Lucas Turner could have made more money working at McDonald's than he did organizing the Battle of the Bands.
Even though he pulled in just over $400 during the several months it took to put together the event, he was motivated by the need to create a foothold for the local music scene.
"Any music scene really does need a couple of things that are guaranteed - a couple of places, a couple of established events that are reliable, where people can go to listen to the type of music they like," Turner said. "Muncie just doesn't have that right now."
A Ball State senior, Turner runs his own promotion company, Liquid Vibe, and had nursed the idea of a massive battle for several years. He initially planned to stage it at the fairgrounds, but was discouraged by the lack of unity among Muncie bands. Eventually, he decided to do something on a smaller scale, modeled after a similar event he saw at The Patio in Indianapolis.
The Battle brought more than 32 bands from across the state to Dill Street Bar and Grill for over two months of preliminary rounds.
More than 400 people cast ballots at the final installment on Dec. 14. Muncie band Downfall won the $1,000 grand prize as well as a headlining spot at the Midwest Music Summit.
Turner said the final results were close, though he had to mark the ballots to deter counterfeiters.
"It's amazing what people will do for their favorite bands," he said. "I got about 75 counterfeits. People just ran over to Hiatt printing. I had to go through each one and check it in the light."
Aside from the counterfeiting episode, Turner felt the battle's biggest problem was its lack of promotion.
"One thing I would do differently next year is put up more posters," he said. "We ran out early in the school year."
Overall, though, he was pleased with how the battle proceeded. He hopes to turn it into an annual event. Several other bars have made him offers, though he plans to retain its Dill Street location.
"About 3,000 people walked through the doors to listen to the bands, people who otherwise might not have been there," he said. "I think it has a good future."
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