Entrants Needed for 'Teenage Battle of the Bands'

The 15th Annual Teenage Battle of the Bands will be held on Oct. 19 and 20 during the Hillsborough County Fair, but it's not too early to get your band pre-qualified. Hillsborough County’s Parks, Recreation & Conservation Department is looking for bands to participate in a competition that provides free studio time to the top two winners.

Band members must be between 13 and 20 years of age, and only one band member can be age 20. The bands are judged on guitars, drums, vocals, showmanship and originality. The entry fee is $50 dollars per band.

"The biggest thing the bands get out of it is experience," said Joe Soletti, program supervisor with Hillsborough County parks and recreation. "Most of these bands are garage-type bands. We are trying to give kids an opportunity to expose them to people at the fair."

Culprit was last year’s Teenage Battle of the Bands winner. Previous winners include Styx of Fire in 2010; Rising Down in 2009; and Envy in 2008.

Only a limited number of bands are accepted. Those wishing to compete in the Teenage Battle of the Bands must pre-qualify by providing a link to an online video of the band, and contact Soletti at 813-744-5871.