Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Thirsty for some music?

Los Osos jazz-funk musician Matthias heads the competition this weekend at the Winery Music Awards.
Saturday’s concert will feature four hours of music, wine and sunny North County scenery in San Miguel, hosted by TV “Bachelor” Andrew Firestone and judged by an industry panel.
Also competing on Saturday are:Brooklyn-based Assaf Spector, who merges funk, blues, hip hop and rock with his band Birthday On Mercury, plus soulful rockers Justin Hopkins and the Guilt, pop-rock singer Sarah Hethcoat, and blues combo The Laurie Morvan Band, all from the Los Angeles area.
The Winery Music Awards officially kicked off June 9, when Sacramento pianist Shannon Curtis beat out an all-female line-up from as far away as Portland.
Damon Castillo and the Rock Savants, based in San Luis Obispo, walked away with the most points in July.
As the contest continues, musicians will compete in September to earn a slot at the final showdown on Oct. 7. Musicians are graded on their originality, skill and marketability to the ever-expanding demographic of wine drinkers — specifically, men and women age 21 to 54.
Top acts will take home prizes including cash, studio time and a record contract with RNB Entertainment Group of Los Angeles. Competitors could also walk away with a custom electric guitar by Dave Mason’s RKS Guitars.
Last year’s grand prize winner, Arroyo Grande acoustic rock trio Threes and Nines, plans to release its debut album later this year.

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Producer Kathy Kelly created the Winery Music Awards, which highlights independent, unsigned bands and musicians, in 2005.
The concert starts at 4 p.m. Saturday at Silver Horse Winery, 2995 Pleasant Rd. in San Miguel. Tickets are $40.
For more information, call 467-WINE (9463) or visit www.winerymusicawards.com.

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