Shout out on this spring-like Monday to Bearstronaut, the Boston electronic pop band that just won Converse and Guitar Center’s second-annual Get Out of the Garage contest. The quartet beat out more than 8,000 entries, and among all the fancy prizes like $25,000 cash, Converse Rubber Tracks studio time, and worldwide TuneCore distribution, comes some national recognition: Bearstronaut will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live later this year.
“We were so honored to even be named a finalist for Get Out of the Garage and it was completely surreal to find out the judges chose us as the winner,” singer/guitarist Dave Martineau says in a presser. “It was such a pleasure to get to meet and share a bill with the other bands that night. We do not take an opportunity like this for granted knowing there are so many great musicians out there working just as hard and we are grateful to Guitar Center and Converse for giving us such an amazing night and opportunity.”
Our ties with Bearstronaut run deep. Before Vanyaland morphed into a music news website, the Vanya focus was an independent record label, and in 2011, Bearstronaut’s “Moniker” 7-inch was our first release. Vanya Records then put out the vinyl for Bearstronaut’s 2012 EP Paradice.
Bearstronaut’s debut LP, Telecoast, is due later this year.
Watch video of Bearstronaut performing “Passenger Side,” from Paradice, from their winning performance after the breakdown of their prizes.
Converse and Guitar Center’s second-annual Get Out of the Garage prizes:
A week of studio time at Converse Rubber Tracks
$25,000 cash
The chance to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
A professionally directed and produced music video
New gear from top music instrument vendors
Free worldwide digital distribution from TuneCore