The Rock 'n' Roll Rumble (now stylized as "Rock & Roll Rumble"; formerly the "WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble"), begun in 1979, is a Greater Boston "battle of the bands" competition sponsored by Boston Emissions, an online local music program formerly broadcast on WBCN (from 1987 until 2008) and WZLX (from 2009 until 2018). The Rumble remains the longest running event of its kind in the US.
Its predecessors were the Bicentennial Tournament of the Bands held in 1976 at The Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and co-sponsored by WBCN and Inn Square Men's Bar, as well as 1978's First Annual Spring Rock 'n' Roll Festival co-sponsored by WBCN and the Boston Phoenix.
The Rock 'n' Roll Rumble was held in Boston at the Rathskeller in Kenmore Square for its first two years and was often referred to as "the Rumble at the Rat". Steve Morse of the Boston Globe called the 1979 debut competition "nine nights of exhilarating grass-roots rock." Since then, the competition's venue has changed several times but remains a popular showcase for New England bands to gain visibility.
The Rumble is hosted and produced by Boston DJ Anngelle Wood, host of Boston Emissions.
The 2020 Rumble was originally scheduled to begin on April 9, 2020, but was first postponed, and then canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the 2021 and 2022 Rumbles were also canceled. The Rumble returned in April 2023 to one of its original homes, The Middle East and Sonia, the former home of TT the Bear's Place, within the Middle East venue complex, in Cambridge's Central Square.
Format The Rumble in its current form begins in April with six preliminary rounds of 24 total bands, as selected by Anngelle Wood. Through 2017, the prelims took place on Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, with Wednesday as a traditional "Day of Rest"; beginning in 2019, the prelims were split over two consecutive weekends. Each night, four bands play a 30-minute set and are judged by a rotating selection of representatives from the Boston music industry. A winner is announced at the end of the night.
Each night's winner moves on to the semi-finals the following weekend, with two wildcard bands rounding out the top 8. The two semi-final winners are joined by one wildcard band for the final round the week after that. A special guest, often a national touring band or a previous Rumble participant, headlines the finals while the judges come to their final decision.
Prizes include cash, studio time, legal services, album production, bragging rights, and more. A ceremonial tiara is also passed from the previous year's winning act to the newly crowned champion.
Eligibility
As a courtesy to the music community, Rock & Roll Rumble host and organizer, Anngelle Wood, does provide a way for bands to submit for consideration. Certain requirements for consideration do apply. They include, but are not limited to:
Band or artist must have sent music to, and received airplay on Boston Emissions with Anngelle Wood, online at BostonEmissions.com Band or artist should be established in the music community and actively playing out in the area. Band or artist must have released a new recording - song, video, EP or full-length, within the past calendar year.
Judging criteria As of 2012, The Rumble uses 45 judges (barring unforeseen circumstances), five for each night for the nine nights of competition. Each evening there are representatives from the music business, local media, and on-air personalities from local radio judging the bands. The judges observe each band and numerically score each 30-minute set. At the end of the night, the judges' scores are tallied two ways: a straight tally of all judges' scores; and a tally throwing out the high and low scores, using the middle scores as a backup in case of a tie or in the rare case of extreme bias in either direction. This method is intended to protect the bands against judging anomalies in the long run. As of 2014, the judging criteria were slightly revised, based on the discovery of a score card from 1981; the most notable change was the addition of a "stage presence" category. In 2017 the "Bonus" category changed from optional to mandatory.
