Your band can open for Lynard Skinard and others! Your band can open for Lynard Skinard and others!
poconos park

Our Lost Highway 2023 Battle of the Bands winners are...


Opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd, May 19th: Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen

DUSTIN DOUGLAS & THE ELECTRIC GENTLEMEN's dynamic, heavy, swagger-injected, sexy & dirty, blues-influenced rock n' roll brings vintage sound and vibe to modern ears.

Check out their winning submission here:


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Opening for Struggle Jennings, May 20th: The Brown Brothers

The Brown Brothers are a country/Southern Rock group based out of Damascus, Maryland fronted by brothers Austin and Connor Brown. Debut single coming Summer 2023!

Check out their winning submission here:


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About the Competition

The Poconos Park Battle of the Bands is a one-of-a-kind contest that unites talented musicians and enthusiastic fans for an unforgettable experience. Set in the picturesque Poconos Park, this event is a perfect blend of music, motorcycles, and the great outdoors.

Emerging artists are given the chance to showcase their talents and compete for the opportunity to perform live in front of thousands of spectators, with the ultimate prize being the chance to open for the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd. By entering the contest, artists create a profile, upload a logo and artist photo, and provide links to their music or an MP3.

Fans play a pivotal role in selecting the top 100 artists who will appear in front of the judges. They support their favorite artists by voting and sharing the music, ultimately shaping the shortlist of contenders. The final decision on who gets to open for Lynyrd Skynyrd will be made by a panel of industry professionals, festival organizers, and event hosts.

The Poconos Park Battle of the Bands is not only about the excitement of the contest but also about fostering a sense of community and camaraderie among musicians and fans alike. Join us in making this event an annual highlight, where music, adventure, and friendly competition come together to create lasting memories.

Meet the Judges

The top voted bands will reach the final round where they will be judged by our all star panel of music industry veterans!

John Oakes is an entertainment entrepreneur, executive, marketer, and owner of Poconos Park, a 10,000+ cap, outdoor amphitheater. He specializes in producing and marketing music festivals, concerts, events, brands, artists, partners, and fans. In 2002, Oakes founded his music, entertainment, event, and marketing consulting company while managing rock band Story of the Year. From 2005 to 2010, Oakes teamed up with Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, CAA Executive Agent Darryl Eaton, and music industry entrepreneur John Reese for the Rockstar Energy Drink Taste of Chaos Festival, touring the U.S. and 20 countries around the world. From 2007-2015, the team founded Mayhem Festival, the largest heavy metal festival in America. For 5 years Oakes partnered with CAA and Live Nation to produce the Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival, a rock festival touring about 30 North American cities a year. Recently, Oakes has worked with artists from diverse genres of music from Toby Keith, Jason Derulo, The Beach Boys, and Avenged Sevenfold.

John M. Oakes

CEO, From the Roots

Brian Ball is the CEO of Ernie Ball Inc., the world's number one selling guitar string and accessory manufacturer. Operating out of Coachella, CA, their products are distributed in over 125 countries and are played by the likes of Paul McCartney, The Eagles, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Slash, John Mayer, and many others.

Brian also runs the Music Man division Ernie Ball, which manufactures state of the art electric guitars and basses in San Luis Obispo, CA. Music Man is widely recognized for unmatched quality and craftsmanship and specializes in collaborating with many of the best musicians in the world. Some of the notable artist collaborations Brian has spearheaded includes Tim Commerford (Rage Against The Machine), Joe Dart (Vulfpeck), Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta), James Valentine (Maroon 5), and most recently Tosin Abasi (Animals as Leaders).

Brian Ball

CEO, Ernie Ball, Inc.

Ron Rainey enters his 54th year in the entertainment industry as a veteran agent, personal manager, promoter, record company owner, executive, music publisher, artist merchandiser, and intellectual property investor. Rainey continues fostering the legacies of Steppenwolf and The Marshall Tucker Band through his interests in their publishing, merchandise and records. He actively consults for Rainman Records as the label begins its exciting next chapter in the digital age with new owners Jennifer Cary and Steve Weatherby. Outside of music, Rainey follows the Dodgers, collects baseball cards, French wine, and enjoys his time split between homes in the Hollywood Hills and the French Cote d'Azur.

Ron Rainey

Record Executive

Rich Berkowitz is a top concert promoter and entertainment entrepreneur in the Pocono Mountains of PA. He currently serves as the President and CEO of the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg PA, producing over 150 shows in the Sherman Theater and the Sherman Showcase. Rich also serves as the producer and promoter on some of the biggest regional events including Stroudfest, Poconos Pride, LatinFest and Juneteenth. Rich has been a talent buyer in this region and beyond for the last 18 years, buying talent for his own productions in addition to providing talent for major resorts, casinos and municipal projects as well as placing talent at fairs, clubs and bars throughout the Northeast Region.

Richard W. Berkowitz

President and CEO, Sherman Theater

30+ years in radio and riding and always ready to go! Show host. Radio host. Jen has been involved with helping thousands of businesses grow and showcase their efforts to their customers. She has hosted, promoted and participated in thousands of charity events specializing in motorcycle rides including Sturgis, Daytona, Laconia, Arizona…. Bike weeks everywhere. She has hosted Biker Belles and Helping with Horsepower.

Awards: Harrisburg Magazine Simply the Best Winner - Best Radio Personality. Personality Winner of the 2016 Children's Miracle Network Personality of the Year. Winner of 2016 Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Award for Best Morning Show. Member of ABATE, VFW Ladies Auxiliary 20+ years. American Legion Auxiliary 20+ years. Founder of Divas Elite Social Riding Group. Blankets of Honor Recipient. Visual and jewelry artist.

Jen Shade

WQXA -Mornings/News Director/Mid-Days

Shelly Mullins is an award-winning publicist & manager who has been entrenched in the Nashville music industry for nearly three decades. She has worked with some of the biggest stars in the business (including but not limited to George Jones, Dolly Parton, Mark Wills, and countless others). She was instrumental in the launch of The Country Network, and worked with numerous national television and radio shows, and, throughout the years, has handled media for some of the biggest multi-day music festivals across the U.S. (including Country Thunder, Country Stampede, Sprint Sound & Speed, Americana MusicFest, and Bonnaroo, just to name a few). Shelly works as a consultant to From the Roots, and was instrumental in the launch of Poconos Park and its events (Cowboy Luau, Lost Highway, Haunted Poconos Park, etc.).

Shelly Mullins

Publicist and Manager

As an RIAA Gold recording artist, formerly of Strata/Beta State, Adrian is featured on 2 Marvel soundtracks, EA’s Madden, and has shared the stage with Linkin Park, Chevelle, Alien Ant Farm, Dredg, Deftones, 30 Seconds to Mars, Kill Hannah, Green Day, Twenty-One Pilots, Sonny Moore (pre-Skrillex), and Finger 11. Beta State's song "Change" appeared on Linkin Park's LPUXIII record. He contributed to Nike's "Dream Crazy", an Emmy-winning 30th anniversary "Just Do It" commercial feat. Colin Kaepernick. He led marketiing for layer-1 blockchain Harmony, reaching over $1B market cap, launching DJ3N in the process, featuring one of the fastest logins in Web3, to put revolutionary Web3 technology in the hands of everyday creators and fans around the world.

Adrian Robison

CEO, DJ3N

Battle of the Band Sponsors

Ernie Ball From the Roots Poconos Park