Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tap Milwaukee & Summerfest Reveal 'Land the Big Gig' Finalists

The top three finalists to perform at Land the Big Gig are Juice, Honey & the 45s and Well-Known Strangers. The three finalists will perform at Summerfest on June 30, 2016 on the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard with Coors Light and TAP Milwaukee at 5 p.m. to win their share of $30,000 in cash prizes.

The panel of judges who will choose this year's first, second and third place winners of Land the Big Gig are Bob Babisch, VP of Entertainment for Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.; Jason Klagstad, a Summerfest performer and four-time WAMI award winner; and Johnny K, producer and engineer of four Billboard no. 1 Albums, as well as several top 10's.

Tap Milwaukee, the city's leading online entertainment site, has teamed up with Summerfest to search for the next great musical talent. More than 182 aspiring musicians from across the nation submitted their songs online at http://www.LandTheBigGig.com. Music fans from around the country, casting over 31,000 votes, narrowed the competition to the top 10. A select panel of music industry judges helped decide the three finalists.

Juice is an eight piece Boston-based mixture of funk, hip-hop, R&B, rock, pop and alternative influences, featuring powerful lead vocals and an electric violin. The group's credentials include winning Boston College's battle of the bands twice and headlining in Boston and New York.

Honey & the 45s is a Chicago-based blues/rock band featuring two female front-women. The band was awarded best Blues/Jazz band at the Chicago Independent Music Awards, and went on to open on the main stage for Cold War and Big Data. Honey & the 45s has been featured in print, on commercials, in press conferences and has performed at some of the most prestigious music festivals and venues in Chicago and the Midwest.

Well-Known Strangers is Southeast Wisconsin's cello infused alternative pop/rock band. The group mines a sophisticated alternative pop-rock sound that is reminiscent of familiar pop-rock of the '90s while being expressively groundbreaking and melodically rich. Currently, Well-Known Strangers has released their debut EP.

Fans and performers are encouraged to stay connected to "Land the Big Gig" via http://www.LandTheBigGig.com, http://www.Summerfest.com and http://www.TapMilwaukee.com for updates and additional information. Land the Big Gig is presented by Tap Milwaukee and Summerfest.

About Summerfest Summerfest 2016 will take place June 29th to July 3rd and July 5th to 10th, 2016 from Noon until Midnight and will be closed Monday, July 4th. Following its 1968 debut, Summerfest has evolved into what is now recognized as "The World's Largest Music Festival" and Milwaukee's cornerstone summer celebration, bringing the music industry's hottest stars, emerging talent and local favorites along with approximately 850,000 people from Milwaukee and around the world together each year for an unforgettable live music experience. During the festival, the spotlight shines on over 800 acts, over 1,000 performances, 11 stages, delectable food and beverages and interactive activities, all in a world-class festival setting. Patrons can also enjoy Miller Lite, the Official Beer of Summerfest. For more details, visit Summerfest.com, Facebook.com/summerfest or Twitter: @Summerfest.

About Tap Milwaukee The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's TapMilwaukee.com is Southeastern Wisconsin's essential guide to entertainment, providing everything you need to know about going out, staying informed and sharing that information with friends. TapMilwaukee.com was created in 2011 to engage a growing market of readers who want local entertainment news at their fingertips. Our readers are passionate about things to do - from music to movies to dining and galleries - TapMilwaukee.com has it.

Land the Big Gig is sponsored by Pepsi Co., HO-CHUNK, Great Clips, BILTRITE and Honda of Kenosha.

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