“ELLSWORTH BAND WINS ROCK-OFF 25”

 

Monday, April 20, 2009

ATTN:  A & E / Lifestyles / Local Music / Assignment Editors
“ELLSWORTH BAND WINS ROCK-OFF 25”

*****     for immediate release     *****

ENTROPY, a neo-classic rock quintet from Ellsworth HS, earned the title of Best Young Band in the State of Maine Sunday when Reindeer Records presented its 25^th— and final-Annual Rock-Off competition at McAuley Performing Arts Center in Portland.

An enthusiastic crowd of about 300 fans, friends and family members of all sizes and ages were on hand to show their support for this year’s finalists that also included CROSSED OUT (Gorham HS), AUXILIARY (Massabesic HS), DYSFUNKTIONAL MAYHEM (Deering, Casco Bay, Portland, Cheverus and Lake Region), INTRODUCING… (Windham HS) and SINGLE HANDED (Bonny Eagle).

The show kicked off with a guest performance by Jordan Stowell of IN THE AUDIENCE, a whimsical rock act from Portland, and concluded with a crowd-pleasing appearance by THE SHAMS, a band that competed in Rock-Offs 21 and 22.  THE SHAMS reunited just for the historic finale, paying tribute to the stage that helped launch their popularity.

Rock-Off Master of Ceremonies Ryan Woodbury, a senior from Gray-New Gloucester HS, entertained the audience mid-way with his brand of acoustic pop.

The Annual Rock-Off Awards Presentation provided an opportunity to recognize many bands and individual musicians for outstanding efforts in numerous categories. [Complete list is attached].

Presenting ENTROPY with the last-ever Rock-Off title was David Ames, a well-known local working musician who was a member of the Bonny Eagle HS band AMBUSH, the very first Rock-Off winners in 1983.

ENTROPY formed several years ago when its founding members were in the 8th grade. Five years later, they would go on to win the Ellsworth Grand Theater Battle of the Bands, defeating many bands that had been signed to a record label. The band currently plays shows, but all the members are eager for something bigger. The band dreams of cutting an album, and becoming more than just a “local band.”

Band members include: Brendon Bouchard – bass/vocals; Justin Chamberlain – lead guitar/vocals; John Keefe – guitar; Spencer Small – lead vocals; and Tyler Small – drums.

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for all the awards of the Rock-Off 25 go to

https://reindeerprx.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/rock-off-25-awards/

March 7, 2011
ATTN: A & E / Lifestyles /Features / Assignment Editors
“OFF-RAMP BANDS PRODUCE BENEFIT SHOWS FOR TEEN GROUPS”
***** for immediate release *****

The statewide high school rock band competition called The Off-Ramp is rounding the fourth curve and heading into the homestretch-but not before the nine competing bands learn a lesson in giving back to the community.The Off-Ramp is the brainchild of Reindeer Records, the creators of the popular Rock-Off competition that helped out thousands of young musicians since it began in 1984. The new competition is designed to provide a more intense learning experience for the young competitors and leave a long-lasting impact on their peers.

Since being selected in November, the bands have had to face various music-industry tasks-songwriting, video documenting their recording studio experience, and marketing.

Their fourth task is Live Event Production, for which Reindeer created three teams of three bands with the goal of producing an all-ages show to benefit designated youth groups.

TEAM SOUTH consists of Beware Of Pedestrians (Gorham HS, Scarborough HS), Crossed Out (Gorham HS) and The Study Of Wumbo (Scarborough HS, Kennebunk HS), with Alex Verrill as the Project Manager. Their benefit concert for Westbrook’s MISSION POSSIBLE TEEN CENTER will be held on Friday, March 11, 7 PM at Mission Possible, 755 Main St., Westbrook.

TEAM CENTRAL consists of Midnite Haze (Telstar Middle/HS), The Modest Proposal (Freeport HS) and Where’s Robert? (Mt. Ararat HS, Morse HS, Brunswick HS), with Gus MacDonald as Project Manager. Their benefit concert for Lewiston’s NEW BEGINNINGS TEEN SHELTER will be held on Saturday, April 23, 7 PM at the Freeport Community Center, 53 Depot St., Freeport.

TEAM NORTH consists of Phantom Companion (Falmouth HS, Waynflete), The Resistance (Erskine Academy, Maine Central Institute, Warsaw MS) and Stuck In Neutral (Boothbay Region HS), with Xander Nelson as Project Manager. Their benefit Concert for Bangor’s SHAW HOUSE TEEN SHELTER, TEEN CENTER & OUTREACH PROGRAMS will be held on Saturday, April 9, 6:30 PM at The Brick, 126 Union St., Bangor.

For this task, Teams will be evaluated on Advance Ticket Sales, Marketing/Promotion of the event, Teamwork, Communication and Agency Involvement.

As part of their Marketing task (Task #3), bands are currently attempting to generate as many streams and downloads of their original song, I Scream At Walls, that they created for their 1st Task (Songwriting) and recorded as part of their 2nd Task (The Recording Studio Experience).

