Springfield musicians ask for votes in national contest, winner performs at Hollywood Bowl
Two Springfield musical acts are in the quarterfinals of a nationwide competition which determines who will perform as the opening act of Audacy Live 2022 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
i.V KiNG, a solo pop artist, and The Wandering Found, a rock band, represent Springfield in Audacy's Opening Act. The competition's winner will perform at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 22 and receive $10,000.
Opening Act is a public voting based competition. Through a series of voting rounds that began in mid-July, the public helps determine the winner. There are 128 artists remaining in the quarterfinals. Public voting for this round ends on Thursday, Sept 1.
The grand prize winner will be announced on Sept. 15.
i.V KiNG
For Ivy Shulte, 35, her i.V KiNG persona allows her to be wild and fun on stage, while providing an outlet to share her experiences as a queer woman in southwest Missouri.
For Shulte, the writing process is its own type of therapy, allowing her to explore her feelings in a different, unique way.
"I know who I'm writing for," Shulte said. "I'm writing for myself, first and foremost, but I know that I'm writing for the LGBTQ community and that's who I want to hear my music. I want lots of people to hear my music, but they're my audience."
As of Friday, Shulte was in fourth place within her subgroup of 10. She must be in first place by Sept. 1 to move on to the next round of the competition. While she's nervous, Shulte said she's trying to relish in her gratitude for the opportunity.
"I have lived in a state in my music career where I've been so hyper-terrified that something is going to go terrible or good," Shulte said. "I just don't live that way anymore. I'm just living in the moment with all of this."
Before performing as a solo artist two years ago, Shulte performed as a drummer in a church band and several other groups.
About 10 years ago, Shulte met Jake Wesley Rogers, an American pop musician, who invited her to play drums with him. For several years, the two played together under the band name LUX. More recently, Shulte toured with Chappell Roan, a pop singer and songwriter, based in L.A., who got her start in Springfield.
In addition to her work as i.V KiNG, Shulte preforms in The Mixtapes, a '90s tribute band based in Springfield.
See i.V KiNG perform live at
MIDXMIDWST in downtown Springfield on Saturday, Sept. 10
Joplin Pride at the Joplin Arts District on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m.
Hole in the Wall in Austin, Texas on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m.
To vote for Shulte, visit theopenact.com/2022/i-v-king.
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The Wandering Found
When the original six members of The Wandering Found came together, it wasn't about starting a band. It was to execute a project that frontman and lead vocalist Thomas Yonke wanted to see become a reality.
While traveling for a choir performance, Yonke read "All the Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven. The fiction young adult novel explores Niven's own experiences with survivor's guilt.
As he read, Yonke wrote notes within the margins and dog-eared pages. After finishing the book on the trip, Yonke felt a strong desire to transform his own emotions about the story into music.
Getting back, Yonke began to recruit friends who knew how to sing, play music and produce "All the Bright Places," a five-minute song based on the novel. The song is a part of the band's first album, "The Great Manifesto."
What started as a group of friends creating a single project has turned into a five-man band over the last several years.
As of Friday, The Wandering Found was in fifth place of their group of 10.
Yonke said the most important lesson the band has learned throughout the competition is the importance of community.
"We've learned a lot about how we want to go about doing things as a band, in terms of interacting with our fans and reaching out to our community," Yonke said. As the band moves forward, the members are brainstorming how they can better connect with those who have been supporting them.
One way is through TikTok videos posted daily on The Wandering Found's social media. Since getting into the quarterfinals, the band has posted videos of Yonke doing silly tasks, like walking on Legos or doing parkour at Park Central Square. The videos allow the band to engage with their followers, while having fun and showing their goofy sides.
"At this point, everything now just feels like a blessing," Yonke said about the competition.
Currently, the band is in the process of producing its latest EP, working with a music producer based in Kansas City.
See The Wandering Found perform a Foo Fighters tribute live at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub in Joplin on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m.
To vote for The Wandering Found, visit theopenact.com/2022/the-wandering-found.
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How to vote
There are two types of voting in the competition: free and paid votes. To cast a free vote, folks must verify with a bank card or Facebook account. No funds are drawn from one's bank card, unless authorized. Voters who verify with a Facebook account can vote once a day and voters who verify with a card can vote twice a day.
Paid voting benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. $1 equals one vote and there is a $10 minimum.
In addition to the opening performance and $10,000, the grand prize winner will also win:
Six VIP tickets for the concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Roundtrip airfare and ground transportation for six individuals
Two hotel accommodations in Los Angeles
Meet and greets with select artists at the concert
Professional rehearsal space and private dressing room prior to the concert
20-minute critiques from two record label executives
Last year, pop rock gospel duo Young in a Million opened for the Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Doja Cat, Maroon 5, Saweetie, Shawn Mendes and The Kid Laroi.
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheater located in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. It has been considered a premiere destination for music performances since it opened in 1922.
Formerly Radio.com, Audacy is an audio content and entertainment company, providing a space for news, sports, podcasts and music.
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield musicians rank in quarterfinals of nationwide competition
