If you go
› What: Road to Nightfall finals› When: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 26› Where: Miller Plaza, 850 Market St.› Admission: $10› Phone: 423-400-4496
Josh Driver & The Dixieland Playboys are one of the five finalists in the Road to Nightfall competition. The band is Brandon Giaccone (guitar, Josh Driver (guitar/vocals), Johnathan Sharp (drums) and Garrett Wright (bass).
Mountain Cove is Tyler Martelli (mandolin), Eli Beard (guitar), Cody Harvey (banjo), Wil Markham (bass) and Chris Brown (fiddle).If the five Road to Nightfall finalists have anything in common, besides each winning their respective qualifying nights, it's that "they are all pretty chill, easily accessible" acts, says organizer Barrett Taylor of Gig City Productions.
Twenty-nine acts competed the last two weekends over five nights, and the five winners will compete Saturday night at Miller Plaza for the right to headline one of the free Friday night Nightfall series shows this summer.
The finalists
* Josh Driver and the Dixieland Playboys - Straight rock 'n' roll with a Southern influence.
* Monday Night Social - From up the road in Cleveland, Tenn., the band mixes pop, rock, folk and blues into their vocally rich sound.
* Mountain Cove Bluegrass - The name implies straight up bluegrass, but they also incorporate Americana and some gospel.
* Over Easy - Their sound starts with funk, pop, rock and metal and then lets the music go where it wants to go.
* Walrus - The quartet is foremost an indie pop outfit, but they draw from several influences to create a mellow, easy sound.
Taylor says the acts represent the quality and variety of the music being played in the area today.
"I thought it was awesome. Every night was really good with lots of new bands and lots of new young musicians."
He also said that the first and final nights drew the biggest crowds.
The event is presented for several reasons. While the ultimate goal is to find one act that will get the headlining spot in the Nightfall series, it is also designed to showcase local talent.
It provides an opportunity for fans and musicians to see a lot of local acts in one evening or all five.
"Some people came and left when their favorite act was done, but most people who came stayed the entire evening, which is great," Taylor says.
"We have some really great musicians playing around town, and this is a way to show that off. It gets called a competition, but it's really about showcasing what we have."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.