This Battle of the Bands show is raising money for a good cause

What's more punk than a PWYC show featuring local bands? Maybe one that's also trying to do some good for the community.

That's the goal of this weekend's inaugural Battle of the Band$ — note the dollar sign — which is happening Sunday at the MusicBox in downtown Lincoln. (Doors open at 5 pm and the show begins at 6 pm.) The brainchild of two local musicians, the show will feature six bands from Lincoln and Omaha who'll compete to see who can raise the most funds for Center for People, a local charity.

The rules are simple: If you donate $1 to Center for People during the show, you'll get two tickets. One ticket is a vote, and you'll put it in a jar corresponding to your favorite band. The other ticket lets you enter a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses. (You can also donate $5 and spin a mystery wheel for a shot at winning a whole bunch of raffle tickets at once.)

"At the end, whichever band raises the most money is going to be crowned the winner and they're going to get a trophy," said Nathan Metzger, one of the organizers.

Because the show is happening in late October, the original idea was to make it Halloween-themed, said Ethan Ransom, the other co-organizer and member of the band Jet Set!

But as they worked on the Battle of the Bands concept, they decided that trying to make it an official Halloween event was too much, especially after they'd added the raffle and charity elements of the show.

"It just sounded like there was too many adjectives on the poster. So the Halloween aspect got removed a little bit," Ethan told me. But he added: "I would love if people would come in costumes."

As for the decision to send donations to Center for People, Ethan said he and Nathan ultimately wanted to support an organization that wasn't as well-known as something like the Red Cross or the Salvation Army.

"It's not because the other charities are not as worth it, but it's to bring awareness of how important Center for People is for the Lincoln community and what they do," Ethan said, describing their programming as "kind of under the radar."

"I don't feel like a lot of people talk about it," he said.

(Among other things, Center for People provides access to food through its pantry, English language classes, and assistance with job applications and resumes.)

The pick was also personal for Nathan, who said that, back in high school, he tagged along with a friend who was volunteering at the center. At the time, he was struck by how many of the people who worked there really cared, which made the organization a natural choice for this show.

"It was pretty much a no-brainer for me," Nathan said.

Nathan, who founded the local trio Boy Seeking Band and also runs the DIY music project Venuless, said he wants this weekend's show to be the first of many that will support the local community. He doesn't know what turnout for this initial Battle of the Band$ will look like but said it's more about creating a great experience than aiming for a particular number.

"What I hope is that the people who do come have a good time. And what I do hope is that people who come, come again," he said. "I just want to make it a good environment for whoever shows up."

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~ Ty