VA | OurStage Blog

The OurStage Marketplace connects artists looking for gigs with venues looking for new talent. With amazing opportunities both around the USA and the world, the OurStage Marketplace is the place to be for up-and-coming artists!

This week, we’re spotlighting some new gigs in the OurStage Marketplace as well as some gigs with fast-approaching application deadlines. Take a look at the gigs below and find one that’s right for you! Want to make the most of the OurStage Marketplace? Here’s a Marketplace Tip: Follow OurStage on Twitter. New Marketplace gigs and gig deadlines are always tweeted about.

Keep checking the OurStage Marketplace, accessible via the “Marketplace” button on the main navigation bar, for the most up-to-date gig listings. Don’t see any gigs in your area? Tell your favorite venue about the OurStage Marketplace.

New Gig

Location: Simple Riot Productions at KC’s Music Alley, Fredericksburg, VA

Opportunity: Live Performance

Gig Date: January 16, 2010

Application Deadline: November 7, 2009

Gig Info: Rock band needed to open for Richmond’s JAIRA on January 16th. Also on the bill are two other local and unsigned bands as well as DJ A Watt out of Sterling. Submit your EPK HERE.

Gigs Closing Soon

Location: 2010 NAMM Show, Anaheim, CA

Opportunity: Live Performance

Gig Date: January 14, 2010

Application Deadline: October 31, 2009

Gig Info: YOU MUST BE ENTERED INTO SESSION II OF THE JOHN LENNON SONGWRITING CONTEST TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY! The John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) are offering one lucky artist the chance to perform at the 2010 NAMM Show in sunny Anaheim, CA! The NAMM music show highlights the latest and greatest gear the music industry has to offer, from the most up-to-date recording software to handcrafted guitars. Not open to the public, NAMM is a hot spot for industry leaders and insiders. The winning artist will receive airfare from their home city to Anaheim, hotel accommodations, admission to the 2010 Winter NAMM Show, a showcase performance during NAMM, recording session on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and more! For NAMM, submit your EPK HERE. For the John Lennon Songwriting Contest Session II, submit your EPK HERE.

Location: Amity Teen Center, Woodbridge, CT

Opportunity: Live Performance

Gig Date: November 14, 2009

Application Deadline: October 31, 2009

Gig Info: The Amity Teen Center is looking for local bands and bands with decent draw in the Woodbridge/Bethany/Orange area for a show with FLW, Beside The Burning Sea, We Came With Plague and Demolition Stereo. Each band will play a 30-45 minute set. Submit your EPK here.

Location: Amity Teen Center, Woodbridge, CT

Opportunity: Live Performance

Gig Date: November 21, 2009

Application Deadline: October 31, 2009

Gig Info: The Amity Teen Center is looking for local bands and bands with decent draw in the Woodbridge/Bethany/Orange area for a show with Beneath The Gallows, Tuesdays With Morrie, Kali Ma, Black Regalia, A King Worth Killing, Distorted Paradox and Kaeliun. Each band will play a 30-45 minute set. Submit your EPK HERE.

For more info about the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, click here.

For more about the 2010 NAMM Show, click here.

For more info about the Amity Teen Center, click here.

For more info about the OurStage Marketplace, check out the Marketplace FAQ section.

Home Of: George Washington, Dave Matthews Band, Patsy Cline, The Carter Family, Timbaland, Clipse, Gwar, The Dismemberment Plan, Lamb of God

Fun Facts: State flower; American Dogwood, State dog; American Foxhound, State bird; Cardinal

The Venues:

For a unique live music experience, check out The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the only national park for the arts in the United States. There are two venues in the park: The Filene Center, a 7000 seat outdoor amphitheatre and The Barns, a smaller indoor venue.

The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA is one of the leading folk clubs in the country. Artists like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Linda Ronstadt and Vince Gill all played here early in their careers.

Like roots music? Head to the 36th annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival on October 24th. The festival celebrates the folk traditions of the area, including Blue Ridge ‘mountain music,’ played by musicians native to the area. This year’s festival will also be honoring Virginia’s part in the history of rockabilly music.

The Music:

The Honey Dewdrops – Listening to The Honey Dewdrops is like stepping into a time machine. Their old-timey twang and close vocal harmonies bring to mind the music of The Carter Family and their contemporaries. Their throwback sound impressed the staff of A Prairie Home Companion, who named The Honey Dewdrops the first place winners of their “People in their Twenties Talent Show” in March 2008. The band is currently touring in support of their May 2009 debut album If The Sun Will Shine, so check out “Wandering Boy” and catch The Honey Dewdrops in your town!

The Splints – The Splints’ punk influenced rock ‘n’ roll hits you like a kick in the chest, so it comes as no surprise that their rhythm section includes an ex-Marine. The band’s first full length, Love Letters And Broken Bones, was engineered by the legendary engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey), with the track “Linoleum” winning a Top 10 achievement in the October 2008 Punk Channel.

My Radio – Boston music scene staple JP Powell thought he was moving to Roanoke, VA to give up rock and roll for good. He couldn’t have been more wrong. After a chance meeting with hard-hitting drummer Hunter Johnson, the two decided to form the Rock/Pop powerhouse that is My Radio. The band recently signed with music publishing company Ocean Park Music Group, and their song “Yeah Yeah Yeah” will be the soundtrack of the Fox Sports Cleveland Cavaliers halftime highlights for this upcoming NBA season.

Check out these acts and other great Virginian artists in the playlist below! Who are your favorite OurStage Virginians? Where do you like to see live music in Virginia? Let us know in the comments!