Ep. 17 | "Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands"

Every year, over 30,000 bands compete in a nationwide competition to see who has what it takes to be the next Battle of the Bands champion. The Warped Tour & Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands has been an integral part of punk history for decades. Kevin interviews the current and former CEOs of Ernie Ball, Sterling and Brian, to discuss just that. Sterling details the lessons that his father passed on to him before he was able to take over the business. He and Brian compare how different things were when Sterling took over versus when he passed it down to his son. And Sterling explains how Ernie Ball became a household name and the role that the NAMM show played in establishing his brand. The Ernie Ball Stage managers, Ryan and Justin, explain how hectic things could be while transporting a giant inflatable stage across the country while putting on a dozen concerts or more in a day. Plus, Kevin chats with a few bands who played the Ernie Ball Stage, Mayday Parade and Jaret Reddick from Bowling for Soup to relive the sensation of starting from the bottom of the lineup to becoming a regular headliner.   Featuring:  Sterling Ball (@ErnieBall) - Former CEO of Ernie Ball  Brian Ball (@flashnball) - CEO of Ernie Ball  Ryan McLain (@ryrymc) - Ernie Ball Director of Marketing  Justin Baumann (@jus10baumann) - Ernie Ball Mobile Stages Manager  Derek Sanders (@longdaysandpleasantnights) - Mayday Parade - Lead Vocals, Guitar  Alex Garcia (@maydayalex) - Mayday Parade - Guitar  Brooks Betts (@brooksmayday) - Mayday Parade - Guitar  Jaret Reddick (@jaret2113) - Bowling for Soup - Lead Vocals