Along the crooked path of Peachy Canyon Road in Paso Robles, you’ll find a picturesque scene among the oak tree grounds known as Stacked Stone Cellars, the home of the 2007 Winery Music Awards second elimination round.
Whether it was the striking surroundings, delicious wine, irresistible barbecue or the original live music performances, this was the perfect place to be on Saturday.
Kathy Kelly Productions Inc. created the competition in order to satisfy the public’s desire for a mix of musical performances incorporated with the finest wineries California has to offer.
The crowd, filled to capacity, enjoyed the festivities of the second of five semi-final rounds of elimination. Each of the five original, unsigned music artists from across the U.S. competed for the judges’ affection and a spot in the final competition, which would give them a chance to win cash, prizes and a breakthrough recording contract.
The winners of the 2005 competition accomplished all this and more. Threes and Nines, an alternative acoustic trio based out of Arroyo Grande, took home the first place spot and the RNB Entertainment recording contract in 2005.
“We recorded and released a song for the television show ‘What About Brian’ and we are opening for the Violent Femmes at the end of this month,” lead singer Jake Brebes said.
So what is it going to take to win over the judges this year?
There were eight judges present, ranging from well-known vocal coaches and performers to representatives of big name bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Diane Steinberg-Lewis, an experienced actress and back-up singer for such acts as Rod Stewart, enjoyed participating as a member of the judges panel.
“What’s wonderful is that I am not familiar with any of the performers, which keeps me 100 percent objective,” Steinberg-Lewis said.
The first to hit the stage was Hard Rain, a folk-rock band based out of Los Angeles led by Andy Hill and Renee Safier.
Well-prepared to deal with pressure, Hard Rain seemed undaunted by the fact that they were missing both their drummer and acoustic guitarist. Inspired by Bob Dylan, Hill brings variety and intrigue to his band’s sound.
The second band to grace the stage was Machine. Based out of Templeton, Machine was the only modern rock group in the competition.
Mike “Buzz” Buzzetti and Rolf Gehrung make up the band, which started out with the two writing and recording one song every night using a drum machine.
Third in line was Amber Norgaard, whose songs are a mix of pop, folk and soft rock. With well-written and honest lyrics that addressed heartfelt issues and worldly experiences, Norgaard won over the judges, falling short of first place by only four points.
A refreshing and vibrant Delaney Gibson delivered the fourth performance as she and her band set the scene with matching classical outfits.
Gibson has not only mastered the guitar, piano and vocals, but she writes all of her own songs as well, making her a quadruple threat.
“I usually sit down at the piano or with a guitar and write the music first, then the lyrics just come after the music,” Gibson said. “It can be a two minute long process or even three weeks.”
No matter where her talents take her, this ’60s-inspired performer has her sights set in the right direction.
“This experience is going to be awesome,” Gibson said. “The next step is to release an album and just try to get picked up by a record label.”
Last but not least, and perhaps the most recognized band of the night, Dominic Castillo and The Rock Savants rocked the house.
As a trained jazz musician who studied music at Berklee in Boston, Castillo formed the rock band in order to combine his studies along with the sounds of Elliott Smith, Elvis Costello, Radiohead and Jeff Buckley.
Castillo won over the judges with a score of 87.88 percent.
Dominic Castillo and The Rock Savants took home first place and automatically advanced to the final competition Oct. 7 at River Oaks Hot Springs and Spa in Paso Robles.
Two wild card winners will also be invited to the final competition after the winners of all four elimination rounds have been determined.
Tickets for any of the remaining rounds of the Winery Music Awards concerts are available through www.BrownPaperTickets.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006. More information is available at www.winerymusicawards.com.