Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Local songwriters will have the chance to compete for a state title at The Tugboat Grill & Pub on Thursday, when Steamboat Springs becomes part of a six-town search for Colorado’s top songwriter.

The local competition is at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and is judged by Todd Leestma and Justin Glaza, of the Tugboat, and Amy Kaiser, of the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen.

Entries must be self-penned (co-writers are allowed), and songs will be judged based on talent, originality and presentation. Leestma said about a dozen people had signed up as of Tuesday and that each person will get to perform two to three songs.

“We’d like Steamboat to win in Aspen,” Leestma said.

It’s free to enter, and anyone can sign up by calling Leestma at 970-367-0013. The public can watch the Thursday competition for free.

The winner of the Steamboat round will go on to complete at the inaugural Colorado songwriters competition to be held during the third annual 7908 Aspen Songwriters Festival from March 21 to 25.

The festival, co-produced by Songwriting Hall Of Fame member John Oates and the city of Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House, is a low-key and intimate week of performances and get-togethers with the country’s finest songwriters.

Wheeler Opera House Executive Director Gram Slaton said in a news release that the six finalists from the preliminary rounds — other host cities include Boulder, Aspen, Winter Park, Breckenridge and Vail — will be brought to Aspen for the first three days of the festival to perform.

A confidential panel of judges will review the performances, and the winner will get to stay on for the final two days of the festival and perform at the opening of the final show. Downloads of the finalists’ songs will be available, and the winner will get to have an additional two songs on the website, according to the release. All the finalists will get full festival passes and an invitation to all after-show parties and get-togethers.

“For new or even proven Colorado talent, this can be the opportunity of a lifetime,” Slaton said in the release.

To reach Nicole Inglis, call 907-871-4204 or email ninglis@SteamboatToday.com