In the music industry, many small-time acts are always looking for their next big breaks. Most of these opportunities come about simply by good fortune, but on Tuesday, six Iowa bands will battle for a chance to play at the Wakarusa Music Festival at Mulberry Mountain, Ark. Talent, rather than luck, will dictate their success.

The Picador, 330 E. Washington St., will host the Waka Winter Classic battle of the bands on Tuesday, and acts from Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines will dominate the event’s lineup. The Uniphonics, Cirrus Minor, Public Property, Dr. Z’s Experiment, Ephraim Zenh, and Insectoid will musically fight in hopes of landing a spot on the Wakarusa stage.

The winning band will be decided by both audience feedback and direct voting. Crowd members will be able to use their tickets to cast votes for their favorite bands.

“Interest in [Waka] is always high for local bands,” said Chris Wiersema, the Picador manager. “It’s usually pretty crowded, because the bands really push for their fans to come.”

Musicians submit their tracks to a Wakarusa committee, which decides on the bands appropriate for the competition.

Iowa City is one of 15 cities across the Midwest participating in the search. The winning bands of each town will not only be awarded with slots at Wakarusa on June 4-7, they will also have their music featured in an online competition on Wakarusa.com. The top-two vote getters of the online showcase will play at one of Wakarusa’s main stages, while the rest of the acts will play on one of the event’s smaller performance areas.

“It’s always great to be able to play at the large festivals,” said Public Property guitarist Dave Bess. “Winning simply allows our music to be heard by new people from different places.”

Because six different bands are playing, set times are between 30 and 45 minutes, with around 15 minutes in between each act.

“Regardless of who wins, it is a great show to see some top local bands,” Picador manager Kevin Coppes said. “The only thing we ask is for the bands not to jazz out the place and play too long.”

Buckethead, Les Claypool, and the Black Crowes are all scheduled to headline this year’s event. At least one potential Wakarusa performer is excited about the opportunity to be on that bill.