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The challenge semi-finals will kick off at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at the C Note in Hull.
The evening will begin with our solo/duo challenge with three acts competing: Guitarist-vocalist Mark T. Small; Shirley Lewis, Boston's “regal queen of the blues;” and harp-guitar duo Kustka-MacKenzie featuring Jay Kustka on guitar and Gregg MacKenzie on vocals and harp.
One winner will be selected that evening by our three-judge panel.
The first semi-final session for bands will follow, featuring the Benjamin Road Band, Crawdad E. Creek, and the Tokyo Tramps.
The second semi-final session will start at 9 p.m. Sept. 25 at Johnny D's in Davis Square, Somerville.
Four bands will compete: A ton of Blues, the Charlie Keating Band, Misguided Mojo, and the Wildcat O'Halloran Band.
The same panel of judges will score the bands that night.
Admission to each semi-final is $7.
The challenge finals will be held at 9 p.m. Oct 2 at Johnny D's, with the four top-scoring bands competing.
Admission to the finals is $10.
What equipment do we bring?
At the C-Note and Johnny D's, there are great sound systems. A basic backline will be provided, so
harmonica and guitar players should bring their own amps, drummers will want to bring their own kick pedal
and possibly snare and cymbals. Keyboard players should obviously bring their keyboards and can bring an
amp or use the house monitors – you can get your own mix in your monitor. The best way to check out the drum kit
and the stage is to stop by the blues jam on Sunday afternoons at Johnny D's or stop by the C-Note before any show starts.
What time do we go on and how long is our set?
Sets are the same length for the semi-finals at IBC, twenty minutes. There are penalty points for going over your time but no penalty for finishing early (check the IBC scoring link below). Teardown and setup time is ten minutes, for a total of 30 minutes between the start of each set.
Playing order will be determined randomly and you will know your slot before the night you're playing.
What time do we load in?
At Johnny D's, the first band loads in at 8:30pm and the other bands will load in as directed, based on the amount of gear and free space as the night progresses.
At the C-Note, duos should load in at 5:30 and bands should check with Greg, who is running the sound
board, as to when they should load in.
How does the scoring work, who are the judges and how can I trust the scoring?
Please use the links below to the IBC's website for rules and scoring criteria. The rules have changed recently and it's important to understand how your band will be judged.
The judges will be announced the night of the challenge. All are musicians who have participated in the IBC. Most have been in your shoes here in Boston and in Memphis at least once. They are looking and listening to your band the way that bands will be judged in Memphis.
The score sheets for a particular band will be collected before the next band performs. There is no way to change a band's scores once they are collected and each band will get a copy of their score sheets.