14th Annual Battle Of The Bands ‘Heats Up’ Sunday

What do rock bands and hot sauce have in common?

Generally nothing; but, that’s not the case for contestants in Rockus Maximus Revolution: Battle of the Bands XIV.

This particular contest, sponsored by Pasco County Libraries, has two distinct areas of competition. The first is a live, judged performance set this year for March 25 at Crews Lake Park. The second is an online contest that involves not only musical performances, but also unusual stunts.

The online version, dubbed Library Warrior, consists of a series of videos featuring members from each of this year's eight participating bands. Viewers are invited to watch the videos and cast their votes for their favorite band in each episode.

While stunts might not seem to go hand-in-hand with a musical competition, there is a method to this madness.

“We’re trying to train everybody to be musicians of the future,” explained Paul Stonebridge, youth services librarian for the Pasco system.

This means having a handle not only on musical performance, but also self-promotion, he added.

The Hot Shots Challenge will be the final video to go up in the Library Warrior competition. It will feature band members chugging down shots of sauce provided by , 23100 State Road 54 in Lutz.

Filming for that event is set for March 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. Band supporters and area residents are invited to stop by and check out the competition, Stonebridge said. The restaurant is offering specials during the filming, too, he added.

Voting for Library Warrior will remain open until noon on March 25. The winning bands will be announced during the live battle concert. Video winners will receive a $500 gift card to Encore Music. The second-place vote-getter will receive a $250 certificate.

Fans can view all the episodes online on YouTube or by visiting RockusMaximus14.com online. Voting is only allowed on the current week’s episode, but fans can vote once per day for their favorite bands.

Online voting has been busy again this year, Stonebridge said. Votes have come in from all over Pasco County and from as far away as Brazil and Iceland.

While the chance to win gift cards to Encore Music is a big draw for up-and-coming bands, so too is the main event, Stonebridge said. The winner of the live battle at Crews Lake Park, 16739 Crews Lake Dr. in Spring Hill, will get 10 hours of recording time at Morrisound Recording, 12111 N. 56th St. in Tampa.

Nate Hollins, 14, of Adversary was in last year's battle as a member of East of Elsewhere. He said he enjoys the competition and is looking forward to delivering a new sound this year.

"We like the aggressive sound," he explained.

The other bands in this year's battle are Y-12, A Few Days Wasted, A View From The East Coast, Bear Mountain Brigade, Braille And Color, Donna Lu and the Wanderer. Bands come from all over Pasco County, including Land O' Lakes. The majority of band members are under 21.

The battle itself begins at 6 p.m. on March 25. The cost of admission is a valid library card. For those who don't have one, sign-ups will be available. Food and other refreshments will be offered for sale during the event.

For more information about the battle or online voting, visit RockusMaximum14.com.