Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee judging band from Frontier Natural Products

      Brett Karminski, lead guitarist for Aeroroot, our fave homegrown band from Frontier Natural Products in Norway, Iowa, passed along this message about the band's upcoming performance Oct. 3 at the Ninth Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands:

We are completely excited about playing in Cleveland next week.  In fact, we just learned that Tommy Lee (yes, the drummer from Motley Crue) will be one of the judges.  To answer your question, we are practicing in between taking kids to soccer, and staying late at work.  We don't have anything planned besides more practice.  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Best of luck to Aeroroot next week and here is more about the upcoming competition:

The Ninth Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is Saturday October 3, 2009

    Legendary drummer Tommy Lee of rock band Mötley Crüe is one of three judges chosen to pick the best corporate rock band in the upcoming FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands presented by NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Lee will be joined by noted musician and author Jeff Carlisi and Making Music magazine editor-in-chief Antoinette Follett as judges at the ninth annual event, taking place on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

“I'm happy to be part of this year's FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands,” said Lee. “An amazing amount of talent exists across the country, and for people to come together in the workplace and express themselves in a different way proves what kind of power music has in elevating morale and bringing people together.”

From the 34 entries, 18 bands from across the country were chosen to participate in one of two semi-final regional competitions, and in the end, eight finalists were selected to vie for the top spot.

The finalists of the Ninth Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands include:

“Aeroroot” from Frontier Natural Products (Norway, IA)

Formed five years ago during a lunch break, “Aeroroot” is made up of three current and former employees of Frontier, a natural and organic product co-op. The band derives its name from the herb arrowroot, one of the natural products of Frontier.

“Manage This” from Symantec (Lindon, UT)

Made up of five Symantec employees, “Manage This” has released an album and is best known for its cover of “What I Like About You.”

“Roland's Stones” from Chevron (Pascagoula, MS)

The general manager of the Chevron Pascagoula Refinery, Roland Kell, formed Roland's Stones in 2006 to provide a fun and entertaining way to engage employees and boost morale. The 13-member band plays at company gatherings and has quickly become a big hit!

“The S.A.P.'s” from Johnson & Johnson (Morristown, NJ)

Made up of seven Johnson & Johnson IT, logistics and supply chain employees, The S.A.P.'s prove that IT professionals can rock!

“Slump” from Oceanside Glasstile (Carlsbad, CA)

This executive leadership team rocks out to all-tile-themed cover songs. “Slump,” which includes the company's president and executive vice president, plays regularly at trade shows and major venues, such as the House of Blues.

“The Mighty Electric St. Jude Band” from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, TN)

Formed in 2002, The St. Jude's Mighty Electric Band “rocks for a reason” by donating proceeds from performances to help save lives.

“Strat 5” from Healthways (Franklin, TN)

Founded in 1995, Strat 5 is comprised of seven Healthways employees. Headquartered near Nashville, Healthways is located in the heart of the music scene and regularly performs in the area.

“The Weasels” from The Sunflower Group (Overland, KS)

Comprising of six employees from Overland Park-based Sunflower Group, “The Weasels” came together in 1991. A mix of former professional musicians and amateurs, the band has developed a following in Kansas City, and perform together at least twice a month at local venues