At the heart of all the shows at Veishea, the Battle of the Bands offers local bands a chance to shine alongside larger acts.

“It’s a tradition for Veishea every year since I can remember,” said Veishea Entertainment Committee co-chairman Nathan Katzer, senior in public service and administration in agriculture.

Last year’s battle generated a large enough response that the selection process was supplemented by five wildcard slots. This year’s contest follows the same format. Applicants submit a three-song demo CD. Music event coordinators Abbas Naqvi, senior in mechanical engineering, and Alexis Beyer, freshman in dietetics, evaluate the demos according to several criteria, ranging from technical skill to intraband coordination.

Ten bands are immediately awarded spots in the battle, with the remainder competing for the wildcard slots. The applicants cleave mostly to harder rock styles, but two rap acts and Minneapolis-based rap-rock act The Blend diversify the lineup. Creating a balanced show is one of Naqvi’s and Beyer’s tasks.

“We have to keep in mind that we’ll have a wide variety of audience,” Beyer said. “We want to put on a good show for everyone.”

The wildcard bands are determined by a series of sub-battles that take place at the M-Shop of the Memorial Union during the three days preceding the battle. The wildcard battles are judged by Brandi Power of 105.1 Channel Q and the M-Shop co-directors for next fall, Benjamin Day and Kabuswe Kay Mwanza.

“The Battle of the Bands does represent most local bands,” Naqvi said.

The bands are encouraged to pack the M-Shop by inviting their fans, friends and family.

Power will also be judging the main battle, along with Des Moines Register music critic Kyle Munson and Andrew Cusack of Juice.

The top three bands receive a cash prize, and the top band of the evening will open for Story of the Year during Saturday’s “Live @ Veishea” concert series. The Battle of the Bands itself starts at 5 p.m. Friday on the Campanile Stage on Central Campus. The show is expected to run until about midnight, with attendance increasing throughout the evening.

Emceeing the event is Annie B. of punk-metal band Shut Up Marie and MTV’s reality show “Rob and Big.”

Following the conclusion of the battle, national rock act Saliva will take the stage.

“We were trying to have a big, mainstream band headline the show,” Katzer said. “We’re really excited about having that caliber of act.”

Saliva released their newest album, “Blood Stained Love Story,” in January. The band’s availability just happened to coincide with Veishea’s dates.

“I think this is a starting point for their summer tour,” Naqvi said. “It’s part of promoting their new album.”

Like all Veishea events, the Battle of the Bands is free. The atmosphere is intended to be safe and family-friendly; ISU Police is helping with security, and bands have been asked not to use offensive language during shows.

“People need to acknowledge that we are inviting the general public,” Katzer said. “We’re trying to create a safe and family-friendly environment.”