StompRocket’s Bid for the Big Time

For nearly 10 years, local genre-bending pop/metal/alternative group StompRocket has been working toward the daunting goal of being a successful band-recording songs and doing shows-but never scoring a major label deal. But now the group, which includes bassist Gary Braun, lead guitar and vocalist Sado, The Independent’s own Bob-E, and guitar player Dave Escobar, is one of five finalists in a competition on the Web site garageband.com. In less than a week, the results of what could be a make-or-break competition for the band will be announced.

The Web site, which features more than 35,000 groups from across the country, is a place where unsigned acts can upload their songs and have them rated and reviewed by other bands in similar positions. The first annual garageband.com FaceOff competition has been going on now for a few weeks, and the boys of StompRocket, who have made it to the final round, are waiting for the big finale while the rest of the bands finish up the competition.

The contest pits two bands against each other, with the winner being decided by votes submitted online and via text messaging. However, the process is complicated by that old standby: cold, hard cash. Each band that survives a head-to-head round with another can forfeit its place in the next round by taking increasingly lucrative cash prizes, from $2,000 up to $25,000. The result is a hybrid of American Idol and Deal or No Deal, minus Howie Mandel and plus some genuine talent.