Two musical acts from the Sault vying for spot at Hollywood Bowl

Formerly known as Radio.com, Audacy is a scaled, multi-platform audio content and entertainment company, that engages over 170 million consumers each month.

Audacy holds a special "We Can Survive" Concert at the Hollywood Bowl as a fundraiser for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and as part of their commitment to normalizing mental health struggles, saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide through education and community programs.

The event regularly features A-list entertainers. Last year’s event featured Coldplay, Shawn Mendes, Doja Cat, Black Eyed Peas, and The Kid LAROI.

This 9th annual concert will take place in October of this year.

As part of the event, Audacy has an annual contest to select one independent artist/band to open the show.

In addition to a high profile opening gig, the winning artist/band also receives $10,000 to help jump start their career.

Local musical acts Jesse Merineau and These Magnificent Tentacles are both in the running for the opening slot at this year’s show.

Jesse Merineau

Sault born and raised singer/songwriter Jesse Merineau is in the running for the opening slot.

Merineau is no stranger to the Sault music scene.

He burst onto the scene with the release of an EP of original material in 2018, followed by a series of high profile shows and music videos.

Since then, he has released a series of singles over the past few years.

Despite being closely tied to the Sault, Merineau has been living in Toronto since November 2021.

“I’m currently living in a condo in downtown Toronto and having a blast while I’m young,” says Merineau.

“But I am fortunate to have so many forever friends in the Sault.”

 Despite not being able to play live during the pandemic, the singer/songwriter is preparing for his return to the scene.

“I haven’t stopped writing and I feel like my sound has evolved while living through the pandemic,” says Merineau.

He is looking forward to a return to the stage in the near future.

“Things are about to take a huge turn for the better,” he says.

“I have something very exciting on the way. My upcoming project is by far my best work yet, and once I release it, it’s show time.”

Merineau applied for Audacy’s upcoming Hollywood Bowl event.

“I applied, although I didn’t expect a response,” he says.

“First, I found out I was being ‘considered.’ I could barely sleep until a week later when I got the second email that confirmed that I was officially in [the running]. I felt like the universe handed me something I’ve been working towards my whole life.”

Merineau recognizes the opportunity that securing a gig like the one at the Hollywood Bowl would create for an up-and-coming artist.

“Words can’t describe what an opportunity that would be,” he says.

“I don’t even know this year’s headliners yet. All I know is that it’s always the top of the top. I’d get to play live for 18,000 people but also have the opportunity to connect with all of the A-list artists.”

For Merineau, the concert’s purpose is more than just a performance.

“It’s a fundraiser for suicide prevention and mental health awareness,” he says.

“I have deep understanding of these struggles and being a part of this festival would mean the world to me.”

The Sault has been very supportive of Merineau’s musical efforts over the years and he is hoping the community will support him on his efforts to secure the opening spot. 

“This thing is winnable,” he says excitedly.

“I need all the support I can get. It’s not about who has the most fans, it’s who has the most committed and loyal fans. Everyone gets one free vote every 24 hours. I really need people to spread the word, and vote every single day until we win. Get your parents, siblings, friends, partners, co-workers, and let’s win this for Sault Ste. Marie pride.”

In addition to the exposure the event would provide, it would also provide the winner $10,000 to help advance their career.

“A portion of the money would go towards future music projects I have planned. But I’d also like to use the funds to help me travel to schools across North America as a guest speaker to raise awareness for mental health.”

Win or lose, Merineau has plans to release something special for his supporters which he hopes to announce in the near future.

You can vote for Jesse Merineau here beginning on July 11 at 1 p.m. EST.

Jesse Merineau’s music can be streamed on all major platforms. To keep updated on all Jesse Merineau news, visit him of Facebook and Instagram.

“I will be keeping them consistently updated with the competition results as the rounds progress.”

These Magnificent Tentacles

Sault-based band These Magnificent Tentacles are also in the running for the opening slot of Audacy’s Hollywood Bowl event.

The band is made up of B.G. Ellis (lead vocals/guitar), Mitchell Sirie (bass guitar/vocals), Brad Irwin (synthesizer/guitar/vocals), Steve Edwards (guitar/vocals) and Brendan Garlick (drums).

They were recently one of the featured performers at the local Go Skate Day on June 21.

“We had a blast at that event,” says Steve Edwards.

The band released a three-song EP entitled Surfacing earlier this year.

For the band, the Audacy opportunity would be a great way to bring their music to a larger audience.

“When we heard about this contest, we thought that it would be great to get the chance to have a larger platform to share our creations with as many people as possible,” says Edwards.

“It would definitely be a huge opportunity to be able to share the stage with not only influential musicians, but musicians that personally influenced us, would be an absolute honour.”

After applying in late May, the band initially didn’t hear back from the organizers.

The band was excited when they found out in late June that their application had been accepted.

“Then we found out on June 27th that we were accepted into the next stage of the competition and we were thrilled,” says Edwards.  

Aside from the opportunity to play for a large audience, the band notes the “extra possibilities that come along with this contest,” including the $10,000 prize would greatly benefit the band.

“It would definitely help push our band’s career to the next level,” says Edwards.

“We recorded our EP with Dustin Jones at Tidal Records. We plan on recording a full length album there,” says Edwards, noting the band has a catalog of songs ready to bring to the studio.

“If we were to win this competition however, that would push us further and faster towards that goal.”

You can see These Magnificent Tentacles live locally at a series of upcoming shows.

 “For our next show, we will be starting the day for a long list of great acts at Rotaryfest Stage Two on July 16,” says Edwards.

 The Rotaryfest show will be followed by a how at Sault Pridefest on July 17th at The Bushplane Museum, and at the Northern Vibe Festival on Aug. 27.

You can vote for These Magnificent Tentacles here beginning on July 11 at 1 p.m. EST.

To find out more about the band, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.

These Magnificent Tentacles’ Surfacing EP is available on all major streaming platforms.