Battle of the Bands and Comedians: Tickets on sale now

HI93 FM Hawaiʻi’s Local Hits is hosting its first Battle of the Bands and Comedians. From each round, the top contestant advances to the finals. The final competition will feature five bands and five comedians and will be held on Nov. 21 at The Gatsby in Kakaʻako.

The competition started with round one on Friday, Oct. 17, at Anna OʻBrien’s. Aloha State Daily is the media sponsor for this event. Among the judges was ASD’s Editor-in-Chief Kam Napier. The comedians included Saul Smith, Josh Staples and Handsome Harold. The bands included Sumor, Last Resort and The Reppahz. The winners of the first round were Josh Staples and The Reppahz, who advance straight to the finals.

There are four rounds of competitions, with the best of each night advancing to the finals. The second place finishers for each round get a chance to qualify as a wildcard, if they are voted in by fans. The names of each second place winner will be listed on the radio station’s website from Nov. 10 -16 and fans can vote on which band and comedian they want to advance to the finals as the fifth competitor.

“There's a lot of people that listen to music that maybe don't know there's a comedy scene here, and there's a lot of people that go to comedy shows that may not listen to these bands here,” said Austin Correia, the event coordinator and media consultant for Pacific Media Group, which includes HI93 FM Hawaiʻi’s Local Hits. “The whole idea was bringing the two crowds together to drive both local scenes harder than they've ever been driven before.”

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Upcoming events include:

Round 2: Oct. 25, 7 p.m.

The Boardroom Kailua

Bands: Wicked Reef, Jackie Chan (the band), Johnny The Third

Comedians: Reese Paul, Joe Braskey, Alvin Walker

Round 3: Nov .1, 7 p.m.

Lava Sports Bar & Grill, Kailua

Bands: Tehani, Joby!, Dylan Mines

Comedians: Ian Shippen, Kanoa Morse, Pepper Lamb

Round 4: Nov. 9, 7 p.m.

Bands: Cajun Peaches, The Issentials, Take One