Raising the stakes with plenty of techno-booty, Mantis Recording Studios is offering the winning band an audio and video recording of the final show. Tall Toad Music is tossing in a new acoustic guitar and Bananas at Large is donating two PA main speakers. On Saturday, Dorsoul goes head to head with Superficial Hero, the Jake Mackey Band, Stomach and Scattershot Theory. Next weekend, The Reliables, Majesty's Monkey, Bella Luna, The Thrillseekers andAttic Salt blow it out on Friday. And Wingnut, Leroy, Metagalaxy, Juniper and Kalifornia Redemption trade licks on Saturday.
Judges pick two winners each night.
The semifinals stage four bands on March 16 and 17, and the final four face off March 24. De Bruin acknowledges that many local bands are missing from the lineup. Five A.M. should be on the bill, he said, along with the likes of The Secret Band, The Cohorts, Quantum Pulse and Groove Juicy. He may be a musician looking for a wider audience, but he's also got a vested interest in making this work. By early morning, he delivers newspapers.