1. Material: Were songs good, memorable? Did they all sound the same? (possible 1–10 points)
2. Playing Effectiveness: How well did the band play? Were they tight? Intriguing? How did the band represent their genre? (possible 1–10 points)
3. Vocal Effectiveness: How well did vocals (lead & backups) contribute to & enhance band? (possible 1–10 points)
4. Timing: Did band use set time wisely? Did set flow? Did it build in intensity? Did band stop too long? Were they on time? (possible 1–10 points)
5. Stage Presence: How did band present itself? Mannerisms? Banter? Were they fun to watch? Did they interact? Did crowd respond? (possible 1–10 points)
6. Bonus: Category to grant extra points based on any judge's discretion, or the intangibles not covered above; an explanation is requested from the judge. (possible 1–5 points)
History Year Winner Finalists Venue Semifinalists 2024 The Ghouls Gut Health, Other Brother Darryl * ‡ The Middle East and Sonia(Cambridge, MA) Twig, Wire Lines, Looking Glass War, RoseR, CE Skidmore & the Damn Fine Band * Other Participating Bands: Bikethrasher, Cold Expectations, Condition Baker, JATK, Lovina Falls, The Magic City, Mammothor, Never Gonna Make It, Robotic Hawks, The Roland High Life, Ruby Grove, Shiverlane, Shotgun Waltz, Sunshine Riot, Trailer Swift, Type 66 Non-competing Guest Band: Halfcocked (1999 Rumble finalists) 2023 One Fall The Chelsea Curve, Ruin the Night ‡ The Middle East and Sonia(Cambridge, MA) Kooked Out, Not Bad Not Well, Wildcat Slim, Bird Language*, Tysk Tysk Task* Other Participating Bands: Bleach the Sky, City of Dis, D-Tension & the Secrets, Devil Love, Donaher, The Endorphins, The Freqs, Graveyard of the Atlantic, Gretchen Shae & the Middle Eight, Kid Disaster, Luxury Deathtrap, Michael Kane & the Morning Afters, Paper Tigers, Parts Per Million, The Shallows, Time Wolf Non-competing Guest Band: Eddie Japan (2013 Rumble winners) 2022 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic Bands: Donaher, The Endorphins, Graveyard of the Atlantic, Gray Bouchard & the Dedications, Hands 3, The Hats, Hyber, Knock Over City, Lady Lupine, Luxury Deathtrap, Mosaic Mirrors, Motel Art, The Only Thingsx, OroborOx, Pregame Rituals, Rabbithole, Roll Over White, The Shallows, The Shirts & Shoes, TimewolfWargraves, War on Alexandria, Wax On, Wildcat Slim, Wire Lines, Yoni Gordon & the Goods Non-competing Guest Band: Set Fire (2019 Rumble winners) 2019 Set Fire PowerSlut, Corner Soul * ‡ ONCE Ballroom(Somerville, MA) Brix’n Mortar, blindspot, Lonely Leesa & the Lost Cowboys, Phenomenal Sun, Motel Black * Other Participating Bands: Art Thieves, As the Sparrow, Baabes, Birnam Wood, The Daylilies, Exit 18, FiDEL, The I Want You, Jakals, Justine & the Unclean, Love Love, OfficeR, Radio Compass, Skytigers, Test Meat, This Bliss Non-competing Guest Band: Carissa Johnson & the Cure-Alls (2017 Rumble winners) 2017 Carissa Johnson The Rupert Selection, Hey Zeus ‡ ONCE Ballroom(Somerville, MA) Tom Baker and the Snakes, Red Red Rockit, Stars Like Ours, Diablogato *, The Heave-Ho * Other Participating Bands: Barns, Biltmore, City Rivals, Cruel Miracle, Flight of Fire, Heavy Necker, Heel and Arrow, The Humanoids, no hope/no harm, Magen Tracy and the Missed Connections, Matt York and the Missed Flights, Pulitzer Prize Fighter, Rolling Nectar, Something Sneaky, The Tenafly Vipers, You People Non-competing Guest Band: Township (2007 Rumble winners) 2016 Worshipper Weakened Friends, usLights ‡ ONCE Ballroom(Somerville, MA) Analog Heart, Salem Wolves, Abbie Barrett, Eric Salt & the Electric City *, The Devil's Twins * Other Participating Bands: 21st Century Fugitives, Big Time Kill, The Black Cheers, Choke Up, Courage Cloak, The Digs, Field Day, Goldblood & Associates, I Was Awake, Idle Pilot, Jack Romanov, Johnny Blazes & the Pretty Boys, Junior