Artvoice presents B.O.O.M!
Buffalo's Battle of Original Music

Special thanks to the four bands that performed in our Second Round Live Battle of Original Music this past Saturday the 14th: The Tins, Mr. Boneless, Contagious Woo, and Third Realm! Thanks as well to all the fans and supporters who braved the single digit temps - we had a packed house!

Congratulations to The Tins for receiving the most votes at the show. With the win, they'll join Patrons of Sweet and move on to our Grand Finale in April!

We resume our weekly battles this week, in search of our next four quarter-finalists to perform in the Round 3 show, coming up on February 25th. Look for our next two weekly contestants in the January 19th edition of Artvoice. This marks the mid-way point of BOOM - so there's still two more rounds to go - 16 bands to be featured in the paper and on-line, 2 more live quarterfinal shows featuring 4 more bands each, as we trek on towards the Grand Finale. If you're in a band and interested in getting some exposure (and a chance to win $5000 cash), scroll on down to learn how to register.

Since 2006, the Artvoice Battle of Original Music has provided exposure to hundreds of area artists, through our weekly online contests and our live shows. We couldn’t have done it without the generous sponsors who’ve supported our contest with their time, talent, and treasure over the years. We’ve given away everything from musical gear, to recording time, to packaged CDs, to tattoos! Plus over $15,000 in cash. But the thing never would have lasted a week without all the musicians who are out there working to create their own unique sound, and craft their own sincere message to share with us. And of course, it would all be for naught were it not for the great, enthusiastic local music fans who’ve visited our Web site and packed the venues at our live shows. We’re lucky to have such a happening scene, and Artvoice is proud to play a little part in it.

Past B.O.O.M. Grand Champions include local notables Dali’s Ghost, TypeRelevant, Photos of Wagons, and The Etchings.

Band registration for BOOM 2011-2012 is OPEN!

As of September 2011, registration has been open for our sixth-annual BOOM competition! This year's contest began with weekly head-to-head battles in mid-October, 2011. Once again we will be awarding our grand finale winners $5,000 cash! Do not wait - interested bands should submit their bio, photos, and songs as soon as possible - bands that submit early have an advantage in BOOM! Everyone is welcome to sign up! It does not matter if you have participated in BOOM before, we start with a clean slate each year. (You must submit a new up to date registration to be eligible for this year's contest, however.) The only other requirement of course, is that you must be a Western New York band that performs primarily original music.

Please check the "How BOOM Works" page to familiarize yourself with the contest format. Then go over our "Rules & Registration Help" for the details. Once you've gathered your materials and are ready to submit, head over to the Band Registration page, and sign up!.

BOOM 2011-2012 Contestants, Round 3

WEEK 2: Week of Thursday, January 26	The Screaming Jeans vs. Breckenwood Vote Now! (polls open Jan 26 - 31) Learn about and listen to the bands
WEEK 1: Week of Thursday, January 19	'92 Bills vs. The Lake Effect Winners: '92 Bills Learn about and listen to the bands

BOOM 2011-2012 Contestants, Round 2 Winners: The Tins

WEEK 4: Week of Thursday, December 8	Stonehed vs. Third Realm Winners: Third Realm Learn about and listen to the bands
WEEK 3: Week of Thursday, December 8	Contagious Woo vs. Big Casino Winners: Contagious Woo Learn about and listen to the bands
WEEK 2: Week of Thursday, December 8	Ol Dub vs. Mr. Boneless Winners: Mr. Boneless Learn about and listen to the bands
WEEK 1: Week of Thursday, December 1	Whiskey Reverb vs. The Tins Winners: The Tins Learn about and listen to the bands

BOOM 2011-2012 Contestants, Round 1 Winners: Patrons of Sweet

WEEK 4: Week of Thursday, November 10	Lazlo Hollyfeld vs. The Steakouts Winners: The Steakouts Learn about and listen to the bands
WEEK 3: Week of Thursday, November 3	Patrons of Sweet vs. Avaeya Winners: Patrons of Sweet Learn about and listen to the bands
WEEK 2: Week of Thursday, October 27	Lazyrus vs. Jae-Skeese Winners: Jae-Skeese Learn about and listen to the bands
WEEK 1: Week of Thursday, October 20	Chester Copperpot vs. Next Station Winners: Chester Copperpot Learn about and listen to the bands