Big Opener

Update 6-30-2010: Voting ended last night at midnight.  It was a great contest between 3 amazing bands.  Congrats to The David Wax Museum on their win.  Watch the blog for more info later today.

Update 6-1-2010: With over 150 entries to the Big Opener contest, we've finally closed the doors. The fine people at the Newport Folk Festival are currently taking a listen to each band and will be making their picks soon. On June 9th, the voting is open to all (that's you), and a few weeks after that, one lucky band will be jamming on stage at the Newport Folk Festival.

Magic Hat welcomes you to the stage at the 2010 Newport Folk Festival in Newport, RI, July 30th to August 1st!

We’re holding open auditions to all bands who think they have what it takes to perform onstage before thousands of reveling music fans at the Newport Folk Festival. The winning band will also receive $1000 to help with expenses. All you need to do is upload your demo track to our website, along with some necessary band information and photos, and you’ll be judged by the organizers of the Newport Folk Festival. They’ll choose their top 3 favorite bands, and then the voting goes to the public who will choose the ultimate Big Opener.

The Big Opener contest will be accepting entries from March 15th to June 1st. Get rocking, kids. The Newport Folk Festival and its audience are waiting.