Screen Magazine: Vol. 28, Issue 9

Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 28, Issue 9 - Index

In an industry where the competition is
cutthroat, it’s unusual to see agencies, posthouses
and production companies get together
for a common purpose and where no one is
vying for the top prize.
The usual suspects - award ceremonies and
networking events - are based on either winning
awards or winning new business. So what
better way to foster a sense of fellowship and
community than gathering the masses for an
aural onslaught at the hands of a few good
“Hack” bands?
Although it began its life in 1998 as a
competition known as the “Battle of the Hack
Bands,” GTN/Ringside Creative’s biennial rock
extravaganza has now matured into the music
festival “Hackapalooza.”
According to GTN audio manager Jay Scott,
the festival’s organizers never wanted the
“battle” aspect to be the main theme. By the
second year, “some folks were beginning to take
the competition part of the night seriously,” says
Scott, “[which is] something we never intended.
We became Hackapalooza. Non-competitive.
Crazy ad people.”
The brainchild of two GTN employees, and
championed by GTN marketing manager Steve
Tocco (who according to Scott is also the main
organizer and the most featured musician),
Hackapalooza has brought together bands
from agencies, post houses and production
companies in the area.
These include BBDO, Doner, Campbell-Ewald,
JWT, Avalon Films, Kutz Editorial and Leo
Burnett. The bands play in a variety of styles
from southern rock to an Elvis impersonator
whose costume, according to Scott, “was
authentic [and] made by the man who made
Elvis’ Vegas jumpsuits.”
Hackapalooza is not just a chance for the
Detroit ad community to get together and rock
out to their favorite agency hack bands, it’s also
a way to give back to the community by raising
money for various charities.
“The charitable aspect of the event was
initiated very early,” says Scott. “We’ve donated
thousands of dollars over the years to the
likes of the Red Cross, the McCarty Cancer
Foundation and the Stewart Francke Leukemia
Foundation. This year we intend to raise funds
for Jack’s Place for Autism.”
Hackapalooza 2007, which will be held on
May 10, promises to be as entertaining and
eclectic as years past. The diverse roster of
bands includes rockabilly, boogie, indie rock and
even drum line. And with the event benefiting a
good cause, the focus is more likely to be on fun
than on competition – except for maybe a few
discussions the next morning about whose ears
are ringing louder.
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