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One of these four bands will win the 2011 MMM title; vote now in the Newsroom blog! By James Montgomery My Chemical Romance’s Mikey Way and Gerard Way Photo: John Shearer/ WireImage Three weeks ago, 64 bands embarked on the voyage that is MTV’s Musical March Madness . Now, after millions of votes and nearly as many grueling matchups, only four remain. My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Paramore and Disturbed each punched their ticket for the Final Four late Thursday night, and one of them will hoist the MMM trophy next week. Check out our MMM Bracket right here! It wasn’t easy for any of them. Much like the Sweet 16, voting in the Elite 8 broke records and went down to the wire. We wouldn’t expect anything less, not when the bands still competing were this big, and the stakes this high. And they’re about to get even higher. Because voting in our Final Four matchups — #9 Disturbed vs. #3 Green Day and #5 Paramore vs. #3 My Chemical Romance — is now under way over on the Newsroom blog, and it’ll be up to you to determine the two bands that’ll go head-to-head for the MMM championship. Final Four voting has begun on the Newsroom blog! While you consider just whom you’ll be voting for — if you haven’t made your mind up already — let’s take a look back at each band’s journey to the Final Four. Disturbed The lowest-seeded band still standing, Disturbed entered MMM as a #9, but quickly served notice that they were a force to be reckoned with, knocking off #8 the Dave Matthews Band in the opening round, then shocking the world by slipping by the Midwest’s top seed, the Foo Fighters , to reach the Sweet 16. Then, they handled Patrick Stump and, perhaps inspired by frontman David Draiman’s now legendary “time to make a statement” speech, took down defending MMM champs Coheed and Cambria in an air-tight battle. With more than 105,000 votes cast, Disturbed outdistanced Coheed by less than 500 to win the Midwest region and earn a spot in the Final Four. Green Day Last year, Green Day were sent packing in the opening round of the tournament, an exit that left them with a bitter taste in their mouths and a sizeble chip on their shoulders. So, in their 2011 march to the Final Four, they took no prisoners, absolutely dominating Adam Lambert in the first round, then going toe-to-toe with a pair of their fellow rock heavyweights — U2 and Blink-182 — and barely breaking a sweat. Their toughest challenge came in the Elite 8 against, ironically enough, Panic! at the Disco, the very band that sent them packing last year. Green Day got revenge , withstanding a late surge from the Panic! guys to take the West region title and head to the Final Four. Paramore Nearly two years ago, we wrote that Paramore were poised “to become the kings and queen of the South.” Little did we know how right we’d be; after a string of impressive victories, Hayley Williams and the guys are, in fact, the rulers of the region, and they’ve certainly earned their crowns. No band faced a stiffer series of matchups throughout the tourney — Paramore drew No Doubt in the opening round and Kings of Leon in the second — and that was before they took on tournament vets Tokio Hotel in the Elite 8. Each time, they rose to the challenge, taking the South region title and, in the process, may very well have become the favorites to win it all. My Chemical Romance It was heartbreak city for MCR last year, as they rode a wave of fervent fan support all the way to the MMM championship game, only to be crushed by Coheed. They’re the only band to climb the mountain once again, and they’ve done it with a frightening level of proficiency. Because, to this point, My Chemical Romance have yet to be really tested, rolling #14 Panda Bear in round one, #11 Rage Against the Machine in round two and #2 Radiohead in the Sweet 16 . They ended 16th-seeded Sum 41’s dream run in the Elite 8 , wrapping up the East title and barely breaking a sweat. In the Final Four, they’ll face off against Paramore, which might very well be the de facto 2011 championship game. MTV’s Musical March Madness has reached the Final Four. All winners are determined by your votes, so, if your favorite act is still standing, it’s up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — and you’d better; the MMM trophy is within reach! Related Videos MTV News’ 2011 Musical March Madness Related Photos MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness’ Band Bracketology Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness Related Artists My Chemical Romance Disturbed Paramore Green Day
Band faces a tough Elite 8 challenge against defending champs Coheed and Cambria. By James Montgomery Disturbed’s David Draiman Photo: C Brandon/ Redferns When MTV tipped off our Musical March Madness tournament three weeks ago, 64 bands stood on the precipice of greatness … though, to be honest, one of them seemed to face a tougher challenge than all the rest. Chicago shredders Disturbed, who were stuck with a #9 seed, were pitted against the heavily favored Dave Matthews Band in the opening round and basically left for dead. But Disturbed refused to die. They knocked off DMB in convincing fashion, then, in one of the tournament’s most eye-opening victories, ripped #1 seed Foo Fighters to reach the Sweet 16 . That win served notice to the rest of the MMM bands that Disturbed were a force to be reckoned with, and they backed up that newfound clout with a thorough throttling of Patrick Stump to reach the Elite 8 .
