| Rock 'n' Roll Rumble | |
|---|---|
| Genre | rock and roll, pop, alternative rock, power pop, punk rock, metal, hardcore, Americana, synthpop, folk rock, hip hop |
| Location(s) | Greater Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Website | rockandrollrumble |
The Rock 'n' Roll Rumble (now stylized as "Rock & Roll Rumble"; formerly the "WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble"), begun in 1979, is a Greater Boston "battle of the bands" competition sponsored by Boston Emissions, an online local music program formerly broadcast on WBCN (from 1987 until 2008) and WZLX (from 2009 until 2018). The Rumble remains the longest running event of its kind in the US.
Its predecessors were the Bicentennial Tournament of the Bands held in 1976 at The Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and co-sponsored by WBCN and Inn Square Men's Bar, as well as 1978's First Annual Spring Rock 'n' Roll Festival co-sponsored by WBCN and the Boston Phoenix.
The Rock 'n' Roll Rumble was held in Boston at the Rathskeller in Kenmore Square for its first two years and was often referred to as "the Rumble at the Rat". Steve Morse of the Boston Globe called the 1979 debut competition "nine nights of exhilarating grass-roots rock." Since then, the competition's venue has changed several times but remains a popular showcase for New England bands to gain visibility.
The Rumble is hosted and produced by Boston DJ Anngelle Wood, host of Boston Emissions.
The 2020 Rumble was originally scheduled to begin on April 9, 2020, but was first postponed, and then canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the 2021 and 2022 Rumbles were also canceled. The Rumble returned in April 2023 to one of its original homes, The Middle East and Sonia, the former home of TT the Bear's Place, within the Middle East venue complex, in Cambridge's Central Square.