Phoenix’s Chrome Rhino, Rattlesnake Suitcase plot Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble

You've likely already heard of the "battle of the bands" concept. Two bands each perform on a single stage, and the winner is determined by the audience's applause. However, when Chrome Rhino and Rattlesnake Suitcase hit the stage this Friday for the Rock 'N' Roll Rumble, it ain't exactly going to be "Blues Brothers 2000" or "School of Rock."

"This is more like pro wrestling, and that it's all just a bunch of staged nonsense," says Chrome Rhino singer-keyboardist Jared Michael.

Jarrod Compton, guitarist for Rattlesnake Suitcase, expanded on the wrestling analogy, adding that there's a certain authorial presence intended for the show.

"So the whole event is pretty much loosely scripted, and where we have segments of what's going to happen and then tensions will escalate throughout the set," says Compton.

Still, don't expect Shawn Michaels versus British Bulldog at "One Night Only." Even with the added bells and whistles of storylines and the like, this is still a duel between two great local bands. Fans will still make the final decision, even if they'll have spent the night being swayed and "manipulated" in the name of entertainment.

So, why exactly engage in a rock 'n' roll wrestling "match" in the first place? It was, surprisingly enough, an idea based out of friendship and mutual respect.

"I've run in the same circles as Jarrod for a long time," says Michael. "We've played plenty of shows together in our various groups. And we realized that our bands are opposed in how we put music together. We're more of the shiny and sugary side of rock, and [Rattlesnake Suitcase] are a little bit more tough and macho. We figured that we could make the best of that difference."
Compton agreed for the most part: The two bands approach music in different ways, and that creates some interesting and inherent tension.

"They're always dressing up and doing all this crazy stuff," says Compton. "And I've always looked at them as the complete opposite of what our band is, like personality-wise and music-wise. So I felt like this would be a really cool thing to do that no one has [before]. I haven't seen anybody do it."

Much like any pro wrestling match, though, both bands know their respective roles.

"They are definitely the heels," says Michael.

However, when asked what might happen if Chrome Rhino "loses," Michael had an answer that felt more like a "Stone Cold" Steve Austin-esque tweener than any Mankind-level babyface.

"We haven't really really thought about that because we're pretty confident that we're not going to have to worry about [losing]," says Michael. "They're going to try to play dirty, and we're just going to come by the victory honestly. I want Rattlesnake Suitcase to have a fair shot at being the better band, but we're just going to play better than them."

Rattlesnake Suitcase, meanwhile, seem to really relish in their role as the "bad guys," like the rock band version of Razor Ramon.

"We're going to set up an area where the other band's playing where we can mess with them — shoot spitballs or whatever we figure out when we're there," says Compton. "The musicianship of everyone in my band can compare to theirs, too. Just maybe not Jared on the keyboards."
Of course, even with the heel-face dynamic, there's another wildcard element to this battle royale that could complicate matters even further.

"Daphne [Greene] of Daphne + The Glitches is going to be our M.C.," says Michael. "And she could throw a curveball at us that we just have to roll with."

Despite their respective roles, there's some important similarities between both groups. They're basically core attributes that complicate the "heel-face" dynamic. For instance, they're both always trying to do something new and different to push the confines of live music.

"I've always been the type to try to break out of the mold for a typical show," says Michael. "Every band and their neighbor is getting up on stage playing their songs and then getting off. We wanted to do something that's more like a piece of theater. LöFest last month was an example of a show that was more than just the performance."

Michael adds, "We've been trying to do that with our shows for a little while; there's always some random stage antics. Once, we had a vampire nurse drain the blood of someone on stage. I just want to make the show interesting and fun and still let the music speak for itself, too."
Rattlesnake Suitcase, meanwhile, look toward a band like Steel Panther for inspiration. It's about injecting drama into the mix and really embracing the "gimmickry" of great rock music.

"We went in with that mentality where we're going to come out and have personalities," says Compton. "Our singer is going to be this big diva. And we took that all the way to the point where we have a documentary that's like 'This Is Spinal Tap.' Also, instead of just doing regular shows all the time, use your imagination and do something new every time. That way, your show is like an event, you know?"

There's an argument to be made that letting fans in on the event might spoil the magic. Rather, it's like all the best pro wrestling: The audience is meant to be in on the joke. There's no big battle between good and evil, but just another way to excite and entice the people who came to see a (staged) fight.

"People have less money to spend right now, and convincing people to come out is not always easy," says Michael. "That's another reason why we wanted to do this: it gives the fans and the audience a reason to get excited and to get loud. We definitely wanted to challenge our fans individually to outdo each other's fans. And so that will definitely play a part in it."

All that remains true even if the crowd doesn't exactly toss their support behind the "right" band.

"I think whenever you have some sort of story that includes the audience, you can't stop the audience from making their ideas known," says Michael. "If they decide that they don't want to like who is planned to be liked, then that's going to absolutely affect the outcome."

Rattlesnake Suitcase also want to help others — just not necessarily the fans. They're just as interested in hopefully supporting other bands/artists in growing their careers and taking advantage of every new opportunity.

"I want to inspire with [this] idea," says Compton. "Because at the end of the day, Chrome Rhino was the best band in Phoenix and everybody drools over Chrome Rhino because they're so good. I just want to inspire others that, even though we're this new or unknown band, you can make things happen with the big dogs and you can do these types of shows. Like, it's all at your grasp. You've just got to work to get it."
Both Compton and Michael agreed that, depending on the success of this initial event, they'd like to do regular Rumbles with other bands/configurations. They know that's still a big "if" at this point, and that the Rumble is basically this unproven commodity (despite its comprising "parts" being generally beloved and familiar). Still, if you want to be sure if the Rumble works, there's only one solution: come on down for the rock 'n' roll grapple fest.

"People don't really understand what it is or how it's going to work," says Compton. "I encourage everyone to come out and see it at work. This show is going to be epic. You'll probably never see a lineup at a show like this ever again, considering how good everyone is."

The Chrome Rhino vs. Rattlesnake Suitcase Rock 'N' Roll Rumble is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 at Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. 2nd Ave. The event will also feature performances from Wyves and The Joeys. Tickets are $15 ahead of time and $20 at the door; grab yours now via crescentphx.com.