New Website Bundles Venues, Bands and Fans

www.nationalbluegrass.com is a relatively new website with an interesting concept. We first discovered the site after The Gold Sisters sent us a note that they were in the running for a new award that we’d not heard about. In researching the site, we discovered that there are actually five bluegrass bands all competing for something called the B.O.R.N. Award. (Volume Five, Monroeville, The Hillbenders, and Blue Moon Rising round out the other four).  Last month’s award winner was Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen.

John Lockaby, the site’s owner told us  the B.O.R.N. award stands for Band On Rise Nationally, in which the site highlights five bands each month to go against each other to see who the fans are most impressed with. Lockaby says it works in two different ways, “first it gets folks to come to our site, and most importantly it exposes some of the better young bands in our business.”  Each month National Bluegrass will award the winner an advertising package on their site, and the five bands that receive the most votes throughout the year will go head to head in December, for the B.O.R.N winner of the year, in which they will book the winner for multiple venues.  The website is set up for the venues, bands, and fans to come together in one spot. All bands can sign up free on the web-site to have access to the “Calendar” feature and post their dates. Lockaby says, the site also offers a premium package, which is only $10 a year.  With the premium artists and venues can get a dedicated page about them, with link, pic, and personal schedule.

Other features of the site include a news page, CD Reviews, Charts and a “Members Area” (registration is free).