Have you always dreamed of rockin’ out on stage, head banging along to your favourite song while playing imaginary instruments and lip syncing in pitch perfect timing?
If your answer is yes, quit dreaming—the stage is waiting.
On Sunday, March 6, the Jasper Folk Music Festival is hosting its first ever Air Band Contest and offering up the stage at the Jasper Legion as the ultimate venue for perfectly choreographed dance moves and guitar slides.
Whatever the genre, whatever the tune, the folk fest crew wants to see you bust out your best moves.
“You can basically fake it,” said Anna Faris, one of the event organizers. “You’re not actually singing. It’s just a chance for people to get goofy and have some fun.”
Although there aren’t many rules, there is one: there is a maximum of six members allowed in each “band.”
Performers have the opportunity to win in one of four categories: best performance, best costumes, best props and best choreography.
Best performance encompasses everything from audience reaction to accurate lip syncing, team name, costumes, props and choreography, so to win the top prize—tickets to September’s Jasper Folk Music Festival—you have to do it all.
“I’m really excited about the prizes,” said Faris, crediting Jasper’s business community for its generosity. “We even have plenty of door prizes, so you don’t even have to compete to win.”
Faris said the idea for the competition came from the popular reality TV show Lip Sync Battle hosted by LL Cool J.
The show pits celebrities against each other in the ultimate lip sync battle, complete with backup dancers, costumes and props.
“With the popularity of Lip Sync Battle that’s going on right now, we thought that would be an easy, adaptable idea for a fundraiser.
“I think this is something that could really take off. I see potential for it in Jasper,” she said, adding that the hope is it will become an annual event and that next year it will be open to all ages.
To register your air band, email jasperfolkmusicfestival.com. The cost is $20.
To watch the show, it’s $5 at the door. The show starts at 8 p.m.
Nicole Veerman
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