February 29, 2024 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | By Greta Patterson
Battle of the Bands, a campus-wide tradition, is back and more exciting than ever. The first round of the campus-wide event was held in Cornerstone on Feb. 23. As hundreds of students filed into the space, it was clear that anticipation was high for the evening. Whether you went to hear incredible live music, support a friend or help decide who will perform at Llamapalooza, Battle of the Bands, or BOTB for short, had something for everyone.
This year’s performance held some exciting changes for BOTB and Sounds of CC, commonly known as SoCC, the radio station that coordinates the event. Emma Logan, the head event manager who has run the event for the past three years, said this year was especially exciting. “We’ve learned more and more as we’ve done it, and this feels like my senior year swan song,” Logan said.
Much effort went into coordinating and planning the event with other offices on campus, according to Logan. As with anything on campus, funding can be a struggle, but Logan expressed excitement regarding finances. “We’ve worked really hard with CCSGA and this is the first year we’ve had our funding grandfathered in,” said Logan, “we’re now guaranteed our baseline funding for years to come.”
Friday’s performance marked the first round of the competition. 10 student bands competed, and each were allotted six minutes for their performances. In the competition, the audience acts as the voting body. Each student was able to vote for two bands they felt deserved a spot in the final four. After encountering capacity issues in last year’s event, BOTB was moved to Cornerstone to accommodate more people. Even with the location change, many students stood in line outside only to be denied at the door due to the quick reaching of the 500-person limit.
This year’s performance had a special dedication for Jack Madison, a beloved SoCC member who tragically passed in Jan. 2023. Madison both wrote for and managed the SoCC blog, and he loved music in a deeply profound way that was contagious to those around him. Between each performance, some of Madison’s favorite songs were played in dedication to the impact he left on the community.
The evening began with Right Swipe, a band whose name came rather literally as they networked through Tinder to connect with each other. The newer band performed an edgy cover of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good,” which housed powerful vocals.
JABBerwocky came next with “When The Curtain Falls” by Greta Van Fleet, a rocking cover featuring remarkable guitar riffs.
The Salem Witches came next, and the crowd became electric as they performed. Crowd surfing ensued throughout their metal, alternative performance, laden with heavy guitar and drums.
Haven and Hollow provided a different vibe than the previous three bands, as the acoustic group performed a Fleet Foxes cover with a remarkable violin solo.
Little Green Guys concluded the first half of performances with a mashup of “I Will Survive” from Gloria Gaynor and “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra. By the end of their performance, everyone in the audience was dancing their hearts out.
Shop Dogs began the second half of performances. Their song featured mature vocals and an electric ending featuring a saxophone solo.
Wild Blue brought another legendary mash up of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and Declan Mckenna’s “Brazil.” The band of three was able to elicit lots of dancing from the crowd.
The eighth band, Strip, had a gritty, powerful performance that harmonioius male vocals with remarkable guitar riffs.
Plastic Frog Offensive provided a mash up of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath and “Billy Jean” by Michael Jackson, giving the energy for a good ole-fashioned mosh.
Last but far from least, the pop punk group Burgertown ended the night with a remarkable performance of “99 Red Balloons” by NENA and “Dance, Dance” by Fall Out Boy which did in fact have the crowd dance-dancing to their fast-paced tunes. “I thought people would like the burger theme and the subtle nuances that we bring to the table,” said lead singer Sam Goodner. He hoped that in their performance people would see “what’s behind the burger.”
At the end of the crowd voting, it was announced that Little Green Guy, Shop Dog, Strip and Burgertown would continue to round-two of Battle of the Bands happening March 30 in Ed Robson Arena. Rock on!