Defending champs Coheed and Cambria, upset-minded Sum 41 also survive … Elite 8 voting now open on the Newsroom blog. By James Montgomery Paramore’s Hayley Williams Photo: C Flanigan/ FilmMagic We’ve reached the Elite 8 of MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament, and it’s a fitting title, indeed. Because the eight bands left standing in the tournament are most certainly elite, each having survived increasingly tough challenges to stand on the precipice of championship glory. Check out our MMM Bracket right here! And nowhere was that more apparent than in the MMM’s Sweet 16, which saw not only a historic number of votes being cast by fans, but more nail-bitingly close contests than we can ever remember: Fifth-seeded Paramore came from way back to nip #1 Linkin Park; #5 Panic! at the Disco edged heavily-favored (and top-seeded) 30 Seconds to Mars; and, in perhaps the most remarkable matchup in MMM history, defending champs Coheed and Cambria snuck by #7 Avenged Sevenfold thanks to a last-second surge in votes … our first-ever buzzer beater! It was, to say the least, a remarkable round … and we expect nothing less in the Elite 8: One of these bands will hoist the MMM championship trophy next week, and you can help them do it. But you’ve got to hurry — Elite 8 voting is now open on the Newsroom blog, and will continue until Thursday at midnight ET. Elite 8 voting is now under way over on the Newsroom blog! We’ll reveal our Final Four on Friday … but before we get there, let’s take a look at our Elite 8 matchups! Midwest In one of the few drama-free Sweet 16 contests, #9 Disturbed handled #12 Patrick Stump with relative ease, moving David Draiman and Co. on to the Elite 8. The undercard — the now-legendary Coheed/A7X tussle — was anything but: Upset-minded Avenged took an early lead, stretched it to more than 4,000 votes, and then, with victory in sight, got complacent. That allowed Coheed (and their fans) to sneak back into things, slowly closing the gap and, finally, with less than 10 minutes to go in voting, overtaking A7X for good. In the end, in a contest that saw some 60,000 votes cast, Coheed won by less than 300 … a remarkable contest, and more proof that you should never underestimate the heart of a champion. And thanks to those last-second heroics, our Midwest final is now set: #9 Disturbed vs. #6 Coheed and Cambria East We knew heading into the Sweet 16 that the 30 Seconds to Mars/ Panic! at the Disco battle was going to be epic, but even we had no idea just how huge it would end up becoming. Top-seeded 30 STM cruised to an early lead, but then, thanks to some pretty heavy campaigning, #5 Panic! slowly started to chip away, and with less than two hours left in voting, they overtook Leto and his boys for good, winning by nearly 5,000 votes. In the undercard, what was expected to be a barnburner ended up being nothing more than a laugher, as #3 Green Day blasted #2 Blink-182 — despite Mark Hoppus’s efforts to rally the troops. And so, our East final is set: #5 Panic! at the Disco vs. #3 Green Day South A pair of hotly contested Sweet 16 matchups here, as #5 Paramore came roaring back against #1 Linkin Park (behold, the power of Facebook! ), erasing a 3,000-vote deficit in the round’s final hours and ultimately coasting to a 2,000-vote win — a pretty slight edge in a contest that saw more than 150,000 votes cast. In the region’s other battle, the unstoppable Tokio Hotel rolled on, besting a surprisingly game #2 Muse — TH’s 3,000-vote victory is by far their lowest margin to date. And so, we head to the South final, with a