Out of 49 starting competitors, Wayne's Tegan Nissen and the Troubleshooters performed in the final Top Five competition during the State Fair's Battle of the Bands last Saturday.
New to Nebraska's State Fair this year, the Battle of the Bands started with online submissions and voting.
The Troubleshooters, after hearing about the event on the news, decided to try their hand at competing.
First, the local musicians recorded two videos and sent them to the State Fair to post on its website. Voters from across the state then chose their top 10 favorite Nebraska groups.
Then, the Troubleshooters competed at one installment of the Hear Grand Island concert series. The top five of those bands then went on to play at the State Fair. There, a band called Mad Dog and the 20/20s, from Lincoln, won the $2,000 cash prize and an opportunity to open for one of two large, upcoming concerts.
"We did feel a bit disappointed we did not win," drummer Zach Kunz said. "But just the experience of being there was awesome. It really did not hit us until we got there that we actually made it into the top five out of all those bands. The Battle of the Bands gave us the opportunity to gain confidence and play in front of a good-sized crowd."
Tegan Nissen and the Troubleshooters includes band members Tegan Nissen, lead vocalist; Spencer Morris, lead guitarist; Ian Jensen, bassist and Zach Kunz, drummer.
They started the group back in February of 2022, focusing on country music, both covers and originals.
Though they do not have any more performances scheduled at this time, the band has a new song releasing on Labor Day called "27 County," honoring the county of Wayne.
To follow the local band's success, find "Tegan Nissen" on Facebook and on Spotify.