Classics, The Knock Ups, The Longwalls, Shatner Non-competing Guest Band: Scissorfight (1997 Rumble semifinalists) 2015 Zip-Tie Handcuffs Nemes, The Static Dynamic ‡ TT the Bear's Place(Cambridge, Massachusetts) Eternals, Dirty Bangs, Soft Pyramids, Duck & Cover *, Murcielago * Other Participating Bands: Band Without Hands, Dan Webb and the Spiders, The Dirty Looks, Drab, Le Roxy Pro, Mister Vertigo, Mercury on Mars, Nate Leavitt, New City Ghost, Protean Collective, Psychic Dog, The Rare Occasions, Raw Blow, Salita, The Warning Shots, Yale Massachusetts Non-competing Guest Band: The Gravel Pit (1996 Rumble semifinalists) 2014 Goddamn Draculas Petty Morals, Await Rescue ‡ TT the Bear's Place(Cambridge, Massachusetts) Tigerman WOAH, Barricades, Western Education, When Particles Collide *, FEINTS * x, Yellabird * § Other Participating Bands: Airport, Butterknife, The Color and Sound, Doom Lover, Emma Ate the Lion, Gondoliers, Guillermo Sexo, Harris Hawk, The Life Electric, Rebuilder, Sinnet, Slowdim, Summoner, Vary Lumar, Z*L Non-competing Guest Band: The Information (2004 Rumble Semifinalist) 2013 Eddie Japan Glenn Yoder and the Western States *, Twin Berlin * ‡ TT the Bear's Place(Cambridge, Massachusetts) The New Highway Hymnal, Camden, Lifestyle, White Dynomite, The Daily Pravda Other Participating Bands: blackbutton, Cancer Killing Gemini, Coyote Kolb, The Deep North, Endation, The Field Effect, Herra Terra, Jack Burton vs. David Lo Pan, Mount Peru, The Okay Win, Parks, Ruby Rose Fox, The Suicide Dolls, Supermachine, Velah, Whitcomb Non-competing Guest Band: The Dogmatics (1985 Rumble participants) 2012 Bow Thayer and Perfect TrainwreckGarvy J. and The Secret Pockets of Hope and Resistance, Motherboar ‡ TT the Bear's Place(Cambridge, Massachusetts) The Rationales, Ghosts of Jupiter, Cask Mouse, Thick Shakes *, Sherman Burns * Other Participating Bands: Animal Talk, BrownBoot, The Bynars, Cooling Towers, Endless Wave, The Fagettes, Grey Valley Ghost, The Grinds, The Grownup Noise x, Letterday, Never Got Caught, Parlour Bells, Pray For Polanski, Streight Angular, The Susan Constant, The Tin Thistles Non-competing Guest Band: The Grownup Noise 2011 John Powhida International Airport Spirit Kid *, OldJack § ‡ TT the Bear's Place(Cambridge, Massachusetts) Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents x, Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, Mellow Bravo, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, Sidewalk Driver, Black Thai * Other Participating Bands: The Acro-brats, The Autumn Hollow Band, The Blizzard of 78, Cradle to the Grave, Cult 45, Full Body Anchor, Keep Me Conscious, McAlister Drive, Static of the Gods, Stereo Telescope, Tijuana Sweetheart, Tired Old Bones, TRiPLE THiCK, A Wish For Fire, The Year Million Non-competing Guest Band: The Shods (1999 Rumble finalists) 2009 The Luxury ‡ Gene Dante and The Future Starlets, The Dirty Truckers The Middle East (Cambridge, Massachusetts) Gravehaven, Sarah RabDAU and Self-Employed Assassins, The Lights Out, Have Nots *, Destruct-a-thon * Other Participating Bands: Angeline, Logan 5 and the Runners, The Deal, The Minus Scale, Apple Betty, Eksi Ekso, The Fatal Flaw, The Motion Sick, Anarchy Club, Dead Cats Dead Rats, Muy Cansado, Thick As Thieves, The Mystery Tramps, Trucker Mouth, The New Alibis, Gozu Non-Competing Guest Band: The Outlets (1981 Rumble participants) 2008 Girls Guns and Glory The Great Bandini, A.K.A.C.O.D. ‡ Harpers Ferry (Allston, MA) Andrea Gillis, HUMANWINE, The Men, Jason Bennett and the Resistance *, Clouds * Other Participating Bands: MEandJOANCOLLINS, Cherry S/T, Cheater Pint, Wild Zero, Daniel Bon and The Future Ghosts, Cortez, Dirt Mall, The Shills, The Murder Mile, Watts, On The Drop, Medicated Kisses, Hel Toro, Forgetful Jones, Genuflect, Disappearer