matchup that’s sure to deliver on every level: #5 Paramore vs. #14 Tokio Hotel East Sum 41 continue their VCU-like run through the tournament, as they pasted the fourth-seeded Strokes in the Sweet 16. But, like their NCAA counterparts, can Deryck Whibley and Co. advance to the Final Four? Standing in their way are last year’s MMM runners-up, #3 My Chemical Romance, who handled #2 Radiohead with ease. At this point, they could be the sneaky favorites to win the whole thing. But first, they’ve got to get past MMM’s Cinderellas, in what is perhaps the most unlikely East final of all time: #16 Sum 14 vs. #3 My Chemical Romance MTV’s Musical March Madness has reached the Elite 8! Voting is now open and will continue until Thursday at midnight, when we’ll roll on to the Final Four. All winners are determined by your votes, so, if your favorite act is still standing, it’s up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, things only get tougher from here on out! Related Videos MTV Kicks Off The 2011 Musical March Madness Related Photos MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness’ Band Bracketology Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness Related Artists Paramore Panic! at the Disco
Two bands go head-to-head in Sweet 16 matchup; voting is live on the Newsroom blog. By James Montgomery Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker of Blink-182 Photo: Nigel Crane/ Redferns As MTV’s Musical March Madness reaches the Sweet 16 , there are no more easy matchups remaining — though, of any band still standing, perhaps none faces a tougher road to the Elite Eight than Blink-182 , who find themselves up against a resilient Green Day in the West region. Vote in the Blink/ Green Day tilt — and all other Sweet 16 matchups — right now over on the Newsroom blog!
Linkin Park, Panic! at the Disco also advance, along with underdogs Disturbed and Sum 41 … Sweet 16 voting now open on the Newsroom blog. By James Montgomery My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way Photo: David Wolff – Patrick/ WireImage Two weeks ago, when we tipped off the 2011 Musical March Madness tournament, sixty-four bands entered the fray with championship dreams on their minds. For 32 of those bands, that dream died after one round. And for half of the remaining 32, the dream is over today. Because we’ve reached the Sweet 16, the midway point on the quest for the 2011 MMM title. And while the bands still left standing would no doubt like a moment to recover from their epic battles, as any tournament vet will tell you, there’s no rest for the weary. From here on out, the challenges only get tougher, and the cost of defeat is high: To come so close and leave empty-handed would be a heartbreaker, indeed.
Utah pop-rockers enter tournament as a #5 seed, but find themselves in an early hole against #12 Stump. By James Montgomery Neon Trees’ Tyler Glenn Photo: Samuel Dietz/ Redferns On Monday, when we unveiled our 2011 Musical March Madness bracket , there were more than a few shock seedings … though perhaps none were as eye-opening as the #5 seed given to Neon Trees , the Provo, Utah, quartet who went from unknowns to rock-radio staples thanks to a relentless touring schedule and the success of their song “Animal.” The selection committee was obviously impressed with their overall body of work (tough, out-of-conference schedule, high RPI, etc.), but with first-round voting set to close on Sunday, the Trees find themselves locked in a tight battle with 12th-seeded Patrick Stump , perhaps proving that they’re not yet ready for the MMM stage.
