Saliva again won first place in the regional showcase and they advanced to the national finals, held in New York City on February 22, 1997, competing against the other two regional finalists: folk trio Maggi, Pierce, and EJ and rock band Save Ferris. Saliva came in second behind Save Ferris, but still received worthy consolation prizes including money, equipment and tickets to 1997's 39th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony. By this point, Saliva had only played a total of six concerts, but they began to be courted by major record label A&amp;R scouts.