maxwell.

Love & War in Texas (Plano location at the NE corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway), annually hosts the Singer/Singwriter contest named after the late and oh-so-great Rusty Wier, a Texas Hill Country-based musician who entertained countless folks for decades.

Round Two of this year’s Rusty Wier singer/songwriter contest got off to a dynamite start Sunday (Feb. 12) with eight of the 25 remaining musicians swapping songs and making more friends, and just all-about having fun while making music and friends.

Playing this week were:  Alex Lease, Zack Jones, Wesley Joe Malone, Stacey Shope, Larry Martin, David Byboth, Jess Skelton, and Harley Dale Brown. Their pictures are shown in that link above.

Oh, yeah — almost forgot — added bonus this week. Big Gus Samuelson and Guthrie Kennard both sang one of their songs at the end of the night. What a treat!

Week 2, Sunday, Feb. 19, will feature: Byron Dowd, Ed McGory, Matt Nix, Whitney O’Neil, Marina Rocks, Tanner Sparks, Mr. Troll, Tyler John, and Town Walsh, tho the order of their song-swapping will be disclosed Sunday, when it kicks off. Music starts at 4 p.m., and there’s no cover charge for these days of great music.

UPDATE:  NOT going to skip a week, because of construction being postponed instead.  4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26  Scheduled then are:  Jake Bays, J.D. Cobb, Matt Dunn, Kevin Edwards, Nick Flint, Hanah & Hailey, Bryan Adam Joyner, and Robin Willis.

Rusty Wier contest, Rd 1, Wk 3

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Diana Love talking with long-time friend, Whitney O’Neil.

Click here for all photos 

Sponsored by Love & War in Texas, this 7th yearly Rusty Wier singer/songwriter competition has now finished up its Round 1, with Week 3 having been completed Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017.

Competing in this Week 3 were:  Bryan Adam Joyner, Whitney O’Neil, J.D. Cobb, Kevin Edwards, Nick Flint, Mandalyn Mack, Larry Martin, Darren Rozell, Hannah & Hailey, Jess Skelton, John Wesley Shelton, Robin Willis.

These singer/songwriters competed in groups of three, song-swap style, with each presenting three original songs. They are not just competing against one another, but are competing against all 30+ songwriters involved in Round 1.

KHYI’s radio personality Brett Dillon coordinates this contest, and Roger Russell runs sound.

Dillon will notify performers and the public soon when Round 2 begins and who will be moving on into this prestigious contest’s second round. For sure, it will continue to be at Love & War’s Plano restaurant, at the NE corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway. There’s no cover charge for any of the contest segments.

And, BTW, In Round 2, there’ll be featuring two photos of all performers show each week.