First-round voting set to close Sunday at midnight. By James Montgomery Foo Fighters Photo: MTV News The Foo Fighters entered the 2011 Musical March Madness tournament as the top seed in the meaty Midwest region, and, so far, they’ve lived up to that high billing, totally dominating their over-matched first-round opponents, 16th-seeded the Damned Things . Vote for your favorite bands now over on the Newsroom blog. With voting on opening-round matchups set to close Sunday at midnight, the Foos hold a commanding 73-27 lead over the Damned Things (who were rallying the troops early) , all but ensuring them a spot in the second round of our tournament. And though they’re poised to move one step closer to hoisting the championship trophy , the Foos remain remarkably nonplussed about not only their title hopes, but the entire MMM bracket, for that matter. “That sounds like exercise or something,” Foos frontman Dave Grohl replied when asked about Musical March Madness. “And ‘bracket’ sounds like ‘brisket’ to me. Sort of makes me want to eat something.” It bears mention that Grohl said this one day after the Foo Fighters kicked off the South by Southwest Music Festival with a raucous surprise set at the Austin, Texas, BBQ shack/venue Stubb’s , which probably explains why he had brisket on the brain. But still, with a field of competitors that still includes heavyweights like 30 Seconds to Mars , Linkin Park and Panic! at the Disco , you’d think the Foos would a least be looking ahead to the tournament’s later rounds. But, again, you’d be wrong. Instead of looking forward, the Foo Fighters are looking backward. Seems, if anything, their Musical March Madness success has stirred up some painful childhood memories — certainly a first in the illustrious two-year history of the tourney. “[It] makes me think of walking down the hallway in high school and being called ‘f–‘ by all the jocks,” guitarist Chris Shiflett said, laughing. “You now what though?” drummer Taylor Hawkins added. “If you saw a picture of Chris in high school, you’d understand.” Will the Foos survive to stir up more bad thoughts for Shiflett? Or will they be felled by one of their fellow titans? Well, that’s really up to you, isn’t it? Voting is now open in all first-round matchups over on the Newsroom blog and closes Sunday night. May the best band win, even if it pains them to do so. MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament is back! Voting on all first-round matchups continues until Sunday, at which point we’ll move on to the second round of the action. All winners are determined by your votes, so if your favorite act made the cut, it’ll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, it’s gonna be a war. Related Photos Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness
First-round voting set to close Sunday at midnight. By James Montgomery Foo Fighters Photo: MTV News The Foo Fighters entered the 2011 Musical March Madness tournament as the top seed in the meaty Midwest region, and, so far, they’ve lived up to that high billing, totally dominating their over-matched first-round opponents, 16th-seeded the Damned Things . Vote for your favorite bands now over on the Newsroom blog. With voting on opening-round matchups set to close Sunday at midnight, the Foos hold a commanding 73-27 lead over the Damned Things (who were rallying the troops early) , all but ensuring them a spot in the second round of our tournament. And though they’re poised to move one step closer to hoisting the championship trophy , the Foos remain remarkably nonplussed about not only their title hopes, but the entire MMM bracket, for that matter. “That sounds like exercise or something,” Foos frontman Dave Grohl replied when asked about Musical March Madness. “And ‘bracket’ sounds like ‘brisket’ to me. Sort of makes me want to eat something.” It bears mention that Grohl said this one day after the Foo Fighters kicked off the South by Southwest Music Festival with a raucous surprise set at the Austin, Texas, BBQ shack/venue Stubb’s , which probably explains why he had brisket on the brain. But still, with a field of competitors that still includes heavyweights like 30 Seconds to Mars , Linkin Park and Panic! at the Disco , you’d think the Foos would a least be looking ahead to the tournament’s later rounds. But, again, you’d be wrong. Instead of looking forward, the Foo Fighters are looking backward. Seems, if anything, their Musical March Madness success has stirred up some painful childhood memories — certainly a first in the illustrious two-year history of the tourney. “[It] makes me think of walking down the hallway in high school and being called ‘f–‘ by all the jocks,” guitarist Chris Shiflett said, laughing. “You now what though?” drummer Taylor Hawkins added. “If you saw a picture of Chris in high school, you’d understand.” Will the Foos survive to stir up more bad thoughts for Shiflett? Or will they be felled by one of their fellow titans? Well, that’s really up to you, isn’t it? Voting is now open in all first-round matchups over on the Newsroom blog and closes Sunday night. May the best band win, even if it pains them to do so. MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament is back! Voting on all first-round matchups continues until Sunday, at which point we’ll move on to the second round of the action. All winners are determined by your votes, so if your favorite act made the cut, it’ll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, it’s gonna be a war. Related Photos Bands Hit The Court For MTV’s 2011 Musical March Madness
‘Linkin Park, watch out, ’cause we’re Sleigh Bells and we’re badass,’ frontwoman Alexis Krauss promises first-round foe. By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Rya Backer Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss Photo: Michael Burnell/Redferns On Monday, we revealed the bracket for the 2011 Musical March Madness tournament, an NCAA-style battle that pits the 64 bands that matter most in rock against one another, with ultimate glory — and a really nice trophy — up for grabs. Vote for your favorite bands now over on the Newsroom blog.