Yes We Have a Winner from Last Night’s Battle, and No, It’s Not What You Would Expect

We know, we’ve been holding out on you. But don’t worry, we do plan to reveal the winners of last night’s Battle of the Tech Bands 3, for those of you who couldn’t make it. The evening saw a great turnout of people representing all facets of the tech, life sciences, and venture communities here in Boston. Each band played a riveting set, and captured the attention of audiences and judges alike.

But for all our boasting that we’d settle the battle for coastal superiority once and for all, we did no such thing. The audience chose Boston’s gritty country rock band, The Dirty Truckers, who won in a very tight race (182 votes to 180) against electronica hipsters Deadbeat Darling. But the judges forced an East Coast-West Coast draw when they selected Lions Ambition of Seattle as Most Innovative Band. And few could dispute their choice after hearing the band’s seamless and energetic fusion of rock and hip hop sounds.

In addition to the audience’s affection, the Truckers took home seven hours of studio time, including engineering and production, from Bristol Studios. And the Lions headed west with a marketing package that includes one year of retail service from Nimbit and three hours of consulting from Ten Minute Media, known for designing websites for the likes of Mick Jagger and Lenny Kravitz.

As it did in its last Battle of the Tech Bands appearance, McAlister Drive went the extra mile (or yard, anyway) to work the crowd, with its lead vocalist jumping down off the stage and out onto the dance floor. And heavy metal band Juda’s Wake showed us that the Pacific Northwest can produce seriously intense sound (and some beautiful rocker locks).

In the end, it seemed the Boston and Seattle contenders were happy to set aside any coast-to-coast rivalry and share the spotlight. Following the competition, Deadbeat Darling returned to the stage to play a closing set for the audience. To our surprise (and delight), they invited the Lions to join them for spontaneous collaboration. If you didn’t think those two musical styles could go together, think again!

Thanks again for all who came. And a big shout-out to our event sponsors, Aerva, Bristol Studios, McNamee Lawrence & Co., Microsoft, and Nimbit; to Brad Feld, who chipped in to help us fly the Seattle bands out for the event, and to all our event partners and supporters. Thanks also to our incredible guest judges: Shawn Broderick, executive director of TechStars Boston, Bob Cramer, executive chairman of Nimbit, Laura Fitton, CEO of oneforty, Jennifer MacLean, CEO of 38 Studios, and Giles McNamee, Managing Director of McNamee Lawrence & Co.

Here’s a few snapshots from last night’s show, courtesy of Kevin Vogelsang. Click on the the images for a larger view. We hope to see you all at our next event!

The Dirty Truckers rock the house.
The Dirty Truckers rock the house.
Lions Ambition mixed hip hop and pop.
Lions Ambition roars.
Juda's Wake built a wall of sound.
Juda's Wake built a wall of sound.

Author: Erin Kutz

Erin Kutz has a background in covering business, politics and general news. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University. Erin previously worked in the Boston bureau of Reuters, where she wrote articles on the investment management and mutual fund industries. While in college, she researched for USA Today reporter Jayne O’Donnell’s book, Gen Buy: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail. She also spent a semester in Washington, DC, reporting Capitol Hill stories as a correspondent for two Connecticut newspapers and interning in the Money section of USA Today, where she assisted with coverage on the retail and small business beats. Erin got her first taste of reporting at Boston University’s independent student newspaper, as a city section reporter and fact checker and editor of the paper’s weekly business section.