Five years ago local Nadine McNeil's singing career took off after she won the 小蓝视频 Talent Search by beating out 32 local performers at the Grizzly Bar and Grill. She went on to perform at the Merritt Mountain Music Festival, to record her own album and tour the country.
Chances Rock Bar and Grill is aiming to offer another local singer a similar opportunity to launch his or her career with the establishment's own karaoke competition - the Rock Bar Rock Star.
Chances Boardwalk Gaming Squamish partner Colleen Anderson said the competition makes sense in a community with so much talent.
"We already have karaoke Thursday nights and Squamish has some amazingly talented singers," said Anderson.
"It's going to be nice to see some of those people have a chance to get some recognition and real opportunity."
Bianca Peters, Chances Boardwalk director of marketing, agreed and said there were bound to be a ton of interested participants.
"I would say Squamish in general is a karaoke town," Peters said. "Whether you can sing or you can't sing or you think you can sing, everybody comes out and goes for it."
The Squamish Idol-style contest runs for 10 weeks beginning April 7 and Squamish's own DJ Darcy will be master of ceremonies alongside DJ Andrew. The first eight weeks are Thursday nights and the semifinals and finals will take place on the Bingo floor stage.
Audience applause will determine the winner for the first eight weeks, so Anderson reminded all the participants to bring friends with loud voices to cheer them on. A panel of three judges will judge the semifinals and finals.
The Rock Bar Rock Star will receive $500 cash and the opportunity to perform on Mountain FM's "Morning Lift" program with Craig Stone and Karen Horak.
Anderson said this competition isn't for someone who already has an album. It's for aspiring singers who are just starting out.
"It's for local people who want to become a star even throughout the corridor - it's not for professionals," she said.
"I think it's a chance for someone to win the opportunity to be on Mountain FM, win $500 and potentially move forward with a career."
