In just a few years, the Road to Nightfall has grown from a way to get a local band a headlining spot during the popular Nightfall summer series to a showcase for quantity and quality of local musical talent.
Each year, 30 bands compete over five nights - six per night - with nightly winners getting $500 and the chance to compete against the other four preliminary winners for the right to headline one of the Nightfall concerts.
If you go
› What: Road to Nightall› When: 8 p.m. March 9-10, 15-17, preliminaries; March 24 finals› Where: Preliminary rounds at Granfalloon, 400 E. Main St.; finals at The Signal, 1810 Chestnut St.› Admission: $10› For more information: chattanoogapresents.com
Preliminary concerts in the eighth annual Road to Nightfall will be held at Granfalloon, 400 E. Main St., on March 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17. The five finalists will compete March 24 at The Signal.
Each finalist is guaranteed an opening act spot during the series. The runner-up gets an additional $500; the winner earns $1,000, 25 hours of recording time at The Soundry Studios, a promotional video from Beckett Films and social media services.
One musician will also win a custom instrument from Diamondback Stringworks.
"Road to Nightfall has been a great extension of Nightfall's identity, emphasizing the priority that we place on the local music scene," says Carla Pritchard, president of Chattanooga Presents, which produces Nightfall.
"Using local acts as openers, combined with the out-of-town headliner, creates a great showcase of quality music, week after week. And [RTN] leaves the door wide open for a local act that we might never have heard of to actually end up as a headliner during the season."
Preliminary round tickets are $10 each night and may be purchased at the door. Shows start at 8 p.m.
Road to Nightfall is presented by Gig City Productions.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.