Since last year’s Battle of the Bands preceded a riot and was rained out during technical difficulties, organizers of Leaders INspiring Connections said they think this year might be better.

When LINC music director Emilee Schuck, junior in English, looked over the 16 applications for the 2004 Battle of the Bands, she saw a plethora of different styles. Schuck says the panel members who decide which bands will compete had the audience in mind as they made their selections.

“We try to choose in a way that the groups will not sound alike so that people will not get bored,” Schuck says.

The applicants are chosen based on criteria including quality of vocals, quality of lyrics and overall performance, Schuck says.

The Battle of the Bands, part of the Veishea program that has been broken up throughout the year, will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the Maintenance Shop.

Drummer Stephen Troskey of Sweet Afton says the band’s live show is what sets it apart from the competition.

Sweet Afton has been in the local music scene for two years with various lineups, and, Troskey says, it plays “good old rock and roll, with a little emo in the mix.”

While it has hopes of winning this year’s competition, Troskey says Sweet Afton is more interested in entertaining.

“If we can give [the audience] a good show, then it’s a good show for us, and that’s what it’s all about,” Troskey says.

Troskey says Sweet Afton, which has toured the Midwest, will release a new album in December.

Ben Maynard, singer and guitarist of another local band, Twistin’ Trees, says his band’s unique style comes from its three-piece horn section. Maynard says the horn players add a twist to the group’s style.

“They are really awesome musicians,” he says. “They let us play a lot of different styles of music.”

Maynard says the music the band plays is generally blues-based, but there are elements of funk, reggae, Latin and various other styles of music.

“You’re not going to hear the same music from show to show or even from song to song,” he says.

Who: Battle of the Bands

Where: M-Shop

When: 2:30 p.m. Wednesday

Cost: Free