It's been difficult, in the last few months, for Lottery League members not to talk about Lottery League practically all of the time. It's been the de rigueur conversation starter for the 150 or so musicians involved (this writer among them), as well as for those who didn't participate and regret not having done so. But that time will be over soon - "The Big Show," as it's being called, takes place at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 12 at the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124), and it's everyone's lone chance to see what happens when a diverse group of musicians is distributed into random bands, often with complete strangers.

Though the Lottery League concept itself is novel, the guys who put all this together aren't exactly new to this sort of thing. The Lottery League was/is an outgrowth of the Land of Buried Treasure project; in the summer of 2006, Jae Kristoff, Nate Scheible and Mike Wilkinson, all members of the experimental band Self Destruct Button at one time or another (another disclosure: this writer is currently on the inside of the SDB revolving door), opened the doors of Zombie Proof studio in midtown Cleveland free of charge and one hour at a time for three full days. Musicians were invited to each record one hour of music, sound, stuff breaking, whatever. More than 40 people took them up on the offer, and the results were edited together into songs, collaborations of a sort between people who may have never even been in the same room together. The resultant CD was released last February and is already sold out, but Scheible and Kristoff's interest in the possibilities of recombining the work of huge numbers of musicians plainly hadn't waned any, as they soon conceived the Lottery League, with help from a few other area music activists.

It was in autumn of 2007 when the two, along with Scheible's X-Bolex bandmate Matt Majesky, inspired by a blog rant by Cobra Verde bassist Ed Sotelo, started making the astonishingly quick arrangements for the ambitious lottery, with assistance from Sotelo, drummer/recording engineer John Delzoppo and WRUW's Michael Pultz. An initial pool of 80 willing musicians swelled to almost double that as word spread, and bands were chosen in early February. They've been rehearsing since then, and while the show on Saturday might seem like the termination of the project to those outside of it, from the inside this isn't necessarily something that just ends. Not only do the organizers still have to edit a documentary film and a compilation CD, but this could also alter the viewpoints of the participating musicians for a long time. Being in a band is a collaborative process; even if the group's dynamic is one of a dominant leader/songwriter pretty much telling the rest of the band what to do, the way individual players "feel" music determines the success of the band's work, and one player who doesn't really fit right can throw an otherwise superb band into the shitter. That so many serious musicians are so eager to playfully mix shit up willy-nilly seems likely to have a lasting effect on the music scene.

Some people are almost certain to stay with their lottery bands after Saturday. And, starting on the night of the lottery itself, people have been talking to folks they didn't get put with but wish they had about future projects. It's fair to say that the Lottery League has done more in a few months to spur creative interaction in Cleveland than 10 years of Richard Florida schemes and "Cool" parties have done. Imagine a Lottery League among dancers. Painters. Sculptors. Filmmakers. Nobody needs official approval or city money. There's a road map now. Get off your asses, Cleveland. - Ron Kretsch

Lollapalooza Line-up Announced

The line-up for this year's Lollapalooza, scheduled for Aug.1-3 in Chicago's Grant Park, was announced this week. Headliners include Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, Wilco and the Raconteurs. Akron's Black Keys also make a return visit, joining over 120 acts at the festival, which has been held as a destination festival in Chicago since 2005. "I'm getting a very, very good reaction to the line-up," says booking agent Charles Attal, who put the line-up together with input from festival founder Perry Farrell. "We're very excited about it. We were psyched to get all the top-tier bands. It's about availability. We always just try to get the best available bands and keep it eclectic and stay true to the brand and don't skew too far off course. If something left of center popped up, I would have gone after it. It's a big puzzle you have to put together." For more information, consult lollapalooza.com. - Jeff Niesel

Standing Rock Finals

The Third Annual Standing Rock Battle of the Bands, which has been going on around various Kent venues for the past month and a half, comes to a close this weekend with the finals, starting at 8 p.m. Friday, April 11 at the Kent Stage (175 E. Main St., downtown Kent). There, following opening sets by previous winners Dr. Teeeth and Drenalin, the four bands who survived the preliminary and semi-final rounds will vie for top prize which includes musical equipment, recording time, a 1,000-CD package and a CD release party. Go to battleofstandingrock.com for info. Admission: $5. - Anastasia Pantsios