For those unfamiliar with the concept of the Cleveland Lottery League let me give you the short version. 150 local musicians put their name in a pool. These 150 musicians are then randomly slotted into 30 new bands. At this point, there are some restrictions to (a) ensure the musicians drawn together in the new band aren’t currently performing together in an existing band, (b) the musicians in the new band haven’t played together in an old band, and (c) the musicians drawn together in the new band don’t have a history of boinking the other musicians’ significant others. After all, the goal is twofold: First, to bring together musicians of diverse backgrounds, and second, to make sure the new band actually stands a chance of making it to the Lottery League Showcase.

Tonight, the draft for the 2010 Lottery League takes place at the Beachland Ballroom. For $5, less than the price of two Pabst tall boys, you can be a part of the excitement. The night promises intrigue and surprises and music, of course, with the three surviving bands from the 2008 Lottery League — Ghandi SS, Mohammed Cartoon, and the Anal Cheetahs – all performing. For a complete list of this year’s Lottery League participants, click here. The showcase, when we see which bands survived and which bands thrived, will take place April 10th at the Beachland Ballroom.