We will assume that you have heard of the massive motorcycle rally known as Sturgis. The vast majority of you who regularly wear leather chaps probably have also heard of The Buffalo Chip. No? OK, then…The Chip is four miles from downtown Sturgis, SD. It is a massive campground and is commonly referred to as the “best party anywhere”. The Chip consistently has the best Sturgis concerts and enjoys the honor of being the only campground in the world where Dominos delivers.

Playing at The Chip is a great opportunity for a band and Mackie is very excited to be a part of the 2nd Annual Rock the Sound…Sturgis Bound competition. Over the course of a few weekends, six bands will compete for a place on stage at The Chip.

The first competition roared to live with the help of several hundred bikes, two great bands and a much appreciated sunny day. Fortune 500 was the first band to take the stage. This three piece power trio impressed the audience with solid chops, well-crafted vocal harmonies and a diverse collection of original songs.

Hungry Dogs were the second band promised to bring the blues, and boy howdy, did they bring it. The five piece band featured moving guitar solos that make you wish you had a one-legged dog right beside you. And the tasty vocal work of both the guitarist and ridiculously talented keyboard player pulled you right into the Delta frame of mind.

Both Fortune 500 and Hungry Dogs left the audience wanting more and that’s just what they’ll get. There are several more bands participating in the competition over the next few weeks, so we’ll just have to wait and see which bands find themselves entertaining hundreds of bikers who make it to The Chip this year.

The Mackie sound system included SA1532z’s and SWA1801z’s for mains, an Onyx 32.4 at FOH with a complement of Quad EQ’s and Quad Comp/Gates. There were loads of SRM450v2 on-stage in wedge position for monitor use.

Sound Harley-Davidson, located in Marysville, WA is proudly hosting this years Rock the Sound…Sturgis Bound competition, this year and last.

Last year’s competition, with an equally impressive Mackie sound system, provided four weekends of amazing band competition. When it was over, the winning prize was awarded to Midstokke. This powerhouse band went on to play several audience-inspiring shows at The Chip during the 2007 Sturgis rally. If you missed them last year, you’ll get another chance because they will be back to rock The Chip again this year.

As the Rock the Sound…Sturgis Bound competition continues to unfold, we will be sure to provide you updates on the happenings.