Family, friends and fans the world over can support their favorite band by visiting www.cdbaby.com and searching for I SCREAM AT WALLS or the name of the band, and downloading their songs.

The 5th and final task is for bands to create a music video of their song which will be posted for online polling. The public is invited to follow the bands on their Off-Ramp journeys by visiting www.keepmecurrent.com/arts_and_entertainment/off-ramp/.

A red-carpet Finale will be held on Saturday, May 7, 7 pm at Westbrook Performing Arts Center. One band will be named Reindeer’s “Best Young Band in the State of Maine” and win $1,000 per member.

The Off-Ramp: Exit 26 is an effort to raise money and awareness for RAMP (Reindeer’s Alternative Music Program) and its goal to create and implement an accredited music industry-based curriculum for Maine’s alternative education students.

For more information, contact Reindeer at 207 857 9002 or visit www.reindeergroup.org.

###

(Band contacts for the media are available upon request).PHOTO CAPTION FOR ATTACHED PIC – Xander Nelson, a member of the band PHANTOM COMPANION, is Project Manager for TEAM NORTH that will be producing an all-ages show to benefit SHAW HOUSE in Bangor.

March 7, 2011
ATTN: A & E / Lifestyles /Features / Assignment Editors
“OFF-RAMP BANDS PRODUCE BENEFIT SHOWS FOR TEEN GROUPS”
***** for immediate release *****

The statewide high school rock band competition called The Off-Ramp is rounding the fourth curve and heading into the homestretch-but not before the nine competing bands learn a lesson in giving back to the community.The Off-Ramp is the brainchild of Reindeer Records, the creators of the popular Rock-Off competition that helped out thousands of young musicians since it began in 1984. The new competition is designed to provide a more intense learning experience for the young competitors and leave a long-lasting impact on their peers.

Since being selected in November, the bands have had to face various music-industry tasks-songwriting, video documenting their recording studio experience, and marketing.

Their fourth task is Live Event Production, for which Reindeer created three teams of three bands with the goal of producing an all-ages show to benefit designated youth groups.

TEAM SOUTH consists of Beware Of Pedestrians (Gorham HS, Scarborough HS), Crossed Out (Gorham HS) and The Study Of Wumbo (Scarborough HS, Kennebunk HS), with Alex Verrill as the Project Manager. Their benefit concert for Westbrook’s MISSION POSSIBLE TEEN CENTER will be held on Friday, March 11, 7 PM at Mission Possible, 755 Main St., Westbrook.

TEAM CENTRAL consists of Midnite Haze (Telstar Middle/HS), The Modest Proposal (Freeport HS) and Where’s Robert? (Mt. Ararat HS, Morse HS, Brunswick HS), with Gus MacDonald as Project Manager. Their benefit concert for Lewiston’s NEW BEGINNINGS TEEN SHELTER will be held on Saturday, April 23, 7 PM at the Freeport Community Center, 53 Depot St., Freeport.

TEAM NORTH consists of Phantom Companion (Falmouth HS, Waynflete), The Resistance (Erskine Academy, Maine Central Institute, Warsaw MS) and Stuck In Neutral (Boothbay Region HS), with Xander Nelson as Project Manager. Their benefit Concert for Bangor’s SHAW HOUSE TEEN SHELTER, TEEN CENTER & OUTREACH PROGRAMS will be held on Saturday, April 9, 6:30 PM at The Brick, 126 Union St., Bangor.

For this task, Teams will be evaluated on Advance Ticket Sales, Marketing/Promotion of the event, Teamwork, Communication and Agency Involvement.

As part of their Marketing task (Task #3), bands are currently attempting to generate as many streams and downloads of their original song, I Scream At Walls, that they created for their 1st Task (Songwriting) and recorded as part of their 2nd Task (The Recording Studio Experience).

Family, friends and fans the world over can support their favorite band by visiting www.cdbaby.com and searching for I SCREAM AT WALLS or the name of the band, and downloading their songs.

The 5th and final task is for bands to create a music video of their song which will be posted for online polling. The public is invited to follow the bands on their Off-Ramp journeys by visiting www.keepmecurrent.com/arts_and_entertainment/off-ramp/.

A red-carpet Finale will be held on Saturday, May 7, 7 pm at Westbrook Performing Arts Center. One band will be named Reindeer’s “Best Young Band in the State of Maine” and win $1,000 per member.

The Off-Ramp: Exit 26 is an effort to raise money and awareness for RAMP (Reindeer’s Alternative Music Program) and its goal to create and implement an accredited music industry-based curriculum for Maine’s alternative education students.

For more information, contact Reindeer at 207 857 9002 or visit www.reindeergroup.org.

###

(Band contacts for the media are available upon request).PHOTO CAPTION FOR ATTACHED PIC – Xander Nelson, a member of the band PHANTOM COMPANION, is Project Manager for TEAM NORTH that will be producing an all-ages show to benefit SHAW HOUSE in Bangor.