Las Vegas Weekly

Duel in the Desert will bring the heat (and lots of metal)

Local metal band Dymentya is ready to kick ass and take names at the Cheyenne Saloon’s Battle of the Bands.

Put your earplugs in and get your pom poms out. It’s time to cheer on your favorite local rockers.

Duel in the Desert, the ongoing battle of the bands at Cheyenne Saloon, is coming to a close this weekend. The summer-long competition began on May 21 with 36 local bands registered. Now, after months of preliminary, quarter-final and semi-final rounds, the pack has been whittled down to the top nine bands, who will lay down their best licks over the next two days in the name of rock.

The group consists mainly of metal bands: Guerilla Pimp Project, Shattered Empire, diM, Dymentya, Zombie Shaker Box, Substance and In The Flesh. As for non-metal options, Missing Blind offers an alt-rock sound, and Alleyways plays a more roots-rock brand of music.

The finalists will compete over two nights of finals on Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12 for cash and prizes totaling $7,500. First place will win $2,000; second place scores $700; and third place will receive $300. Non-cash prizes include concert tickets to the House of Blues, tattoos from 3 Lions Tattoo, Sam Ash gift certificates, a photo shoot with Terrorist Photography, a recording session with Afire Studios and studio time with MDV Studios.

The winners will be determined through a combination of audience voting and scores calculated by a panel of judges consisting of local members of the music industry. Stop by. Listen up. Rock the vote.

Presale tickets are $10 per person or $13 at the door.