Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble
Question: Who are some of the bands that have won the Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble?
Answer: The Neighborhoods, ‘Til Tuesday, The Sheila Divine, Gang Green, Dresden Dolls.
Local music is a linchpin in any thriving art scene and Boston has had a thriving one of those for decades. And one of the cornerstones to the city’s local music community is the annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble – begun in 1979 and sponsored by two of Boston’s most famous radio stations, WBCN and WZLX – which has become a showcase in which every serious local band wants to perform. The Boston Globe’s music critic Steve Morse referred to the debut competition “nine nights of exhilarating grass-roots rock.”
Notable appearances, Past venues, Format
Simply being invited to appear at the event is impressive, even if you don’t make it past the first round. Bands that have not taken the winners’ bow but became extremely well know after playing the Rumble include The Del Fuegos, The Dogmatics, O Positive, Treat Her Right, Bim Skala Bim, Letters to Cleo and Morphine. It’s arguable that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble is the greatest collection of local bands any American music scene has ever produced. Through the decades, the Rumble has been held at Boston and Cambridge spots including The Rathskeller, The Metro, the Paradise Rock Club, The Middle East, T.T. The Bear’s Place and ONCE Ballroom.
These days, the Rumble begins in April with six preliminary rounds of 24 acts. Each night, four bands perform a tight, thoroughly rehearsed set that is judged by some of the luminaries of the Boston music scene. A winner and two wildcards are selected from each preliminary round and those eight lucky acts move on to the semi-finals.
Special guests, Local significance
A special guest, typically a national act, headlines the finals and performs while the judges make their cases for a winner. Some of the national acts to have headlined the Rumble include Peter Wolf, The Alarm and Joan Jett. In recent years, the Rumble has brought back past participants to headline the finals, including The Gravel Pit, The Dogmatics and The Neighborhoods. Today, the Rumble is hosted and produced by Boston DJ Anngelle Wood, host of Boston Emissions.
The Rumble has become one of Boston’s most celebrated musical events. When it comes to the city’s underground rock ‘n’ roll scene, there are certain people, places and things that everyone who has been involved in one form or another looks back upon with reverence and fondness – The Rat, The Channel, The Noise, WFNX and The Rumble. It’s in the DNA of every band that’s come up through Boston and something that the fraternity of groups which have performed at the Rumble can look back on. Win or lose, the bands that got a chance to Rumble will never forget it.
(by Chris Hinckley)
