Behold The Wolf, a band that formed only two months ago but is comprised of longtime local musicians, is the 2011 winner of the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek SunFest Rock ‘n’ Roll Shootout. As a result, they’ll open for Styx at SunFest on April 30 at 5:45 p.m. They also won $2,500 in cash from Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.
For three hours on Sat., April 16, area bands, Hollywood Lovescene, Bobby and the Renegades, Small Town Gypsys, and Behold The Wolf battled it out in the casino’s Nectar lounge after having survived the cuts over four weeks of competition. This is the second year that SunFest organizers teamed up with Seminole Casino Coconut Creek to discover South Florida’s best band.
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is also SunFest’s exclusive Broward ticket outlet where you can save $10 when purchasing a one-day ticket for only $24, now through Sat., April 23 at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Cashier’s Cage.
The casino awarded $1500 to second place finisher, Bobby & the Renegades; Third place went to Hollywood Lovescene, winner of $1000; and Small Town Gypsys scored $750 for fourth place.
Behold The Wolf’s original songs are written by singer, Vinny De Tomasso, and co-producer, Paul Trust. Their lead guitarist and a back-up vocalist is Gio Ardizzola. Louie Felix plays bass guitar and also handles back-up vocals. Behold The Wolf’s drummer is Dan Rollo. When pressed to describe their musical genre, De Tomasso replied: “Soundgarden and Pantera meets Aerosmith.”
The competition, open to local blues or rock bands with five or fewer members, is judged on skill, showmanship, originality of presentation, and crowd enthusiasm.
Judges this year were: “The Greek” from WZZR Radio 94.3 (who also emceed); Rachel Leigh, WFTL-TV entertainment reporter; Michael Weeks, SunFest president; Debbie Stone, SunFest Entertainment vice chair; J.J. Wolfe – SunFest board member; and Heather Seely, Special Events manager for Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.
The casino also raised $650 for the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. Fans were able to show support for their favorite band for a dollar per vote. Those votes accounted for 25 percent and the official judges’ for 75 percent of the final decision. A special collection box was also located at the Nectar lounge entrance. On April 13, “Help Heal Japan Night,” raised $750. For only $5 admission donation, guests were offered a four-piece sushi sampler, a sake sample, and Japanese entertainment with Taiko drummers, traditional dance, and “Harajuku” cocktail servers. Special “fundraiser menus” of one dollar from the sale of every piece of sushi, order of sake, or Japanese beer sold also went to the relief effort. A total of $1,400 was raised for Japan Earthquake Relief Fund during the two separate events.
Other major acts scheduled to perform this year at SunFest include: Sublime With Rome, Gregg Allman, Earth Wind & Fire, Ziggy Marley, Jeff Beck, and Cee Lo Green.
In its 29th year, SunFest is Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival. Held annually in downtown West Palm Beach during the first week in May, SunFest attracts more than 280,000 visitors. It’s produced by SunFest of Palm Beach County, Inc., a private 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, is funded in part by the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council through the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, and is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Arts Council.
ABOUT SEMINOLE CASINO COCONUT CREEK
Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek offers more than 1,700 gaming machines including Las Vegas-style slots: Playboy, Carnival of Mystery, Golden Monkey, Millionaire Sevens, Mayan Riches and Lion Dance, wide area progressive slot machines: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Dirty Harry, Time Machine, and Monopoly, and new theme games: Star Trek, Dean Martin, Hot Hot Penny, and Reel ‘Em In.
The casino also features non-stop action in its smoke-free Poker Room upstairs for separate gaming pleasure, with a wide array of tournaments for all types of players. Live games include Texas Hold ’em, 7-Card Stud, and Omaha tournaments from $85 to $1,050. In December 2010, the casino added The Site, its newest building offering 400-plus gaming positions, 70 new blackjack seats, a non-smoking gambling area, a new restaurant, The Whistle Stop and the Wrecking Bar. The Site derives its name from the facility’s overall theme – that of a construction site – complete with an actual lunch wagon in its restaurant. In 2007, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek went under a $32 million expansion which included the addition of a valet porte cochere entrance offering direct access to the new 6,000 square foot Fresh Harvest restaurant, Nectar ultra-lounge, a new Players Club, and additional casino space. The casino also offers the Sunset Grill, located in an outdoor traditional chickee.
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is located just east of State Road 7 (U.S. 441) and north of Sample Road at 5550 NW 40th Street. For more information call 954-977-6700. Visit www.seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com