FEB 20, 2025 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | By Ellie LaCasse
Sounds of Colorado College (SoCC) is responsible for putting together the much-anticipated Battle of the Bands (BOTB) which is scheduled for the end of March during Block 7.
Colorado College’s BOTB showcases 10 student bands competing for two desired winning spots. The winning bands will receive a $400 cash prize and the opportunity to perform at CC’s Llamapalooza Music Festival on May 10.
Last year, the first round of the event was held in Edith Gaylord Cornerstone Art Center, which was a big hit but still had some issues. The smaller venue size kept community members from the event and the limited selection of bands may have excluded some high-quality acts.
This year, the SoCC is exploring innovative solutions to address issues and ensure the event continues to be a CC tradition.
A key change this year is that both rounds will occur in a single night. In previous years, the organizers held the first round in a smaller venue, like the Bemis Great Hall or the Worner basement, and the second round was in Ed Robson Arena, a significantly larger space.
“I liked Cornerstone better because the Worner basement was suffocating, and Cornerstone was decorated nicely,” said Royce Hinojosa ‘26.
Space constraints have been a recurring challenge for SoCC.
“We’re trying to combat the capacity problem the best we can because Cornerstone is a little too small and Ed Robson is too big,” said Katie Lockwood ‘27, SoCC events manager.
SoCC hopes for a natural flow of attendees throughout the night to help manage capacity since the event will take place over a single evening at Cornerstone. The goal is to strike a balance — ensuring the space feels lively and energetic while remaining accessible to as many people as possible. With a rotating audience, some may come for specific acts and leave, allowing others to enter. In contrast, others may stay for most of the event, contributing to a dynamic and engaging atmosphere.
This is how the monster round will work:
Each band will perform a six-minute set. Once all the bands have played, there will be a 10-minute intermission for voting. After the break, the bands will take the stage again for their second six minute set. Following the final performances, another round of voting will take place. At the end of the night, two winners will be chosen to perform at Llamapalooza.
Caroline Schlehuber ‘26, Haven and Hollow band member, has played at BOTB for the past two years. Haven and Hollow will not be playing at this year’s event because of the demanding rehearsal schedule necessary to create a set. Schlehuber and her band say they are excited to play in 2026, however.
“I think people don’t understand [the] amount of work [that] goes into a six-minute live performance,” Schlenhuber said. “Especially the work of everyone behind the scenes.”
Schlehuber also described the challenges of preparing to perform in a larger venue like Cornerstone, including navigating its unique acoustics. She emphasized the careful thought that went into selecting songs that would showcase the band’s strengths and also complement the space, ensuring the best possible sound for both performers and the audience.
“We actually really thought a lot about our song selection when thinking about playing in that Cornerstone space,” she said. “If you’re doing anything with amps or drums especially, or electric anything, that level of acoustics can make the sound go pretty muddy, pretty fast.”
In the past, the first 10 bands to sign up secured a spot in BOTB. However, this year, the selection process included recorded auditions.
Jabberwocky, a band that performed last year and is planning on playing this year at BOTB, consists of Jim Sellars ‘26, Bradley Humble ‘26, Cooper Quatrochi ‘26, Burke Macleay ‘26 and Alex Polovin ‘27. The band formed a few months before last year’s BOTBs and was able to participate with a full set.
Humble has an opinion about recorded auditions.
“I just think that in some ways, it makes it harder for bands who don’t already have as much resources . . . to participate in Battle of the Bands . . .because if you don’t have access to recording equipment or instruments [you are unable to submit a demo tape],” Humble said.
Sellars also expressed his concerns about auditions.
“The music library here has a bunch of recording equipment, and we have a whole recording studio,” Schlenhuber said. “But the thing is that it’s not really publicly [known].”
Sellars offered a solution, namely that SoCC could help orchestrate the use of recording equipment. SoCC could offer dedicated sessions in the recording studio to teach students how to use the equipment, providing them with valuable skills for future projects.
Schlehuber also talked about the new choice of auditions, improving the quality of the acts and their performances.
“If you’re submitting a video, you have to know what you’re doing, and you have to know what you’re playing, and you have to be on top of your band and your instruments and all that,” Schlehuber said. “So I’m interested to see if that brings a different level of professionalism to who we see on stage.”
Lockwood, the events manager, notes how SoCC is aiming for a diverse and dynamic lineup this year, seeking a broad range of musical styles through the audition process.
“The feedback that we’ve received in the past is that we want a more diverse sound and we totally, totally agree,” Lockwood said.
Sellars’s biggest concern with last year’s BOTB was the voting system. More people voted than students who attended, which meant bands sent the link out to their friends to vote.
“I think, you know, the good thing about the second round is that it kind of allows people to really figure out who they want to vote for,” Sellars said.
Overall, members of Jabberwocky are excited to perform at BOTB and to see how new changes come together.
“We’re happy to give our music,” Schlenhuber said. “Just happy to get our sound out there.”
Members of the CC community are growing increasingly excited as the anticipation builds for students to take the stage and show off their talent, with many eager to support their peers and experience the vibrant energy of the performances.
Schlehuber is thrilled to see bands like Sallie and the Swamp Goblins, Shop Dog and the potential for an electronic set at the BOTB.
“I’m excited to see new bands too, actually, more than anything,” Schlenhuber said. “I feel like every year I’ve been here, there’s been a really great new group of freshmen that have put together something fun, and hopefully, this class of freshmen lives up to that.”