By Emily Williams
Journal intern
Voting is now underway to choose who will get to rock out at a musical fundraiser in Mountain Brook later this month.
The voting round of the talent search for Crestline Rocks, an event to benefit PreSchool Partners, started Sept. 2.
Performers are battling it out in an online competition to earn a spot in the lineup of Crestline Rocks, which will be held Sept. 27.
The music portion of the event gives local musicians the chance to showcase their talents on stage in front of hundreds of fans, all while supporting PreSchool Partners.
For the second year in a row, IberiaBank’s Crestline Rocks, sponsored by Otey’s Tavern and Taco Mama, will transform Crestline Village into a “shop and groove block party” to raise money for PreSchool Partners, organizers said.
PreSchool Partners is a nonprofit organization that aims to prepare preschool children and their parents for kindergarten in the Birmingham City school system.
The first round of the online competition to select bands for Crestline Rocks ended Aug. 27.
Fans can vote for their favorite performers at PreSchool-Partners.org and can vote as many times as they want. Each vote requires a $1 donation to PreSchool Partners.
So far, eight bands have submitted their videos online, organizers said. Those bands are 7th Avenue South (Bruce Spiller, Todd Pickord, Jim Lorson, Eric Crowe, Mary Glenn Christopher and Sonja Spiller), Mary Kathryn and the 10 Sweaty Strings (Mary Kathryn Parrot, Edmund Perry, Drew White, Wilson Tyndall and Bill Perry), Apollo (Chase Robinett and others), The Howlers (Kate Howell, Kamp McMinn, Paul McMinn and Will McCowan), Cardinal (Ethan Asters, Brent Beachtel, Kyle Carpenter and Justin Jackson), Kathryn Taylor Wyatt, The Burning Peppermints (Jake Witting and others) and Sarah and Will Mason.
“We have a great mix of performers from solo acts to large bands,” said Allene Neighbors, director of development at PreSchool Partners. “Many of them are local. We have a few Mountain Brook bands, a girl from Northport and a group from Hoover.”
The performers will be narrowed to a field of 10 in round two of the talent search. Round two ends at 8 p.m. Sept. 16. The lineup will be announced Sept. 18.
Those selected for round three will be invited to play at Crestline Rocks for an hour. The band that receives the most online votes will be given the last performance slot.
In addition to prime lineup positions, the top three bands with the most online votes will choose from three prize options. First prize includes one full day in the Mason Music recording studio with mixing and mastering provided by Homewood School of Music. The second prize is an evening gig at Otey’s with a $100 gift certificate to Taco Mama. Third prize is a $500 Village Gold Card.
The weekend of festivities will actually start Sept. 25 with the Character Crawl through Crestline Village. From 5-8 p.m., families can meet and mingle with their favorite characters, mascots and personalities. They also can eat, shop and help kick off this year’s Crestline Rocks.
The concert portion of the event will begin at noon Sept. 27 on the grassy lawn across from the Emmet O’Neal Library. The event will conclude with performances by the Hams featuring Jimmy Gauld, Jim Harmon, Lee Hurley and Laine Pool and Rollin’ in the Hay.
Organizers said Crestline Rocks will be held rain or shine, and guests are welcome to bring blankets and coolers to the event.
For concert-goers with tiny tots, Schaeffer Eye Center’s Touch-A-Truck event will allow children to touch and climb on some of the city’s service vehicles from 3-5 p.m.
“We have tweaked the model from last year’s event and anticipate continuing to provide a fabulous show for our guests and increased support for PreSchool Partners,” Neighbors said.
Tickets for Crestline Rocks are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets for children 10 and younger are $5. Advance tickets can be purchased online or at The Pants Store in Crestline Village.
For more information, to vote on the bands or to purchase tickets, visit PreSchool-Partners.org.
