Tuna battle returns with more fight than ever

By Evan Riddell
Western Herald

Not content with supplying 24 hours of commercial-free music, WIDR, Western Michigan University’s student-run radio station, is bringing Kalamazoo a battle-of-the-bands throw down like none other.

Alongside the likes of Michael Beauchamp and Notes to Self, the lucky winning band will open the Barking Tuna Festival’s October 10 show at the State Theater.

Christened “The Fight for the Tuna,” 12 local bands will compete against one another to win the support that could take them to the big stage. Last year, the “Fight” played out over one show, but this year, it’s been super-sized. Four bands will play one night each week, with the winners duking it out in the championship round for the coveted “Barking Tuna” opening timeslot.

WIDR’s General Manager, Dave Emmert is excited about the more streamlined approach the station has taken to organizing the concerts.

“We’ve fixed it up a little bit. Last year it was just one concert and we had about five judges…. We still have three judges who will give scores based on stage presence, over-all sound, things like that, but this year we’re having the fans vote too.”

Each concertgoer will receive a ballot to vote for whomever they enjoy most that night.

“We’re trying to give the audience more of a vote on who they want to see because it’s not all about all the staff here, it’s about the community,” Emmert said.

The judges will come from all walks of life in Kalamazoo.

Emmert continued, “We have some WMU faculty members [and] I believe we have someone from the Gazette coming down to judge. We might have a few of our really well-known DJs who have been around for about 20 years or so, they might be guest judges as well.”

Qualifying round shows play out during the first three weeks of September at The Strutt, admission will be a mere $3 at the door.
On Sept. 2, The Round, The Wildfire, Matt Motzell, and the Rock and the Hive opened the “Fight” with the Rock and the Hive coming out on top.

The combat continues Sept. 9 with Matt Black and the Mystics, Nunca Duerma, New Sprites, and Anonymous Monk. On Sept. 17, Zombie Apocalypse Now!, Rotten Wood Moon, Delightism, and Mister Hear Mister will finish up the qualifying rounds. Each of the three opening round winners will then be set against one another on Sept. 24 at Kalamazoo’s ultimate battle-of-the-bands championship round.

The Barking Tuna Festival will feature Wisconsin’s Daredevil Christopher Wright and the recently reformed Small Brown Bike, as well as a surprise act whose identity is currently under-wraps.

“We also have a big, national headliner that I can’t quite disclose right now. We’ll be announcing them next week or so. It’s going to be big and it’s going to be a great show,” said Emmert, who understands that with all the big-name acts onstage, the hometown heroes could do with a bit of extra exposure.

“We’re trying to showcase local bands by giving them an opportunity to be seen by a much larger audience than they normally would have,” he said, “At the end of the day, we’re still a community station and we still support local music.

This is our way of trying to give back to the music community by having them be involved in our biggest event of the year.”

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=7587

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Sep 7 2009. Filed under A & E. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com