If you’re of the NPR-listening type (WNYC, around here), it’s kinda hard not to notice when the station’s up to something big. Ongoing investigative series? You know it. Fund drive? NOTHING ELSE EXISTS. Well, last winter and spring, WNYC was up to something almost as hard to avoid. It was their first ever Battle of the Boroughs, the station’s quest to find the best undiscovered bands, instrumentalists, singers, story-tellers and other performers in the five boroughs and give them a shot on the big stage (and for endless on-air promotion). These guys ultimately repped Brooklyn in the final battle last June, and now it’s time for a whole new crop to vie for Brooklyn’s—and the city’s—top spot. The Battle of the Boroughs 2011 talent quest is on.
What’s the competition exactly? It’s a multi-round, judged and publicly-voted-upon process, starting with online submissions, then moving to live intra-borough playoffs at WNYC’s The Greene Space, then to a final live showdown of the borough winners. The city-wide winner gets a live (and webcast) show at The Greene Space, a headliner spot at a SummerStage concert and a professionally done HD DVD, audio recording and photos from the show.
The first step’s a simple online application open to “bands, ensembles, instrumentalists, vocalists, DJs and spoken word artists.” No group’s too small or obscure. All members must be 18 or older, though, and if you get selected for a live event, proof of NYC residency will be required. There are a few other technical specs about what you can submit—all that, and complete guidelines, are here.
Just think of this as WNYC-New York Public Radio Idol. Online submissions must be in by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2010. Apply and submit your best here.