Five Dad Bands Chosen to Rock the State Fair of Texas

DALLAS, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- From grunge, heavy metal, Texas twang, smooth R&B, pure country, to cool indie tunes, the response to the Chevy Texas Dad Bands contest proves that Lone Star State dads know how to rock out in every genre. After reviewing more than 120 entries, judges for the Chevy Texas Dad Bands Contest have narrowed the field to five bands eligible to battle for the title of "The Best Dad Band in Texas." In addition to the wide range of musical styles, submissions were accepted from towns and cities across the state including Austin, Houston, Waxahachie, Big Spring, and San Angelo.

"The quality of the entries has been remarkable and impressive. The finalists' concert at the State Fair promises to be a fun and highly entertaining show," says Chevrolet regional communications manager Craig Eppling. "Each of the finalists captures the spirit of the contest, and we're eager to have them on the stage demonstrating what we've suspected all along – that Texas dads can absolutely bring it on a musical stage."

The lineup of finalists for the State Fair of Texas Dad Bands showdown (in alphabetical order) includes:

• Bad Rodeo [http://www.reverbnation.com/badrodeo]: This San Angelo/Austin band started life playing rock/country covers over twenty years ago, but have since evolved into original songwriting that they dub "Texas Country Rockin' Blues".
• Driver [http://www.myspace.com/DriverAustin]: Calling the live music capital of the world home, this alt-country/rock band has been around for ten years building a reputation for stellar songwriting.
• The Krayolas [http://www.thekrayolas.com/]: Founded by the Saldana brothers in San Antonio over thirty years ago, the Krayolas and their pop/rock have been described in some music circles as the "Tex-Mex" Beatles.  
• The Marfalites [http://www.reverbnation.com/themarfalites#]: Hailing from Dallas, The Marfalites won't have to travel far to bring their unique mix of country and rockabilly to the State Fair of Texas stage.
• qanda [http://www.reverbnation.com/qanda#]: The Houston rock outfit formed in 2009 under the leadership of lead singer and songwriter Jordi Baizan. The band's distinctive rock, pop, and folk influenced tunes have built a strong and loyal fan base in a relatively short time span.

The five finalist bands will perform in a concert on the Chevrolet Truck Row Stage at the State Fair of Texas beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16, where they will be judged based on music quality, stage presence, and crowd engagement. Judges include 99.5 The Wolf on-air personality Ryan Fox, State Fair of Texas director of food service Carey Risinger, and Jerry's Chevrolet general manager Andrew Anderson.

Chevy will provide each of the finalist bands a shiny new vehicle to enable them to have an exciting and memorable road trip from their hometowns to Dallas. The bands are encouraged to chronicle their adventures on their web sites to help create buzz about their contest participation and to generate fans.

"Chevy has gone the extra mile to help add excitement and lively entertainment value for fairgoers. The Dad Bands contest clearly has tapped into Texas's rich musical heritage, and we can't wait to see the dads on stage on the final weekend of the fair," said State Fair spokesperson Sue Gooding.

Finalists were selected using a combination of input from a panel of judges, a score based on a pre-determined formula, and online voting results. For full contest rules and guidelines, please visit www.chevydadbands.com.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly" solutions, such as the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco model that is expected to deliver up to an estimated 40 mpg highway, and 2011 Chevrolet Volt that will offer up to 40 miles of electric driving and an additional 300 miles of extended range with the onboard generator (based on GM testing).  Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

SOURCE Chevrolet