The final countdown has begun.
For the past seven weeks, Howard’s Club H has been the home to the first, and hopefully annual, “Rock Fight BG!” and will be holding the final competition both Friday and Saturday, in which eight bands will compete for the title of “Rock Fight BG!” champions and a grand prize of $1,000.
The finale will start on Friday at 10 p.m. in which Ireruin, Huron County Creeps, The Highgears, and Science of Big Machines will give their best shot of proving that they are the supreme bands of Bowling Green. The finale will continue on to Saturday at 10 p.m. where the winner from Thursday’s final round will take on Sangsara, the Fury, and RHSC in a sweaty battle through guitar licks and immeasurable drumbeats, with only one goal in mind; to be the “Rock Fight Champion.”
The “Rock Fight!” is comprised like a battle of the bands competition, but judged like a pageant. “The winner will be judged on song quality, stage presence, and crowd participation,” Broc Curry, owner of Ramalama Records said.
“The bands will be judged by three local record company representatives, who will be looking for all of those things and more,” Curry said.
Curry and his partner Rob “Stud” Kimple, who had piloted a “Rock Fight!” in Toledo over the summer with 50 bands competing for $5,000, thought that Bowling Green would be an excellent spot for the next “Rock Fight!.”
“Bowling Green has so many amazing local bands, and this is definitely something we will be looking to do yearly,” Curry said.
“We are really pleased with the turn out of the ‘Rock Fight!’,” John “JD” DeSmith, a representative from Howard’s said. “The bands and fans have been amazing!”
However, Howard’s and Ramalama Records are not the only people who are excited for the finale, the bands are ecstatic. Joel Freemont, a representative for the band RHSC conveyed how excited the band is to compete in the “Rock Fight!”
“We are really excited about this show,” Freemont said, “We have been following a strict practice schedule and we are writing new material… we have done shows regularly for three years now, but we aren’t treating this as just another show.”
This may be because there is a rather handsome award to win, which RHSC, as well as other bands, would use towards getting new equipment and assisting with the price of cutting a new album.
Freemont also thinks that RHSC will be a tough competitor.
“Everyone in the band loves being in the band and I think that experience and passion really makes us different,” Freemont said, “We are just hoping to have a good time and we hope that everyone else has a good time in return! We love what we do and we have a blast with it!” Freemont said.
Freemont also stated how helpful the “Rock Fight!” is to local bands. “BG needs more support for local bands. There is no reason why Howard’s and Easy Street should not be packed every night there is a local performer.”
Freemont’s heart lies with RHSC winning, but said, “Even if you aren’t supporting RHSC, please go see the show! BG has amazing local bands, I’ve been to a lot of different cities and to a lot of different shows, but the Bowling Green bands are phenomenal!”
And with the price of $5 for each night of the finale, there isn’t a logical excuse why one would not go and see the heated battle as most rockiest band of BG assumes the position of Rock Fight Champion.