Take a number and rock!

Members of the Close, Luigi, Silent Kids, the Forty-Fives, the Young Antiques, Magnapop, the Roy Owens Jr., I Almost Saw God in the Metro, Rizzudo, Day Mars Ray, Tag Team and more have been pre-selected by Brian Fletcher (Luigi) and Jeff Holt (Silent Kids) for a musical experiment.

Fletcher explains that the participants’ names will be organized into five categories: front people, guitarists, bassists, drummers and “grab bag.” “At 10 a.m., the front people will draw names,” he explains. “When they’re finished, there will be six different five-person bands.” Each new band will then dash off to a practice space for the rest of the day to compose a 20 minute set to be performed the same night at the Earl. “They can play no more than one cover song,” he says. “Everything else has to be created that day.”

The idea seems like a “Survivor”-type reality TV show, but Fletcher is philosophic: “We’re all going to have to rely solely on our creativity and musical ability. No one will have time to really think any of this through. Whatever we come up with will be fresh, probably a little bit sloppy, but I think it will really reflect who we are as musicians.”

“I encourage a lot of drinking for both the Rock Lottery participants and the audience,” Fletcher says. “It’ll help lower everyone’s expectations. Let’s face it, this could get ugly.”

Rock Lotto will be held at the Earl on Sat., Dec. 18, 9:30 p.m. $5.