Local bands will compete to be the best at Casa Nueva Restaurant & Cantina, 6 W. State St., on Thursday at 9:30 p.m.
The penultimate Rock Fight show will host local musicians as they compete against each other, playing 20-minute sets judged by three critics.
“Bands get to meet each other and think about doing stuff down the road,” Skye Hope, radio personality and organizer of Rock Fight, said. “The opportunities are endless.”
The rock fights have hosted a diverse set of musical acts, Hope said. There are a variety of different genres, from “hippie” bands to Spanish-language bands, duets and straightforward rock groups.
The title “Rock Fight” is a nod to Cheech and Chong’s film Up In Smoke, Hope added.
Tickets can be purchased during Hope’s radio show, Classic Caravan. Listeners can call in and purchase $1 tickets for pickup at the station, WATH/WXTQ 105.5 FM, at 300 Columbus Road.
“It’s a different kind of thing,” Grace Corbin, marketing coordinator at Casa Nueva, said. “It’s like battle of the bands but more involved. It’s a series.”
Corbin thinks Rock Fight is a great way to see new locally-made music.
“Some bands are playing for the first time,” Corbin added. “People can see what’s up-and-coming.”
“The talent that’s lined up is pretty stellar and top-notch,” Kent Lankas, Rock Fight assistant organizer, said.
Bands from all over the state will be represented. Rock Fight shows are fun and special for the audience, Lankas added.
“Audience gets first say in who’s going to move on,” Lankas said. “It’s a positive event for everyone involved.”
Attendees not only get a say on which band is the best, but also, free gifts and goodies at the show.
“There are great prizes for bands, and the audience wins stuff,” Lankas said.
For Lankas, Rock Fight is an exciting new addition to the local music scene.
“It’s a good addition to local events,” Lankas explained. “Personally, I’ve been involved in the music scene for 20 years now, and this area in particular has some of the biggest talent I’ve found anywhere in the world.”
The community has come together for the past two Rock Fight events, Lankas added. Turnout has been successful, and local businesses have been eager to support, such as Passion Works, Donkey Coffee and Espresso and Thunder Bunny Tattoo Parlor.
The four bands competing in round three this Thursday include: Ready, Aim, Flowers!, WMN., Nine Mile Silence and •The Dexter Wesley Band.
Free soda will be provided to those underage.
For the final show, Rock Fight organizers will be raffling off an electric Yamaha Pacifica Stratocaster guitar. The next and final Rock Fight of the year is on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 9 p.m.
