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We will rock you no . WATERUK) CHRONICLE . Wednesday. March 5. m Second annual Go! Festival brings 40 live acts to local clubs The Stars Here, a Waterloo band, will take part in the second annual Go! Music Festival, which runs March 7-8 at seven local venues. Other acts include the Trews, Econoline Crush and Grady featuring Gordie Johnson. 1m: wuou m: for every rock fan. "it's great exposure for the bands as well as for people who enjoy live concerts," said John Rocchetta, the owner of the Beat Goes On, the company that started the event. "It's a fantastic opportunity." The rock festival will run March 7-8 at seven local venues: Starlight, lane Bond, Duke of Wellington, Huether Hotel. the Boathouse, the Circus Room and Club file- ments. Headliners will include the Ttews, playing at Club Elements on Friday, Econoline Crush Friday at the Starlight and Grady, with Gordie Johnson, Saturday at the Starlight. Three or four bands" will perfonn both nights at each venue beginning at 9 pm. 1th two nights, 40 bands and seven venues, the second annual Go! Music Festival will have something By [mum 0mm ChronicleStqlr Attendees can buy single tickets at the door or $15 wristbands for the entire event. The concept behind the Go! Music Fest} val hit the Beat Goes On employees when they realized this area doesn't have a music festival in which to showcase its independ- ent bands. "Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph are a wealth of music talent, but it all seep? to be umitrgroynd," Rocchetla said. - "There's not aldt of venues in and around the area that cater to that. "So it's hard for a lot of these bands to have a lot of local gigs unless they started travelling to Toronto or elsewhere." Beat employees know a lot about these groups from selling their music. As well, many of the used CD, DVD and game stores' employees are in bands themselves. awt?re really immersed in that culture, so it was a really natural fit to expand on that equsurg,‘ Rocchetta said, The first annual event, featuring 30 bands ARTS FOCUS at five venues, was a success. They were chosEn for their talent and fit with the festival's gent . A And it's grown this year with about 40 bands taking part. That number was whit- tled down from hundreds of applicants. Most bands are from southwestern Ontario, although some are coming from as faraway as Montreal and Regina. "lt's more of aiock festival, versus coun- try or folk or hip hop or a harder rock," Roc- chetta said. The Stars Here, a local rnre-piece rock band, took part last year, and its singer said the festival provides bands with an opportu- nity to perform, which can be tough since there are a limited number of venues in the "It's a great thing for music in this town," said Patrick Finch, who also plays guitar. "Our town has needed something like this for a very long time." T tltttNlt ll Attkpertiirming to a packed house last year, the Stars Here jumped at the chance to take part again. I%stival-goers can see them on March 8 at the Boathouse. Wristbands can be purchased in advance at any of the 12 Beat Goes On locations. Waterloo's store is at 402 King St. N., near Weber Street. Wristbands do not guarantee entry if the club has reached capacity. "We were all very enthusiastic to play again and that (the festival) was going to happen again. You never really know how these things are going to take off," he said. last year's festival sold-out, and Rocchet- ta attributes its success -_ and the lineups to get into some of the clubs - to local resi- dents being ready for an event like this one. "We doh't get' this kind of festival in this areaatall, andthisiswhylminkit‘sbecome so popular," Roochetta said: _ _ _ Individual tickets are available at the door for $7, except for the March 8 perform- ance at the Starlight. For more information. go to www.gomusicftstival.ca.