Top 10 Favorite Acts from the Stadium of Fire Talent Search

With all the voting frenzy going on about Fictionist, you might have missed the fact that there was another competition going on that required votes! For the first time, Stadium of Fire is looking for an act determined mainly by the public. They got many, many video entries and selected their 40 favorites. From there, they opened up voting to the public. The top 25 voted for acts will go on to perform live, and the top three will perform at the Stadium of Fire along with David Archuleta and Brad Paisley. The best act will get $10,000. Pretty exciting!

In the way of general comments, I was very excited to see our very own Velour Live Music Gallery featured in several videos. I was also surprised at the number of kids 16 and under who submitted videos. I wasn't so surprised at the number of country acts that were in the top 40, but I didn't particularly love any of them (though I thought The Hinckley Brothers' song (#6) was very cute, and brought tears to my eyes).

Before I start anything, I wanted to put in a disclaimer that these are only my personal views. I also have to say how hard it was to narrow down these 40 great acts to ten. I tried to be as objective as possible and think about what would be best for the setting and what would fit with the other acts, but there's a good chance I didn't like your personal favorite the best. So take this as you will.

10. The Vibe (#22)
These high energy dancers were a pleasure to watch. Their coordination was great, and the music they used was really quite fun (especially the Beethoven's 5th at the beginning). I'd be okay seeing these guys perform in a stadium setting.

9. Lindsey Stirling (#15)
I was really quite skeptical about this one when I started the video, but Lindsey soon proved herself. She sure knows how to groove, even if her tuning suffers a bit from all the dancing around. Her style is funky, and it keeps it interesting.

8. Iron Chin (#19)
This was just so far out there that I had to include it. Even if you don't end up voting, you have to watch this video. This guy balanced a table on his chin! I don't know how he does it, but it was pretty awesome.

7. John Allred (#2)
I've gone to a couple concerts that he was playing at, and have missed him every time. That being said, I didn't know what to expect from him other than that he seems pretty popular around here in Provo. I really loved his voice and his guitar playing, though, and can see why he'd be a part of so many shows.

6. Truman (#36)
I've heard this name tossed around occasionally, but I'd never heard them play until I saw this video. It was a live concert filmed at Velour, and I love the live videos because you can tell that they aren't doing post-production to the sound (meaning that we'd get something different live than we voted for). These guys have some good instrumentalists, and fun music that makes me want to dance.

5. Justin Williams (#24)
It was really interesting to see this video in the mix. The style is different from anything I'd heard yet. The production of the sound is quite good. I like the beat and the synth work. He also has a great voice. My one concern is that it looks like he's doing most of the music himself, and I don't know he'd manage all that in a live show.

4. Crescent Super Band (#11)
As a fan of big band music, I loved seeing the video these guys put out. They have an awesome brass section, a rockin' rhythm section, and some great vocals. I don't get to see this sort of stuff live much, and I think it would be great fun to see them perform.

3. Party Crashers (#30)
These guys sure look like they have experience in huge gigs like Stadium of Fire! They have some great moves, great singing, and a rocking instrument section. What more can I say?

2. Noteworthy (#38)
These gals are awesome! They harmonize so beautifully, and they really know how to have fun on stage. It's a bit different from some of the usual rock and roll type acts we see at Stadium of Fire, but I think in this case the variety would work in nicely. I was privileged to know one of the girls in this group from several of my classes. I know another girl who used to be in this group but is now the lead singer for...

1. The Whits (#27)
I love this band! They really know how to rock, and Amy has the most impressive voice I've ever heard. Since I've seen them live a couple times, I know that they would be able to put on a great show and impress the masses of people that come out for Stadium of Fire every year. They've certainly got my vote, and I am definitely getting tickets if they get in.


To vote, go to the voting site and click the "vote" button. You can even watch all the videos yourself, but I'm warning you now, it eats up time like crazy! Voting ends tonight, so get it done!