TAMPA, Fla. (June 11, 2018) – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is calling on local bands to take the stage at the Hard Rock Cafe for the chance to play at this year’s 97x Next Big Thing!

As part of this year’s “Hard Rock Rising Tampa – Battle of the Bands,” music acts will have to, quite literally, battle it out for their shot at next level fame.

Rising to the Next Level

Beginning on Monday, June 18 at 10:00 a.m. EDT, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa will open online registration at TampaHardRock.com/Rising.  All entrants will need to be at least 16 years of age and submit a completed Reverb Nation webpage with two original song uploads.  Submission period ends on Friday, June 29, at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

On Monday, July 9, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa will announce three (3) finalists from all eligible entrants to participate in the live competition. In addition, three (3) wild card finalists will be chosen. The property will solicit fans via a social media vote to select the last wildcard finalist among the four wildcard finalists from Monday, July 9 through Friday, July 13.

On Monday, July 16, the property will announce online the three finalist bands and the one wild card finalist band who will battle at the Live Competition on Wednesday, August 1, at Hard Rock Cafe Tampa.

Winner Takes All

The Live Competition will produce one Grand Prize winner who will win a performance slot at 97x Next Big Thing 2018 at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa. The Grand Prize winner will also receive an “Insta-Band” package from Dean Guitars that includes one five-piece drum kit, two electric guitars and one electric bass guitar.

The Live Competition judges will include a variety of music industry professionals. There will be five categories included in the judging criteria – Originality (30 percent), Musicianship (20 percent), Vocal Ability (20 percent), Stage Presence (20 percent) and Audience Reaction (10 percent).

For full rules and more information on “Hard Rock Rising Tampa – Battle of the Bands,” please visit TampaHardRock.com/Rising.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is the premier entertainment destination of Central Florida. Owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the property is one of the most successful and largest casinos in the world. Located off I-4 at North Orient Road and Hillsborough Avenue, about 10 minutes east of downtown Tampa, the casino features high stakes table games, thousands of the hottest slot machines as well as a new smoke free slots area offering more than 850 popular games. Additionally, there is a state-of-the-art Poker Room featuring 46 tables and an art deco-inspired Mezzanine Level Casino with more than 500 premium and high limit slots. The hotel is AAA Four Diamond rated and the property proudly offers seven award-winning Zagat-rated restaurants, including the upscale dining venues Council Oak Steaks & Seafood and The Rez Grill. The only place to rock one’s body and soul, Rock Spa® & Salon, is also available along with a plethora of VIP services. For more information, please call 866-502-PLAY or visit us online and via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

About Hard Rock International

With venues in 75 countries, including 182 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, FL., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include St. Petersburg, Fortaleza, Casablanca and Chengdu. New Hard Rock hotel, casino or hotel-casino projects include Atlanta, Atlantic City, Berlin, Budapest, London, Los Cabos, Maldives, New York City, Ottawa, Dalian and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

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