Edmonton’s arts and culture scene has been thriving in the past few years — we were even listed in National Geographic’s Best Summer Trips 2015 — and live music is a vibrant part of our city. The local bands in Edmonton are a testament to the many talented and artistic people in our city, and MacEwan students are no exception. Many of the students are budding musicians and singers who are either already a part of the local music scene or are ready to dive in head first.

The Students’ Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) is hosting an event at Filthy McNasty’s on Feb. 26 to showcase some of our university’s talented musicians. The four acts that are set to perform at Filthy’s were selected out of more than 20 submissions, after receiving the highest combined rating from six independent panelists. The showcase winners that will be featured at the event are Maria Phillipos, Rebecca Lappa, Good Nature, and TAT.

Jessica Grayson, SAMU manager of programs and services at the Centre for the Arts and Communications campus, says that students over the age of 18 are encouraged to come out and support the winning musicians.

“I feel that these four who have been selected will be really up-and-coming in the next few years, so seeing them now would be very cool,” Grayson said. “They have a very high chance of exploding onto the scene in a couple of years.”

The upcoming event will be the second annual showcase and the first time that SAMU has organized an event at Filthy’s, a bar on Whyte Avenue and 105 Street. The event is a way for people to encourage other MacEwan students and support local musicians.

In terms of their sound, the four musical acts vary in genre, so there will be something for everyone.

“It’s ranging between a bit of jazz, folk and electronic,” Grayson said.

Also, the selected musicians have jammed in front of a live audience before, so they know how to bring a great performance. “All of them have played at venues,” Grayson noted.

The SAMU Music Showcase will begin at 8 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge at the door. If you want to check out the musicians prior to the show, you can find pictures, bios, and music uploads on Facebook (for Good Nature and TAT), ReverbNation (for Maria Phillipos), and rebeccalappa.com (for Rebecca Lappa).

Image supplied.