_{By Michael Luce}

If you thought you’d seen all there was to see from Battle of the Bands after The Boardwalk wrapped their series up last week, think again! Just yesterday, Velour Live Music Gallery announced the opening of applications for their semi-annual Battle of the Bands, meaning we’ve got another week-long adventure of local music goodness coming our way soon.

We’ve said it time and time again, but Battle of the Bands is the place for both up-coming-bands and more established groups to show off their stuff, cut their teeth in a competitive environment, and push themselves to the next level. And we don’t need to remind you that past winners at Velour have included the likes of Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees, The Backseat Lovers, The Aces, and more!

Win or lose, BotB is an excellent way for a band to introduce themselves to a whole new crew of fans during a performance that’s theoretically the best they have to offer. Personally, I’ve discovered many of my favorite local groups during these weeks, and I’m incredibly excited to see who else to add to my rotation.

Velour’s Summer 2025 Battle of the Bands will be from Monday, June 23 to Saturday, June 28. As always, the winners of the first five nights will play again on Saturday for the chance to be crowned champions. Interested bands can apply now through May 23 at 11:59 PM. Bands that competed in Velour’s Winter 2024 BotB are not eligible to apply for June’s battle. You can find the full list of guidelines, rules, and dates at the application link here. There are often 60+ submissions each time, so be sure to get yours in soon (as preference is often given to prompt applications).

Best of luck to those looking to compete! We’ll be there to cover the whole thing, start to finish. (If you’re curious what that looks like, give our recent deep dive on BotB coverage a read.) While you’re getting your application ready, be sure to follow Velour on Instagram and check out “Lost in Your Love” from Winter 2024 finalists CAYSN!

(Also don’t forget! Fork Fest is coming up, June 6 and 7! Tickets are on sale now, and you can use code “provomusicmag” for a discount at checkout. See you there!)