Students itching to throw on their rock-chick duds and belt out Spice Girls lyrics or strut around on stage with a guitar dressed as Bon Jovi will soon have their chance.

“So You Think You’re a Band” is a competition in which performers lip-sync and play in air bands – that is, with air guitars, keyboards, drums – any instrument that can be faked. It will be held at 8 p.m. Friday.

“Dress up, dance, make a fool of yourself,” said junior Darren Strong, who helped organize the event. “It’s the perfect alternative to karaoke for those who can’t sing.”

Anyone can enter the competition, said Kelsey Seline, sophomore and Activities and Programs chairwoman of the Residence Hall Association. She added the order of the show will be on a first come, first serve basis.

“What we’re pushing is that if you have a specific song in mind that’s appropriate, burn it on a CD yourself, or maybe the DJ will have it,” Seline said. “It’s better to have the version they’ve practiced to and know.”

Seline said music with racial or gender slurs or vulgarity will not be permitted.

Cash prizes will be awarded, including a first prize of $150. Second place gets $125 and third place, $100, Seline said, adding that the prize money is provided by RHA.

Seline said smaller, miscellaneous prizes, including $5 Shopko gift cards, will also be given out as door prizes.

Emily Strandwitz, senior and RHA president, said CUBEFest donated leftover coupons to raffle off.

Judging the event, Strandwitz said, will be members of the RHA executive board and Mary Duckworth, director of Katharine Thomas Hall.

“For an act to impress me, they just need to have some evidence that they put thought and creativity into their performance,” Duckworth said. “The crowd entertainment value is pretty high to me.”

“So You Think You’re a Band” marks the second faux-musical competition to be held at UW-Eau Claire.

Lip Jam, held for several semesters in the past, was a lip-syncing competition. Due to low turnout in 2006, the event has been reworked, Strandwitz said, and will now include such components as the air band.

The Activities and Programs Committee of RHA has been “working as a big team” to plan the event, Seline said.

RHA is a student organization representing students living in the residence halls on campus.

“RHA does a lot for housing,” Strandwitz said. “We put on fun activities that give students opportunities other than going off campus and drinking.”

Seline said that from what she’s heard, people are very excited about the event.

“I think it’s going to be really fun,” Seline said. “We just want to get a group together to have fun before finals. It’s kind of a de-stressor.”

Strandwitz agreed.

“You could potentially win $150 for pretending to play an instrument for 3 minutes.”