Song Fight is a free Web site where Internet musicians enter their work into competition. Every week several titles are provided, the competitors write a brand new song inspired by the title of their choice, and the Internet at large is invited to vote for their favorite song for each title.

In addition to the weekly goings-on, the participants of Song Fight occasionally put together concerts where they perform, among other things, the songs they've written for the competition. Typically this is one big show in the summer with smaller concerts scattered throughout the year. Previous gatherings have been held in places like Seattle WA, Austin TX, London UK, Berkeley CA, Lancaster PA and Minneapolis MN, some of which you may have heard of, or even seen on maps. In 2005, Song Fight! celebrates its fifth anniversary with a big bash in the quaint seaside township of Boston, Massachusetts.

About the show

This year's concert will feature three separate performances at two venues, with roughly two dozen artists packed into twelve hours or so. We have confirmed appearances by folks from all across the US and Canada and a wide range of musical styles will be represented.

Each artist will play a set of their own songs, originally written for the Song Fight! competition. The show will conclude on Saturday night with a "live fight." A title will be announced shortly before the show, and everyone will have the chance to perform whatever they come up with. A winner will be chosen by the audience via a system we learned from Shirley Jackson's classic story of idyllic American life, "The Lottery."

Update! The title for this year's live fight is "I Know My Rights." So come prepared to fight for your rights (if, of course, you want any).

Entry is free to all ages, so bring along the kids! You may feel somewhat uncomfortable when they ask you to define certain words that they overhear, but, hey, that's part of the family fun!

Times, locations, directions

This year's event will be split between two places. The "evening" venue is the Somerville City Club, 20 Innerbelt Road, Somerville, and the "afternoon" venue is the Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge Street, Cambridge.

Show times:

• Friday 8/12, City Club. 7:00 pm.
• Saturday 8/13, Gallery. 3:00 pm.
• Saturday 8/13, City Club. 7:00 pm.

Both venues are easily accessible by auto and public transportation. If you are driving and from out of town, be aware that it will take longer than you think to get places here. (If you are driving and live nearby, you already know how to avoid traffic by driving on the sidewalks.) Also, there isn't really much in the way of parking at the Zeitgeist, though there is plenty at the City Club.

Here is a map of the area which shows some important locations and bus/T routes. It is stolen from the MBTA web site, which is a good place to look if you plan to avail yourself of the universe's oldest subway system while you are in town.

Schedule of performers

Here is a preliminary schedule for the weekend. Subject to last minute changes.

If you're coming to the show

If you're just coming to hang out and enjoy the shows, that's great! We're happy to have you. If you want to perform, and you haven't already, make sure you tell us, here!

Performers don't need to bring any equipment; we will supply a basic stage setup with common instruments. If you have unusual needs you will probably have to supply them yourself-- at the very least, you should let us know. Check out the equipment list here.

You should plan on having about 25 minutes of stage time. This includes any set-up time, so if it takes you twenty minutes to set up and tune your electric bagpipes, you should let us know about it so we can work something out for you.

If you are coming from far away, you will probably need a place to stay while you are in town. One hotel to consider is the Holiday Inn which is directly across the street from the City Club. They supposedly have a discount rate if you are there for a function at the city club, though some people have reported difficulty in dealing with them. Others have saved a bunch of money, though; this is still a mystery to us. You might also want to see this thread for room-sharing arrangements and other lodging info.

If you need a place to practice your set, we have reserved a room at Jam Spot, 111 South Street, Somerville. It will be available all day on Thursday (noon to midnight) and Friday before the show (noon to seven). Even if you don't need any practice, this might be a good place to look if you are in town early and want to meet other Songfighters.

Other resources and contact info

• Important announcements for performers
• SF live bulletin board

For all other information, contact Benjamin Levine, 978 807 6345.