The Rock 'n' Roll Rumble (sometimes stylized "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 Rumble is scheduled to return in April 2023. Format The Rumble in its current form begins in April with six preliminary rounds of 24 total bands, as selected by Anngelle Wood. Through 2017, the prelims took place on Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, with Wednesday as a traditional "Day of Rest"; beginning in 2019, the prelims were split over two consecutive weekends. Each night, four bands play a 30-minute set and are judged by a rotating selection of representatives from the Boston music industry. A winner is announced at the end of the night. Each night's winner moves on to the semi-finals the following weekend, with two wildcard bands rounding out the top 8. The two semi-final winners are joined by one wildcard band for the final round the week after that. A special guest, often a national touring band or a previous Rumble participant, headlines the finals while the judges come to their final decision. Prizes include cash, studio time, legal services, album production, bragging rights, and more. A ceremonial tiara is also passed from the previous