Area band to enter new video in contest

Like some of their friends, the Greencastle rock-outfit TGL is using youtube.com to its advantage.

TGL bassist Zach Stewart told the BannerGraphic the group, composed of former Greencastle High School students, has plans to enter a video contest youtube.com is sponsoring in conjunction with Cingular Wireless.

The contest, YouTubeUNDERGROUND, offers musicians a chance to showcase their efforts in video form.

The contest begins on Oct. 2 and concludes on Oct. 18. Four grand prizes will be awarded.

The winners of the contest will receive roundtrip airfare and lodging in New York City from Nov. 28-30. ABC's Good Morning America will reveal the four winning bands during a live broadcast on Nov. 29.

There are four categories bands can win in, including best song, best performance, best video and most creative.

TGL has decided to enter its reshot video for "Blue Star Highway" as its selection. The video was originally produced by former DePauw University student Brandon Dawson and directed by DPU graduate McLiraith.

In addition, it appeared on TGL's myspace.com website.

However, the group recently reshot the video in high definition, with McLiraith serving as director again and DPU graduate Brian Goad serving as editor and producer.

Stewart -- who plays bass for TGL -- said the older video for "Blue Star Highway" was already on youtube.com, but the band wanted to reshoot it.

"We wanted to enter some contests," Stewart said, referring to Greencastle students Nathan Lien and Kevin Sanders, whose "The MooseBump Show" was recently entered into AOL's Be a Red Star, a video competition, after being noticed on youtube.com.

Winners of the YouTubeUNDERGROUND contest will receive new equipment provided by Gibson Guitar and Epiphone, the use of the Gibson Guitar Tour bus while in New York City, a chance to perform live in New York City at an undetermined location, and a chance to have the song featured in a major film or television show by Chop Shop Music Supervision.

In addition, the winning videos will be featured on youtube.com.

Stewart said TGL was told it had a good chance at doing well in the contest since most bands would submit live performance videos.

"That gives us an upper hand on three of the categories," he said.

"Blue Star Highway" is one of five songs TGL featured on its "2006 Summer EP," an EP they toured with last summer for nearly six weeks through June and July, Stewart said.

He added the band performed nearly 25 shows during the six-week roadtrip.

Other songs included on the EP are "My Routine Failed," "Entourage," "Starbucks," and "Pete Rose Packs A Punch."

Stewart said the band recently starting promoting itself on the Internet through other locations, hoping to secure enough votes in order to win one of the grand prizes.

"We're trying to use the Internet to snag votes," he said. "I think we have a pretty decent shot. I guess we'll see what happens."

Stewart said the current video for "Blue Star Highway" can be seen on the group's myspace.com website.

Other members of TGL include Will Cath (drums), John Sibbitt (guitar, vocals), and Jake Berry (guitar).

Both Cath and Sibbitt attend DePauw while Berry is a student at Purdue University. Stewart attends college in Iowa.