Leading up to this year’s Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, Miller Lite and Lightning 100 have teamed up to host a battle of the bands — pitting 25 local artists against each other for the chance to perform on stage at the annual festival.
Taking place every Wednesday at The 5 Spot at 8 p.m., fans 21+ will be able to enjoy live local music and vote for their favorite artist each week, with the finals occurring on August 7. Along with voting through their favorite band, fans will also have the chance to receive free festival tickets and other prizes just for showing up.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to kick off as the official sponsor of the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival by supporting local musicians,” said Tony Bugher, spokesperson for Miller Lite. “Nashville continues to be the premier destination for incredible, live music, and we’re excited to be a small part of it with the battle of the bands competition.”
All finalists will enjoy a Miller Lite prize pack and the winning act will receive a $5,000 cash prize in the form of a trust from the J.W. Couch Foundation to go toward advancing the band’s musical aspirations, in addition to winning a slot on the ASCAP Shady Grove Stage to perform during the festival weekend.
Created in 2015 by Brandt Wood, Michael Whelan and Kevin Griffin — co-founder of the band Better Than Ezra — the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival has continued to grow year-over-year. The 230-acre farm that has hosted the festival in Franklin since its inception currently has six stages and hundreds of local artisans, restaurants and food trucks — creating a truly unique and authentic experience for all attendees. This year’s festival runs September 21–22, with doors opening at 10 a.m.
“This festival has come such a long way in a really short amount of time and that’s due in part to the incredible partnership we’ve forged with Miller Lite to support our Play At Pilgrimage Contest and spotlight local bands throughout the Summer to a larger audience,” said Wood.
About Miller Brewing Company
Miller Brewing Company was founded in 1855 by Frederick J. Miller when he purchased the Plank Road Brewery in Milwaukee, a city he chose as the best place for a brewery given its access to great water. Miller Lite, the original great-tasting light pilsner beer, (MillerLite.com, Facebook.com/MillerLite, @MillerLite on Twitter, YouTube.com/MillerLite) was introduced nationally in 1975 and is among the top-five selling beers in the United States. The brewery’s oldest enduring beer is Miller High Life (MillerHighLife.com, Facebook.com/MillerHighLife, @MillerHighLife on Twitter). Known as the Champagne of Beers, it was introduced in 1903 and still is brewed with the same yeast strain that Miller carried in his pocket from Germany. Miller Genuine Draft (MGD.com, Facebook.com/MillerGenuineDraft, @Miller_Global on Twitter), introduced in 1986, is the original cold-filtered, packaged draft beer. Miller Brewing Company is part of MillerCoors, the U.S. business unit of the Molson Coors Brewing Company. Learn more at MillerCoors.com, at Facebook.com/MillerCoors or on Twitter through @MillerCoors.