Selena Khammo, Copywriter
With SpringFest, March Madness, St. Patrick’s Day, and the reopening of Blank Slate Creamery in near sight, we are sure that life could not possibly get any better. But what if I told you that you could see the hottest bands in the local Ann Arbor music scene from the comfort of good old Rick’s American Cafe? MUSIC Matters is ecstatic to be hosting out second annual March Madness Battle of the Bands tournament. The winner of this prestigious competition will have the opportunity to perform on the day stage of SpringFest 2018, this April.
Though, this competition is about more than just simply sourcing rising talent to play on our day stage, as our Head of Local Talent, Mike Pearlman, puts it. “Ann Arbor is actually home to a lot of serious acts who just want a stage and a crowd to play for, and sometimes those people have a really hard time finding that exposure.” Additionally, he emphasized that “this year's Battle of the Bands is designed not just to put artists on a pedestal, but rather to give them a time and a place to play a great show at a great venue with a great crowd.”
As for the first round of the competition that took place last night, we teamed up with Dance Marathon (DMUM) for round one of the series. Needless to say it was a fantastic night with performances from some amazing local acts, including Kanem X, Nadim Azzam, Oren Levine and many more. All the proceeds from the covers of the night benefited DMUM and their initiatives in support and awareness for children with disabilities and illnesses. It was a fantastic opportunity getting to partner with DMUM for such a great cause, and celebrate local talent at the same time.
For a quick recap, there are two more events in the series you’ll want to look out for: the second round that will take place March 14th at Club Above, and the final round March 20th back at Rick’s where the finalists of each round will battle to be the next viral artist on campus and secure a spot on stage at this year’s SpringFest on April 4th. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more info and announcements! And until then, we’ll see ya next week at Club Above!