BARABOO, WI (June 7, 2005)— The votes are in and the selections have been made for the first-ever "Bud Light Battle of the Bands" competition and contest at the 2005 Sauk County Fair, July 11-17, Baraboo. Bands were invited to submit a demo CD for chance to compete for a spot on the program. Sauk County Fair officials received some two dozen entries, which a panel of judges whittled down to just five.
The five groups that will perform on Thursday, July 14, beginning at 7 p.m. are: Catch Penny, Sonic Rush, Gary and the Gators, A.E.F. and Happy Ashtray. Grandstand audience appeal will help select the evening's winning band, which will receive $1,000 and perform later that night in the Litscher Pavilion on the fairgrounds. All the other bands will each receive $300.
The bands encompass a variety of musical genres yet the material they perform in front of the Grandstands will be suitable for audiences of all ages. Tickets to the Bud Light Battle of the Bands are $5 for adults and $2 for kids ages 5-12. Tickets will be on sale about one hour prior to the start of the competition and concert.
The “Bud Light Battle of the Bands” event is one of two new acts
added to this year’s Fair. The other new grandstand event is “Run What Ya Brung
ATV Races” set for Wednesday, July 13, at 7 p.m. at the Fairgrounds. ATV race
rules, along with rules for other events, are available online at www.saukcountyfair.com. Rounding out
the 2005 Grandstand schedule are Farm and Antique Tractor pulls on Tuesday
night; Darryl Worley and The Kentucky Headhunters in concert Friday night;
Pullers Inc. Hot Farm, Truck & Smoker Tractor pulls on Saturday night;
Champion Demolition Derby runs both Sunday afternoon and evening.
Catch Penny is a Minneapolis-based band that includes students Zach and Christian Schauf, Eric Raum, Josh Anderson and Jeff Wick. To learn more about them, go to www.catchpennyband.com or www.cureduchenne.org.
Sonic Rush hails from North Freedom and includes Kurt Schlieckau, Chris Alt, Jason Ereel and Joe Bainbridge performing a large variety of classic to current rock. Discover more Sonic Rush at www.sonic-rush.com.
Gary and the Gators come out of the Sauk County area to perform a variety of rock, contemporary, blues, dance music and some country. Band members include Gary Huebing, Keith Koehler, Mark Miller and Todd Martin.
A.E.F. calls New Lisbon home, where Mike Sarazin, Alex Faust, Craig Cherny, Keegan Walsh and Chad Seebecker form the band. It plays original rock, acoustic and blues material as well as music from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Read more at www.purevolume.com.
Happy Ashtray is a Baraboo-based band that includes John Swamy, Christopher Walsh, Craig Pierson, Tom and Kate Fitzwilliams and Scott Moore. The band roots rock with folk, country and blues to perform mostly original material.