corporate america rocks?
HAAM’s 2012 Corporate Battle of the Bands Benefit will rock Antone’s in supportof local musicians
- Sweet 505 sponsored by ChooseWhatSWEET 505 is the crown jewel of the ChooseWhat brand. After spending yearsresearching the ChooseWhat.com small business start-up guide, our analysis teamturned their attention to what matters most in the Live Music Capital of theWorld. We have spent countless hours in the record store and the recordingstudio trying to find the smoothest bass grooves, the hardestrocking backbeats,and the most face melting solos available. Keeping track of today’s musicscene can become a full time job, but ChooseWhat’s Sweet 505 is here to deliverthe purest rock and roll on the market. Relax, let down your hair, and get yourlighters ready while April, Sam, Casey, Gaines, and Koby deliver the hardestrocking show of the evening.
- the Goo Gle Dolls sponsored by Google THE GOO GLE DOLLS is a supergroup comprised of 2 local Austin groups, TheFriendlySavages and OJ & Caleb--all of whose members are also Google Austin employees!Blending the Friendly Savages folk/rock/indie sounds with OJ & Caleb’s R&B andSoulcover songs, they’re ready to take the Battle of the Bands (and the world) bystorm! When not rocking out, their main hobby is “being totally zen, bro.”
- Packet Racket sponsored by Anue Sysyems PACKET RACKET is influenced by the Funk Rock music of the 70’s and brings thatstyle and influence to the stage. Playing a get-down set of funkadelic tunes with amatching groove and look, these four guys and two babes put down a hip mix of head banging, cowbellwhacking, wanna get-your-groove-on tunes.
- My So-Called Band sponsored by Goerge & Brothers, LLP MY SO-CALLED BAND consists of three lawyers and two engineers who came of age in that golden era of angst, dockers, flannel, overuse of the word “awesome,” and rage against no one in particular… otherwise known as the 1990s. So whether you were in college or preschool when these songs came out, MSCB hopes that these tunes will help you reminisce a little, get angry at the establishment some, and sing along!
- Light the Sun sponsored by HEB Light the Sun is an original rock band based out of Austin and formed in the summer of 2011. Comprised of four members, the band is:Will-vocalist/guitarist, Kyle-lead guitar, Matt-bass and Cody-drums. Currently, Light the Sun is gigging and interested in playing new venues as well as continuing to create and write new music. In the future, the band plans to sign to a label and create and record new and exciting rock music.
- Earthbound sponsored by Heart Clinic of Austin Sponsored by Heart Clinic of Austin, EARTHBOUND has been known as many names, and was first formed in a hot, crowded garage a little over a year ago by guitarist Brent Michel and drummer Max Malerba. Both devoted musicians, Max has been playing drums since middle school and is strongly influenced by a wide variety of bands including Blink 182, Block Party, and Nirvana. Brent has been playing music since he was eight years old, and plays guitar, bass, piano, drums and takes voice lessons in his spare time. After going through 3 bassists and 4 singers over the past year they have finally found the perfect fit with Lydia Kolda, who plays bass and does lead vocals. They hope to go far in the music world, and make their passion a full-time career in the not-so-distant future.
- Driver sponsored by HPI Corporate Services Austin Texas’ Alt-country Rock Band DRIVER is the product of a bunch ofmusicians who just won’t let a dream die. These retreads from bands such as the eighties rock bandMainstreet out of northern Virginia, and Austin band Javelin Boot just can’t get music out oftheir system. Many years after the success of their original bands, Driver has created a buzz asone of Austin’s best songwriting groups, and one that is such fun to watch. The reason lies in themusic, and their joy in playing it. Whether it is the strong melodies, beautiful three partharmonies, or the cutting guitar work, Driver brings a modern look at classic genres such as Americana, Alt country and straight up Rock and Roll. If you hear influences from groups such as theEagles, Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, and the Byrds, then you’ll know the roots that inspired thisgreat new music.
- BOTH FEET sponsored by Seton Healthcare Family Two Alaska grown singer-songwriters and their Texan rhythm section mix musicalsounds from past generations into a fresh style that connects with today’s listeners. BOTHFEET’s original music is strong, full of life and passion, making their stage presence and energyinfectious. They live for playing music steeped in traditional blues, as well as blending sounds of earlyR&B, soul, hip-hop, reggae, funk and good old Southern style and heavy Rock-n-Roll. Theirself-penned tunes will not only make you sit up and listen, but make you want to get up and dance.
- Atomic Large Band sponsored by Intel Corporation THE ATOMIC LARGE BAND is comprised of 10 Intel engineers who play music for funalthough many of them have been part of numerous bands throughout their high-school,college and professional careers; this is the 1st time this large band will perform togetherin a public venue. Instruments include various guitars (Hank Howell, Kyle Durand, Gian Gerosa) ,drums (Warren Ashford), bass (Mike Putrino), keyboards (George Eleftheriou), saxophone (DylanPfeifer), trumpet (Jorge Reyes), violin (Sam Chang) and of course several singers (Drake Dowsett,Kyle Durand, and Mike Putrino). Their music repertoire covers pop, country, rock, blues and funktunes.
Austin is central to an enormous pool of talented musicians. But being a musician doesn’t necessarily always ensure benefits that other jobs around Austin may provide. Luckily, there is the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) to help out with that.
Their mission is to “provide access to affordable health care for Austin's low income, uninsured working musicians, with a focus on prevention and wellness.”
In order to help fund this organization and help support Austin’s local musicians, Cirrus Logic and HEB will be presenting the 2012 Corporate Battle of the Bands benefit concert on Thursday, April 19 at Antone’s. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $10, which you can purchase, here.
According to the event page, 10 bands that are sponsored by Austin-area companies will battle it out, vying for celebrity judges’ votes, audience’s favor and grand prizes. Here’s the kicker: Each band is actually comprised of talented musicians from the company that sponsors them.
In addition to the battle, the event will also be holding a silent auction that include Randy Rogers concert packages, VIP tickets to FunFunFun Fest, gift baskets, ACL and SXSW packages and more.
The benefit will be hosted by Trevin and Deidre from 101X and will be judged by Tad Kinchla, Tim League and Carlos Sosa.
Here’s a lineup of the bands and companies featured in the competition:
6:30-6:45 - Packet Racket (Anue Systems)
7:00-7:15 - Sweet 505 (ChooseWhat)
7:30-7:45 - Both Feet (Seton Healthcare Family)
8:00-8:15 - Driver (HPI Corporate Services)
8:30-8:45 - Earthbound (Heart Clinic of Austin)
9:00-9:15 - My So-Called Band (George & Brothers, LLP)
9:30-9:45 - The Goo Gle Dolls (Google)
10:00-10:15 - Atomic Large Band (Intel Corporation)
10:30-10:45 - Light the Sun (H-E-B)
11:00-11:15 - Superheterodyne (Cirrus Logic)
You can learn more about each band by viewing the slideshow on the right.
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The 2012 Corporate Battle of the Bands benefit will take place on Thursday, April 19 from 6 p.m. - 2 a.m. at Antone’s. An after party featuring Learning Secrets and Zeale starts at 11 p.m. after the awards ceremony. You can purchase tickets for $10 at ticketfly.