Music lovers on campus will be able to enjoy the sounds of local bands at RevFest: Battle of the Bands this Thursday night. 

The free concert, sponsored by Revolution 91.7, will take place in Nite Class in Downing Student Union starting at 8 p.m. and lasting until midnight.

“I’m just excited to hear each of our artists play, I’ve heard many of them before, and I’m just really excited to see how their presence on stage is going to be different in this kind of competitive mode,” Louisville senior Laura Harper, a director at Revolution, said. 

At RevFest, students can expect to hear various styles of music ranging from rock and alternative to folk and country. Bands participating will each play a brief set, usually lasting about five minutes, in front of a panel of three judges. Eight bands are slated to play, including All Deeds Done, Dr. Tom and the Cartoons and Maelle.

“What’s different about it this year is we have prize packs for the first, second and third place,” Frankfort senior and Revolution director Angela Conway said. “So the bands that participate are eligible to get those prize packs and the packs are from different community organizations and businesses.” 

Students will also have the opportunity to purchase Revolution merchandise and merchandise from the bands at the event as well. 

“We will have our own ‘swag table’ if you will, where we will have some of our own Revolution merchandise there like CD cases, T-shirts and all the above,” Conway said.

This year the event has been moved to DSU as temperatures are rapidly dropping outside. Revolution also wants to use the resources available to them. 

“It’s in the heart of campus, definitely,” Nashville junior and Revolution director Taylor Hodgkins said.

RevFest started over a decade ago with the intent of getting students on campus more involved with the local music scene.

“I think it started 14 years ago and started by the staff sort of as a way to bind the community, the campus community in specific, with the music that we play with the artists that are here, so essentially it was the students’ idea,” Conway said. 

Overall, supporting the local music scene is something Revolution is very passionate about, and they feel they are doing that with this event.

“Supporting the local music scene is very important, particularly for us at Revolution since college radio is all about rooting for the underdog and sort of bringing these artists into the spotlight and up to attention,” Harper said. 

The main goal the directors at Revolution are hoping to achieve with the concert is raising awareness and money for their charity they chose to support this year.

“This year we are working with Rainhill Equine Facility, and we’ve worked with them in the past and that’s how we revolutionize the community,” Harper said. “The more attendees we bring there, the more attention we can bring to the cause.”

Revolution is also hoping to gain exposure with this event and let students know they can be part of the station.

“This is our number one ‘feeler’ event,” Conway said. “Lots of people don’t know we have a radio station so RevFest is a really good opportunity for us to interact with the campus community.” 

Harper is really excited to see the campus’ reaction, viewing the RevFest as a growing tradition for the radio station.

“We are living up to that expectation students have come to rely on for a fall music festival from us,” Harper said. “Particularly with it being open to the whole community, it’s kind of nice to involve everyone from the local scene.”