Milwaukee-based Briggs and Stratton Corporation has begun accepting submissions for its third annual Battle of the Bands competition. The winning band will perform on Saturday, July 2 on the Briggs and Stratton Big Back Yard stage at Summerfest.
“We are very excited about this year’s Briggs & Stratton Battle of the Bands and all of the great talent we know will be submitting songs on our Facebook page,” said Todd Teske, President and CEO of Briggs & Stratton.
Briggs & Stratton will debut the renovations made to its Summerfest Big Back Yard Stage this year as well. The stage will now feature more green space and large HD video screens on both sides, said Teske.
The winning band will receive VIP treatment in Milwaukee in the days leading up to the event, said Deanna Zabel of Briggs and Stratton.
“This year we’re utilizing social media throughout the contest a lot more than we did in year’s past,” she said. “Everything about the contest from submissions to listening to voting will be focused on the Briggs and Stratton Battle of the Bands Facebook page.”
Music fans and bands are encouraged to “like” the page and share it with their friends, Zabel said.
Since its launch, the contest has accepted more than 1,000 submissions from bands across the world and nearly 1 million votes worldwide.
“We’re really excited to be doing it again and we think with the new stage, the new bands and the new format we’re going to have a really good year,” Zabel said.
“If you’re in a band that wants to be in front of thousands of fans, performing at Summerfest, the World’s Largest Music Festival, the Briggs & Stratton Battle of the Bands can help make that happen,” said Don Smiley, president and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. “This fan-voted contest is a great opportunity for one band to ultimately be front and center at the Big Gig, and this year’s new and improved Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage will only add to all of the excitement.”
Fans are already voting, Zabel said. Band will have until Friday, April 15 to submit their songs for voting. “The top ten bands will be selected by voters online, so bands are encouraged to submit as soon as possible,” Zabel said.
According to Zabel, a panel of judges will narrow down the top ten bands into three finalists by May 7 and voters will get to decide who wins.
“We’ll select a winning band before Memorial Day, but after the top three are announced it’s entirely up to the public,” she said.
Last year’s winner, This is Energy, an alternative band from St. Louis, opened for Gavin DeGraw at the Big Backyard during Summerfest and has done a series of promotional videos for this year’s contest. Bands can enter their own music at www.briggsbattleofthebands.com
