We did it!

Vegas Cola Band won second place at the inaugural New Orleans Music Showcase, sponsored by the the New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network (NOMTN) and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC).

The competition aimed to highlight local independent musical talent with the winner earning a performing spot at the 25th Anniversary Essence Festival.

It all kicked off with an online voting process, open to the public, that required artists to submit a video featuring their original music.

Ten finalists were then chosen to compete in an American Idol-style showdown on May 30, 2019, hosted at the New Orleans Jazz Market.

The top ten finalists left everything on he stage, resulting in a bevy of memorable performances, including special guest appearances by local favorites Cole Williams and Tonya Boyd-Cannon.

The live audience, online livestreamers and a panel of judges that included New Orleans Queen of Soul Irma Thomas and the eternally ethereal Tank from “Tank and The Bangas,” held the fate of the top ten in their hands — almost literally, since votes were submitted via text.

After a comically confusing voting process that had audience members accidentally messaging the wrong number, the judges surprised everyone when they announced that there would me more than one winner to the competition.

However, absolutely no one was shocked when Dawn Richard, whose singing career launched on national TV thanks to MTV’s Making The Band and continues today with the singing group Danity Kane and as a solo artist (as seen on NPR’s Tiny Desk series), nabbed the top spot.

Vegas Cola Band victoriously won second place, sharing the win in a tie with self-proclaimed “Gumbo artist” Casme, and gospel singer Drea Marie rounded out the winners with third place.

This will be Vegas Cola Band’s first time performing at Essence Festival, and most definitely not the last.