Fort Wayne rock station ALT 99.5 and 102.3 are hosting a battle-of-the-bands type event with Bandemonium at Baker Street Centre. 

However, this is not your regular band competition — this one is up to the fans. 

Through preliminary voting, eight bands were selected to compete — Tuesday Atlas, Islandwalker, Bloodstained Sky, The Peffercorns, Sun.Dyle, Je’Yume, The Kickbacks, and Contrøller.

The competition begins Feb. 6 with The Peffercorns, Contrøller, Tuesday Atlas, and The Kickbacks. Each attendee will get a vote for their favorite band. 

The act with the lowest vote total each night will be eliminated. 

Bloodstained Sky, Sun.Dyle, Islandwalker, and Je’Yume will take the stage on Feb. 13.

The process continues each Thursday through March 13 with the final two bands set to compete, Saturday, March 29, for the chance to win $10,000 in advertising and promotional exposure on ALT as well as a Golden Axe from Fort Wayne Guitar Exchange.

Shining spotlight

I had the chance to speak with ALT host Zack Skyler about his role in Bandemonium and what it does for our local music scene. 

“I do what I can to expose local Fort Wayne music through some of the things we do with ALT, like ALT Homegrown Spotlight (Thursdays and Sundays) and Showcase (on Friday nights),” he said. 

“(Bandemonium) started because a few of us were discussing various ways to help promote local music in a live capacity, and we were drawn to Baker Street Centre, since they’re a great local spot and a non-profit. So, we feel we’re showing love to local bands a venue at the same time. 

“I feel like Bandemonium is an excellent way for to exposure on ALT 99.5 and 102.3, Whatzup, and also an opportunity to go for the Golden Axe from Fort Wayne Guitar Exchange. It’s another avenue to perform live. Some are veterans who have great fan bases and other are just getting started. It’s nice to see both.”

On top of competing, Skyler sees the event as a way to galvanize the local music community.

“I think it’s great for bands to get to know each other, different styles, genres, and more,” he said. “It’s also great for fans to come and show their appreciation to the bands. 

“We hope they all gain fans through this. Fort Wayne has such a great music scene, and we wanted to express out fandom as well. The more people to show their love to local music, the better.

“As Bandemonium moves along, there will be more live events in March, too, with the finale that will also have James and the Drifters play as well.” 

The contestants

I’ve talked in previous articles about how unique Fort Wayne’s music scene is. 

We have so many musicians that are beyond talented and this is such a wonderful opportunity for them to get their name out into the wild. 

I did some research on the bands competing in Bandemonium so you can know follow along with the type of music you like.

Tuesday Atlas — “Melancholic acoustic rock mixed with fiercely aggressive post-rock/grunge.”

Islandwalker — “Stoner metal band. Our music is definitely not based on Magic: The Gathering or video games about vampires.”

Bloodstained Sky — “Metalcore band known for their heavy sound, intricate guitar work, and emotional live shows.”

The Peffercorns — “Indie rock, capturing a sense of freedom and nostalgia that defines their sound.”

Sun.Dyle — “Five-piece ensemble that radiates the warmth of jazz, the enchanting vibes of neo-soul, and the rhythmic heartbeats of R&B.”

Je’Yume — “American hip-hop, rap, pop punk.”

The Kickbacks — “Alt-rock, with influence of 90’s rock.” 

Contrøller — “High energy alternative metal band.”

If any of these bands sound interesting to you, make sure to look at the schedule and go support your local scene. 

This is a great opportunity to get involved in our music scene. Good luck to all of the contestants and we hope to see you there!