Photo: Seratones performing at Bears on Fairfield. Photo by David Young.

This weekend, from Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8, two great Shreveport music events return to the spotlight. Both have worked to become beacons of the local music scene by showcasing talent from around the country and exposing residents of Northwest Louisiana to ways of musical expression beyond the Top 40; while also offering a platform for musicians to come to the area.

On Friday and Saturday, Bears Fest 2 rolls at Bears on Fairfield. It’s the sophomore effort to an amazing compilation of local musicians, which started last year with the re-opening of Bears under new ownership. This year’s fest aims to please many palates with an impressive lineup of acts from across the country, including hails from Dallas, New Orleans, Ruston, Sarasota, Shreveport, and more.

“We had a lot of fun with putting locals in the fest last year, but we wanted to expand it and get a wider audience with bands from more places. We don’t want to leave out any genres and we want to make sure that there’s something for everyone,” said Chase Boytim, owner of Bears on Fairfield and festival head for Bears Fest.

With everything we’ve heard so far, BF2 promises to bring out a great crowd to hear a load of great musicians. And though the fest will take place outside, it’s worth noting that the indoor venue of Bears became smoke free in January, a move that Chase has received a lot of positive feedback for. But more than what has been accomplished so far, he looks forward to the future of Bears and Bears Fest.

“For me the exciting thing about Bears is that it’s a constant work in progress. We pulled a lot of great ideas from [my other bar] Fatty’s downtown, but some of the ideas are new,” said Chase. “We’ve just added food and new décor. It’s an ever-evolving venue that I hope will always be on the cusp of what people are looking for.”

The 21+ event will also have coffee, food, and of course drinks. Tickets are $20 for Friday, $30 for Saturday, and a 2-Day Pass is $35.

The second big music event happening this weekend is the kickoff of the Louisiana Music Prize 2015 on Sunday, March 8 at 6pm, also at Bears on Fairfield.

The Louisiana Music Prize (LAMP) is a competition that accepts submissions from around the country. Bands submit their music online and five are picked to compete in October for a cash prize. But you won’t have to wait until the fall to get a taste. At the kickoff, both of the winners from the past two Music Prize showdowns – the AJ Haynes of Shreveport and Soul Track Mind of Austin, Tx – will perform on stage at Bears on Fairfield.

AJ Haynes won the first Louisiana Music Prize in 2013, and since winning the prize, her band, the Seratones, have signed with Fat Possum Records – a label known for bringing The Black Keys to the world.

“It’s exciting because Fat Possum is not afraid to take risks as a label. They’re always pushing for innovative music,” AJ remarked about the band’s signing.

We feel that Music Prize fits that description as well. Soul Track Mind is on their way back not only to play at the Kickoff event, but to begin tracking their record at Blade Studios – a prize they won for snagging first place at the second Music Prize event last year. Donovan Keith, founder and lead singer of Soul Track Mind is excited to return to Shreveport.

“I gotta say, it does feel awesome to roll back into town as the reigning champions. We’re really looking forward to this show and seeing the friends and fans we made here last time,” Keith remarked. “Winning the Prize has already opened some doors for us, helped us to meet some influential people and get our music heard.”

Music Prize executive director Gregory Kallenberg thinks any local band interested in spring boarding their future should show up on Sunday.

“You never know what’s going to happen at a music prize events. We have a knack for giving away free stuff,” said Kallenberg. But it’s not just about showing community support and hearing what the Music Prize team has to say.

“Beyond looking at the kickoff as an event to attend to learn about the Music Prize, this is such a rare and unique opportunity to see both winners on the same stage,” Kallenberg added.

In short, this weekend is going to rock your face off. It’s not difficult to see that Shreveport is returning to its roots of music appreciation and leadership. Both Bears Fest and Music Prize show the region and the country what can be done here. That our brightest days aren’t in the past, but ahead of us.

If you’re a music lover or a music artist and you’re not in attendence at these events, there is reason to question your taste in music and your willingness to get out there and support the awesome stuff that’s in our city. Show up and be ready to put 2015 on the right path to take off in an incredible way.