Remember the rock n’ roll tradition of a battle of the bands? Chronicled in classic movies like Up in Smoke, The Commitments, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, a little healthy competition adds an extra edge to a great concert experience. 

Hard-rocking veteran band Clutch is co-headlining with Rival Sons to put on the Two-Headed Beast Tour, stopping at Sweetwater Performance Pavilion on Sunday, Sept. 22, with Fu Manchu.

It won’t be a battle of the bands; these guys wouldn’t stop so low. But it’s a tempting idea…

Let’s throw caution to the wind, make up some arbitrary conditions, judge totally subjective topics with no hard data, and find a victor.

Based on their body of work, this won’t be entirely fair; Clutch have 13 studio albums along with a handful of live and rarity collections over a two-decade career. But Rival Sons have produced a solid catalog of eight albums over 15 years. 

Both bring hard-driving blues-based rock n’ roll to the party. If you like one of these bands, you’ll probably like the other.

Best popular anthem

Clutch come out very strong here with “Electric Worry,” an absolute raging rocker that alternates thunder and quiet like nothing else. It seems odd to judge a rock anthem by dynamic range, but this song uses it to dramatic effect. Late-night scream-alongs to “bang bang bang bang, vámonos, vámonos” are strongly encouraged.

Rival Sons fire back with “Do Your Worst,” alternating growl and fury with the sing-songy verses of “oh my baby.” Lead singer Jay Buchanan alternately spits fury and croons with desire.

Verdict: Sorry Jay, but Clutch win by a mile. They may get sick of playing it, but if this is your jam, you will never get tired of “Electric Worry.”

Best Riff

This isn’t a TV pop star search show. This is a rock fight and you better bring guitars.

Easy to pick “Electric Worry” again here, but that’s lame. So, we’ll go with the big bouncy chug that Clutch lead guitarist Tim Sult delivers in “The Mob Goes Wild.” It’s the kind of riff that makes you think, “Any decent rock guitarist could play that.” But they did not. Sult did. It’s not all about blistering technique, and he knows how to bring the big sound.

Rival Sons lead guitarist Scott Holliday responds with the huge booming roar of “Open My Eyes,” the kind of riff that runs down your spine and back up again. Deftly balancing distortion and reverb, Holliday gets the audience into that late-night sweaty swaying that’s a sure sign of a great rock concert.

Verdict: It’s close, but the pounding drive of “Open My Eyes” wins out and we are tied.

Best Power Ballad

OK, no band in their right mind would actually play a ballad at a battle of the bands, but as long as we’re making up rules, let’s consider the staple of classic rock: the power ballad. Also known as the late-show restroom break before the big finish.

Clutch does not really do ballads. Not really at all. “The Regulator” is about as close as you’re going to find, but by the time it builds up to either of its big crescendos, it would be hard to call it anything but straight up rock n’ roll. 

Buchanan has an amazing vocal range, and you get to hear all of it on Rival Sons’ lovely ballad “Face of Light.” His expressive delivery and the gorgeous production really set this song apart.

Verdict: Clutch’s song isn’t really a ballad and that should disqualify it, but this is a rock fight, and fights are not fair. Clutch gets the point for not making ballads at all and takes the lead.

Frontman

Rock stars come in many forms, from the contemplative to the outrageous. A big part of the concert experience comes from how the frontman commands the stage and delivers the music to the audience. 

Look, Clutch is here to rock. They’re really good at it and have no plans to dress up and dance around. They are … Going. To. Rock. When they’re up there wailing through the epic “Spacegrass,” that’s plenty.

Buchanan, on the other hand, is a force of nature with endless energy. Singing “Pressure and Time,” he’s all over the place, teasing the music out of his bandmates, drawing the audience into the experience, and giving you everything he’s got.

Verdict: Rival Sons gets the final point, and we’ll end tied. It’s for the best; this was never supposed to be a competition. 

Come see both bands in one night Sept. 22 and keep score in your head if you must, but you’ll be guaranteed to have a legit rock concert experience no matter who you pick.