Chilly temperatures and Valentine’s Day might not be the best incentives to get some people out of the house. But watching live bands in a battle for distinction might be just the thing. For those who enjoy watching live bands, and who like the excitement that builds from competition, the Battle of the Bands taking place Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 at The Vogue is the place to be.
The event does not have presales. Instead, tickets will go on sale at 5 p.m. the day of the show. The full schedule for the Battle will also happen at 5 p.m. The bands’ order of performance will be determined by a random draw that will take place during soundcheck.
The Battle of the Bands is a 21 and older event.
Battle of the Bands: why they matter
Band battles seem to matter most to musicians and their ardent fans. The idea of the Battle of the Bands appears to have gotten its start in the 1930s, when jazz orchestras would compete against each other in big dancehalls. The idea has largely gone unchanged since then, except for genre and in some cases, the media through which the battle takes place. Battle of the Bands as most people know them today have their roots in the late 1970s, when radio disc jockeys would play songs by two different bands and leave the idea of “best” to listeners.
At times, radio stations will host Battle of the Bands events by playing songs by two different bands and allowing listeners to call in to determine a winner. But for live battles, determining a winner might take a different approach. Fan appreciation counts for a great deal, and usually there is a panel of judges. And also for live bands there is the satisfaction of besting another band, and perhaps earning some prize money that can be invested in equipment or recording studio time.
Band battles are not just for jazz and rock groups, however. Most people can recall their high school taking place in some sort of band battle with other marching bands. Sometimes the stakes were low – – just a trophy, but the prize symbolizes hard work and dedication. And, maybe that is what draws performers to battles with their fellow musicians in the first place – -the opportunity to prove themselves.
Battle of the Bands at The Vogue
There is an air of secrecy and urgency about the Battle of the Bands at The Vogue. Fans will receive one ballot and they must vote for a first, second and third choice. Those votes will determine 50 percent of the outcome. The other 50 percent will be voted on by “secret” industry judges. There is no word whether the secret judges will ever be revealed.
At the end of the night, the winner of the battle will be crowned, perhaps metaphorically. The point is, attendees will know if their favorite won or not. Sounds like an exciting time for all.
Here is the lineup for this weekend’s Battle of the Bands at The Vogue (in no particular order): Audiodacity, Huckleberry Funk, Forstory, Jake Schlegel, Porch Kat, The Palace, J. Elliott, and Bullet Points.
The Battle of the Bands should prove to be an exciting time. The Vogue is located at 6259 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, Indiana. Ticket prices range from $15 to $17. For more information about The Vogue, visit: https://do317.com/venues/the-vogue-theatre
