2011 Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands Projected to Be Biggest Yet

Nine corporate bands from across the Triangle will will rock out at the fifth Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands on Saturday, September 24, 2011, starting at 7:30 PM. Hosted by McKinney, this year’s Battle boasts a record number of bands and sponsors, all benefiting North Carolina Arts in Action. Since the 2006 inaugural Battle, more than 20 bands have taken to the American Tobacco stage to fight for the championship and have raised more than $300,000 for local charities.

“We have quite a few superlatives this year,” said McKinney COO Joni Madison. “The most corporate bands entering the competition, the most CEO rockers in the competition, the most corporate sponsors, as well as the most VIP tables. It promises to be the biggest, baddest corporate event in the Triangle.”

The 2011 Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands lineup includes the following:

ELSTER SOLUTIONS—Killa Watts
KEYSOURCE BANK—Shades of Blue
MCKIM & CREED—Creed’s Cleanwater Revival
QUINTILES—Counting CROs
SMT—Augmented Reality
SOUTHERN ENERGY MANAGEMENT—DC/AC
SUMMIT CONSULTING—Salt Bodyne
SUNTRUST BANK—Rock SOLID
ZENPH SOUND INNOVATIONS, INC.—Zenphomaniacs

North Carolina Arts in Action (NC AIA) is an organization designed to inspire children to develop discipline, self-confidence and a sense of achievement, reaching a high standard of excellence and love of the performing arts.

Along with band performances, the kids of NC AIA  will be performing a special routine. Other highlights of the evening include VIP table service from L’Uva, Tyler’s Taproom, Mellow Mushroom and Tobacco Road, raffle prizes and text-based voting to help determine the Battle winner.

The gold sponsors for this year’s Battle are American Tobacco, 8 Rivers Capital, The Herald Sun, Capitol Broadcasting Company and McKinney.

VIP tables are still available. For information on tickets and student prices, visit trianglebattle.com.

McKinney Invites the Triangle to a Pre-Battle of the Bands: The Glamabellum Ball

With the fifth Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands marching to the American Tobacco Campus this fall, McKinney announces the inaugural Glamabellum Ball. This magical summer event will be held in Durham on the American Tobacco Campus lawn Saturday, June 18, from 7–10 p.m. and is free to the public. Not just a pre-Battle of the Bands party, the Glamabellum Ball will be a fun, funky, faux-formal event with a masquerade theme, which means guests are invited to wear top hats and bloomers, but shorts and T-shirts are welcome. Come ready to decorate your own mask to wear during the evening, take a photo at the Glamabellum photo booth, compete in the sack race and dance as the sun sets over the Bull City.

The Glamabellum Ball features musical guests The Bibis Ellison Band. The band covers artists from Pat Benatar to Lady Gaga to Michael Jackson and, as reported by The Wilmington Star, is led by the “deeply soulful, powerhouse voice” of Bibis Ellison. Ellison, who was named “2010 Performer of the Year” by Encore Magazine, comes to the Triangle after years of dominating the music scene in Wilmington, NC. Her performance at the Downtown Sundown Concert Series kept the audience of thousands on their feet during a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Sign, Sealed, Delivered.” Expect nothing less from The Bibis Ellison Band on the night of the Glamabellum Ball.

“We wanted to start the countdown to the Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands in a fun, creative and musical way,” said Joni Madison, McKinney COO. “Our theme, Glamabellum, is a mashup of antebellum-era attire and glam rock style. We invite everyone to interpret that by making a fabulous fashion statement and enjoy dancing under the ATC water tower for a fun and memorable summer evening.”

"I'm really excited to be a part of the Glamabellum Ball. Before I started singing professionally, I taught music to young kids,” said Bibis Ellison. “I was fortunate to grow up with a fantastic music and arts education. It's something I believe in strongly and something I want to see thrive and grow. We couldn’t be happier to support a cause so close to our hearts by doing what we love most."

The beneficiary of the 2011 Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands, North Carolina Arts in Action (NC AIA), will also make a special appearance at the Glamabellum Ball. The kids of NC AIA have capitalized on a recent YouTube trend and will teach a Glamabellum group dance to the audience — flash mob style.

Throughout the night, a representative from each of the nine companies that have signed up for the Battle will take center stage to announce their band’s name. On September 24, these bands will take to the American Tobacco Campus stage for the fifth Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands. For more details about the charity event including information on sponsors, NC AIA and tickets, visit trianglebattle.com.