Rock & Roll Rumble Returns to Middle East and Sonia
Nine-night Rumble passes on sale
Show your love of ROCK and the return of the Rumble! Full Boat passes for the 2023 Rock & Roll Rumble go on sale now. Single passes are $104 (in tribute to the beloved 104.1 WBCN The Rock of Boston), in a limited amount, for a limited time. Rock & Rock Rumble 2023 happens Thursday, April 6 through Saturday, May 6 over nine nights at The Middle East and Sonia in Cambridge. List of all dates below. Pass is good for all nine nights, in the pass holder’s name only (we will keep them on the door list). Pass holders get an official Rumble laminate that allows entry to ever show, plus a gift bag.
SAVE THE DATES:
ROCK & ROLL RUMBLE
Preliminaries:
Thursday, April 6, Friday, April 7, Saturday, April 8
Thursday, April 13, Friday, April 14, Saturday, April 15
at The Middle East upstairs
Semifinals
Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22
at Sonia
Finals
Saturday, May 6
at Sonia
What’s The Rumble?
A time-honored live music tradition, an institution, and the World Series of Boston Rock.
Founded by Boston’s radio behemoth, 104.1 WBCN, the Rock of Boston, the first official Rumble took place in 1979 at the legendary RAT in Kenmore Square. The Neighborhoods won. We continue in that spirit where bands play to full rooms, new audiences, make friends, and raise their profile in the city.
Boston Emissions is home to the Rock & Roll Rumble. It is an annual event curated by Anngelle Wood, host of Boston Emissions. Only bands who send music to, and receive airplay on, Boston Emissions will be considered. You must send music the the show.
Your band needs to be actively making music and playing out. 24 bands are selected to participate over 9 nights each spring.
All bands are paid to participate. No band ever pays to play in the Rumble. Bands are expected to promote their participation in the Rumble.
Finalists win money, prizes, and opportunities. A lot of bands have played it. Ask them.
How Does It Work?
The Rumble is hosted and organized by Boston Emissions (formerly heard on WBCN, WZLX). Show host Anngelle Wood selects bands to participate based on several factors.
The following information is the basic criteria for Rumble consideration. Other considerations apply.
Key things I look at are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, YouTube, website – I don’t look at whether you have 5,000 followers. I don’t care about Reverbnation charts or Spotify plays or Apple music. That is not a factor for me in choosing bands – but a regular social presence is.
Contact the show, keep in touch, and send new music and show listings. This is how it works. Don’t wait until the band list is announced in the spring then email me about it. I am paying attention to you now.
Bands who’ve participated include Til Tuesday, Scissorfight, Blake Babies, Dresden Dolls, Roadsaw, The Lemonheads, Morphine, Letters To Cleo, The Bags, Tribe, Gang Green, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, The Gravel Pit, Piebald, Cave In, The Sheila Divine, and more. See the Rumble Wiki page.