Artist Submissions

We are now accepting artist submissions for Uptown Country Waterloo 2010. Please deliver hard-copy submissions to the UpTown Waterloo BIA Office before February 15th, 2010.

UpTown Country 2010 Date Announced

We are pleased to officially announce the date for UpTown Country Waterloo 2010.
June 19th, 2010

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor please send us an email and we will have one of our committee members contact you. To volunteer please head over to our volunteer page for more information.

UpTown Country is a FREE festival, held rain or shine in the Regina St. parking lot (Regina St. and Willis Way). Come to UpTown Waterloo, pull up a hay bale and enjoy the show!




2009 Artist Biographies

Tara Oram

Chasing the Sun

In the trailer for Tara Oram's CMT television show The Tara Diaries she humbly tells viewers "I finished sixth on Canadian Idol and then… nothing happened."

She may have to go back and change that soon because something very definitely is happening for the Hare Bay, Newfoundland native.

For one, she's got The Tara Diaries. A show about her that stars of course – Tara! When her Canadian Idol experience ended, Tara (pronounced “Tah-ra”) began posting video blogs on her official website (taraoram.wordpress.com) to keep fans updated on what she was doing, be it stalking Loretta Lynn's tour bus ("I had to get it on video") or debuting songs with her boyfriend and season five Idol winner Brian Melo backing her on guitar. The CMT folks loved what Tara was doing and offered her a show... more>>>

Larry Berrio

Larry is an established artist in the Canadian Country Music industry and has been touring Canada performing at numerous clubs, corporate and select events. He has been featured on several television programs as "Canada in the Rough" and the Red Green Show. In addition he has been included in several profiled events.

As his career "accelerated into high gear" he captured the attention of the industry and media. Larry's ever-increasing fan base demanded a new album. Larry shifted his talents up another gear and traveled to Nashville to begin work on his latest album "RPM". In Nashville, Larry collaborated with his hometown friends Gil Grand and Jake Matthews plus a few other renowned song writers including Brady Seals of "Hot Apple Pie" and "Little Texas", Willie Mack and Tony Ramey to name a few. Recorded in Nashville at Grand and Gee Music Group featuring band members of Jason Aldean's band, Murray Pulver (Doc Walker) and other talented session players, this album has definitely given Country Music a new sound. Within months after the release of this album, Larry signed a distribution deal with 306 Records / EMI, Nashville... more>>>

Dry County

Coined by many as Canada's top independent country rock act, Dry County's popularity has recently exploded, their music heard by millions, when their cult single "Waitin On Hank" became the official entrance song for UFC super heavy weight fighter "Texas Crazy Horse" Heath Herring. In 2008, Dry County completed their first tour in Nashville and was the featured act at Vegas Bikefest in October.

They have graced the pages of country music publications, newspapers, and Internet blogs and regularly sell out venues across the province of Ontario. Originally formed in 1998 after shared decades on the bar and festival circuit, Dry County has established itself as a high energy act infusing new country with southern rock. Their 2002 self-titled debut CD landed 5 songs on over 50 radio stations nationwide and have been included in live to air interviews as feature artists. With their latest CD release, "Waitin' On Hank", Dry County is drawing attention from all legions of fans across North America, proving that this tough as nails act is delivering music that people want to hear. more>>>

Sean Hogan

The response to Sean Hogan’s 1996 debut album over a decade ago was nothing less than spectacular! With a stylistic sound that some industry observers have described as dangerously balanced between ”alt-country authenticity” and “modern rustic pop appeal”, his first album release immediately caught the attention of country radio programmers and listeners across Canada. Their reaction earned him the first-ever C.C.M.A. Independent Male Artist of The Year Award in 1997. Since then, Hogan has become one of the highest profiled Canadian singer/songwriters performing his own brand of Country and Roots music in Canada, as well as in parts of the U.S. and Australia in recent years, and has had an astounding seventeen music videos aired on CMT Canada promoting those songs.

Though Hogan loves to play live, and has become fond of saying “Go ahead call me, I’ll rock your stage”. The singer says he is “motivated by the satisfaction of tapping into a song idea, finding its true spirit, carving out its continuity, and creating a song that reaches people with its story as well as its sheer emotion.” He has tapped into that vein more than once with such songs as... more>>>

Tonya Kennedy

Tonya Kennedy is a proud Newfoundland Gal ~ living in Barrie, Ontario. 2008 proved to be an exciting year for Tonya as she continued to climb up the Canadian Country Music ladder… First by charting with 3 singles released to radio and also being the opening act for: Aaron Lines (3 times), Beverley Mahood, Jason Blaine, Jamie Warren (twice), Willie Mack (Nashville Showcase).

Today Tonya is a dedicated & driven country music singer songwriter. She offers a unique sound that some say might remind you of a young Tanya Tucker or Carlene Carter. This Atlantic artist’s passion has been proven in the Canadian Country music scene with a strong impact on radio and on stages across the country.

Tonya has teamed up with industry legend J. Richard Hutt (Jamie Warren, Beverley Mahood, Lace) and is in the finishing stages of her debut CD. With 3 singles already at radio Tonya is excited for 2009 and is more than ready to establish her place in the Canadian Country Music scene!!