Overnight Lansing groups perform battle of the bands at the Avenue Café

WEDNESDAY, July 31 — Forty-eight hours. That’s how long 10 groups performing at the Avenue Café Saturday have to prepare their sets. For the logistical, well-prepared rockers it’s a formidable pressure cooker, but for many procrastinating musicians, it’s likely business as usual.

“They’ve done it all over the country,” promoter Cameron Earley said. “People call it band roulette. I put my own spin on it — doing it in 48 hours.”

It’s a contest that will test the creativity of its volunteers, who earlier this month dropped their names in a hat with their preferred instrument and were assigned to groups of four or five. They’re now on the clock to prepare their music and to give their temporary band a unique name. No cover songs are allowed, but there are no limits on what type of music the participants can compose.

“I wanted to do three pieces,” promoter Cameron Earley. “But the lack of drummers meant we had to have larger bands.”

Enough volunteers signed up to form 10 bands, permitting the contest isn’t plagued by dropouts and ghosters. The bands are slated to go on at The Avenue Café Saturday, 8 p.m.

48 Hour Band Contest

Free, Saturday, Aug. 3

The Avenue Cafe

2021 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing

avenuecafelansing.com