Huntsville On Stage and TV 78 Huntsville have come together to present The Battle of the Bands. Bands of Huntsville are urged to enter the contest, which will be held every Saturday at the Old Downtown Theater and TV 78 complex on 12th Street in Huntsville.The Huntsville Idol, a contest which was held during last summer, sparked the interest of bands. Unfortunately, the contest was based off the TV favorite, and bands were unable to register. “So many bands inquired about Huntsville Idol, that we decided we should put together something for the bands,” Paul Shiver, host of Huntsville On Stage events, said. “The interest level was so high from bands to enter The Huntsville Idol.”Battle of the Bands will run every Saturday in February, beginning on Feb. 2. With the purchase of a ticket, members of the audience will receive ballots to cast their votes. These votes will be tallied and have an impact on the overall calculations, but the judge’s decisions will be final.Each band must submit a $25.00 non-refundable entry fee and a one song audio recording of themselves to: TV 78 Huntsville 1024 12th Street, Huntsville, TX 77340 by no later than Friday, Jan. 25th. In addition, every band must register to compete on the web site. Other requirements include that each band must consist of at least three or more members, but there is no restriction on age.”We are accepting any and all genres from any and all ages,” Shiver said. “Feel free to enter, but this will be a serious competition with serious winnings at stake.”During a closed door review, judges will listen, review and sort the submissions to determine which bands will compete in the first live performance eliminations on Saturday, Feb. 2. Bands who enter the contest will perform live on-stage before a voting audience and a panel of judges. Contestants will compete and strive to make it through each elimination round. Depending on the number of contestants, each band that progresses to the second show, will play one or two songs. A total of three bands will be selected as the winners of Battle of the Bands during the final show on Feb. 23. The third place winner will receive $300.00 and other prizes; second place will receive $500.00 and other prizes. The first place winner will receive their own TV 78 Huntsville hour-long special, which will be aired later on TV 78 Huntsville, plus a cash prize of $1,000.00, along with other prizes.A behind-the-scenes special will be made which will include rehearsals and interviews with the band members. Although many bands would usually have to pay large amounts of money for this type of promo, this special is included in the grand prize.”We’ll promote a concert that features them,” Shiver said. “We’re going to follow [the winning band] around while they are preparing for their concert.” The theater doors will open at 5:00 p.m and the competition will begin at 6:00 p.m. for all four shows. Tickets for Battle of the Bands, which are $10.00 per seat each night, can be reserved online five days in advance. Tickets can be picked up or paid for at TV 78 Huntsville, located across from the Old Town Theater at 1024 12th Street. Although there are still tickets available in the theater, another option has been prepared in advance.Once the Old Downtown Theater has filled to capacity, tickets can be purchased for $5.00 for all overflow locations and/or including street party overflow. “We are going to block the street off and hold a Battle of the Bands street party,” Shiver said. “[The audience outside] will be seeing it live. We are also going to open up the entire TV 78 Huntsville studio.”For more information on Battle of the Bands or to enter the competition, please contact their website at: http://www.huntsvilleonstage.com/ or call TV 78 Huntsville at 936-436-0400.
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