Sunday, August 12, 2007

Food For Thought Announces Battle of the Bands Winners!

Four Youth Bands to Open Locally Grown Concert at Libbey Bowl in Ojai


Food For Thought's Battle of the Bands for youth in Ojai and Ventura took place last weekend and resulted in the selection of four stand-outs who will open the Locally Grown fundraising concert on August 25 at Libbey Bowl. Following the winning openers will be featured headliners Brett Dennen - currently touring with John Mayer - and Perla Batalla - Grammy nominated vocalist and Ojai resident. The event is a fundraiser for Food For Thought Ojai, a nonprofit organization that brings nutrition education, garden-based learning and environmental and agricultural awareness to students of Ojai's public schools. The first Locally Grown concert in 2005 featured singer/songwriter Jack Johnson.

The bands who battled their way into the coveted winning slots are: Emy Reynolds, The Philosophy, Avant Garage and The Imaginative Clams. "The kids were tremendous, and it was tough for the judges to decide. But I think our winners will really shine and add a lot to the show," said Marty Fujita of Food for Thought Ojai.

In addition to opening the Locally Grown concert, the winning bands will record one of their songs in a professional sound studio and receive free CD copies of the recording. John Adair of Wild Ox studios is donating his time, his studio and a professional sound engineer for these sessions.

The concert headliners are two local favorites who have risen to international acclaim. Perla Batalla recently appeared in Leonard Cohen's critically acclaimed tribute film I'm Your Man. She has assembled a new band that brings a rich depth showcasing Batalla's powerful voice and soulful, Latin-tinged ballads. Brett Dennen is a young singer-songwriter who has recently been 'discovered' and is skyrocketing to fame on tour with John Mayer and Sheryl Crow. His pure and timeless vocals and joyous lyrics promise great things.

Billed as a green event, Locally Grown 2 will promote a variety of consciousness-raising actions to minimize the human ecological footprint. For example, concert-goers will be encouraged to bicycle or walk to and from the event to decrease fossil fuel use, bring their own refillable water bottles, and visit a "Zero Waste" station at the event. As an incentive, raffle tickets for unique prizes will be awarded for individual 'green' efforts. Sponsorships to help underwrite the cost of the event are available, ranging from $200 for a program listing to $5000 banner sponsorships.

"This is a great way for us to get our message out to the community," Fujita added. Funds raised will go toward programs that promote good childhood nutritional practices, farm-field trips, school garden programs and salad bar lunches that feature locally-produced, seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Ticket prices range from $20 for rear lawn seats to $100 for front row VIP seats and are available online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/16914.
More information can be found on the Food For Thought Ojai Web site at www.foodforthoughtojai.org or by calling 805-640-5044.

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