Vienna to Play Host to Bi-Annual Mid-Atlantic Band Battle

Hundreds have tried; five still remain. But only one band can call themselves Band Battle champions.

The Mid-Atlantic Band Battle 9 Finals will be held Friday, Aug. 23 at Jammin Java in Vienna featuring five finalists: Holly Would, Sub-Radio Standard, Cyrenic, Simone and the Spectrum and the Tattooed Beachsluts.

What began as more than 150 applicants from all over the East coast was quickly narrowed to 28 artists competing in preliminary rounds for a spot in the finals.

Mei Verba, marketing manager for Jammin Java, credits the event's high number of applications to its regional outreach and variety of sounds.

"The main difference among other band battles in the area is the opportunity for all genres to apply," Verba said, adding that applicants were "both local and from as far as New York or Pennsylvania."

The café hosted four nights of preliminary rounds featuring seven new artists each night, and the winner of each night's preliminary earned a spot in the finals.

This year, for the first time in the history of the event, there was a tie in a preliminary, allowing a fifth artist into the finals.

The judges' criteria throughout each round of the competition remains the same. It is based on five key components: musicianship, songwriting, the "look," the "solid factor," and crowd response. 

The café hosts the bi-annual Band Battle every January and August, and Verba said that as the event has grown each year so have the prizes.

This year's grand prize includes $2,500 cash, a headlining show featuring the winning band at Jammin Java, studio time at Cue Recording Studios with producer Jim Ebert, a music video produced by ActOfLight.com, a customized poster design featuring the band, six months of free cover for any show at Jammin Java and more.

There are also prizes for second, third and fourth place, so most finalists will be going home with something.

The Band Battle 8 champions, MH & His Orchestra recently played their headlining show at Jammin Java, and have since been booked to headline the Aug. 9 show at the 9:30 club. 

Mid-Atlantic Band Battle 9 begins at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 while VIP seats are $18. The Lobby Bar will open at 6 p.m. and remain open after the competition is over.

For bios and additional information on the finalists, scroll to the bottom of the event's information page.