By Michael Luce
There’s never a dull moment in the local music scene, and battle of the bands events showcase the best of the best Utah has to offer. Between The Boardwalk in Orem (happening next week!) and Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo, there’s a battle for every season, and these are not the kinds of shows you want to miss!
Winning Velour’s battle holds a level of prestige that puts a band in the same category as Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons, The Aces, The Backseat Lovers, and Cardinal Bloom (among many others). The event holds all number of surprises and discoveries, such as new and upcoming bands you may have never otherwise heard, experimental indie groups pushing music to the next level, or some of the heaviest and grungiest music to come out of the scene in years. Sometimes called the who’s-who of Provo hipster music, this event is better than 90% of battle of the bands-style shows out there.
If the clout wasn’t enough, bands also have a shot at winning awesome prizes like studio time, photo shoots, and good ol’ cash. The event serves not just as friendly competition, but also as a way to help local talent continue building and growing as musicians.
This year’s Velour Summer Battle of the Bands will take place June 24 – June 29, 2024. Submissions for bands hoping to compete are open from now until May 17 at midnight. Early applications are prioritized, so prospective competitors should apply as soon as possible to have the best opportunity of being accepted. Bands can apply to perform here. One important note is that Velour does not allow bands to play in two consecutive battles, so any groups that performed in the Winter 2023 competition are not eligible for summer.
Best of luck to all hopeful competitors! We’ll see you on the battlefield, er, stage!
Make sure to follow Velour Live Music Gallery on Instagram and check out “Decent” from Summer 2023 runner-up, Jumpmonk, below!