Music returns to center stage with this year’s Battle of the Bands, a night of music, lights, talent and energy all in one place.
If the current lineup stands, there will be punk, jazz, alternative, folk and more. Adding a bit of mystery this year, one band is even trying to stay anonymous until their unmasking once they take the stage.
Hosted by Sounds of Colorado College, known as SOCC, the event goes down in Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center on March 28, bringing together about 10 student group musicians for one of the campus’s most anticipated performances of the year.
After sign-ups at Worner Campus Center on Jan. 21, SOCC gave bands the chance to step up, having an opportunity to share their voices. Behind the scenes, the selection process was deliberate.
“We chose the lineup with genre diversity in mind,” said events manager Corben Cameron ’28.
Drawing on the committee’s knowledge about which artists have previously performed on campus and which have not, SOCC aimed to curate a well-rounded and dynamic night of entertainment for the student body.
“We’re using a genre-based lottery system,” Cameron said.
This year’s lineup features many new faces. Although some bands have broken up or were uncertain about participating in the competition, a wave of change is evident. A few performers are returning, but “only about four bands played last year,” Cameron said, noting that this year’s lineup should feel fresh and exciting.
Despite uncertainty surrounding some bands, as of Feb. 9, SOCC reported no changes to the list of performers.
Drift Rd, formerly known as Shop Dog, is registered to compete, but may not perform, according to bassist Maddox Rochman-Romdalvik ‘27. “One of the guitarists, Finn Donahue ‘27, may be studying abroad,” he said. The band is well established in the CC music scene, having won the event in the previous two years.
“They’re kind of like a favorite,” Cameron said.
Jabberwocky, also a crowd favorite, scored a huge win at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Battle of the Bands, marking what the band called a “big takeover” of all the Springs universities. This year was the first that CC bands could perform at the crosstown college’s Battle of the Bands.
This does not apply to UCCS or other non-CC participants, as bands must be composed of a majority of CC students to sign up, according to Cameron.
The group has performed in the past three CC Battles of the Bands and plans to take the stage again this spring.
While these familiar names are back, much of the excitement lies in the unknown as new bands bring fresh sounds and unexpected performances.
T.R.A.N.N.I., one of the newest punk bands on the CC music scene, features Flora Schmitz ‘28, Aiden Blaha ’28 and Connor Skinner ‘28. The band blends punk with an abrasive edge of advocacy.
“We really are not huge fans of the state of America and the state of the world right now,” guitarist and vocalist Schmitz said. “Our music is angry because we’re angry.”
T.R.A.N.N.I. draws inspiration from lived experiences as transgender people, confronting issues ranging from the treatment of trans youth to current ICE operations in the United States. The band will be playing entirely original pieces to reflect their own experiences and convictions, Schmitz said.
Another act, The Wild Goose Jazz Collective, plans to bring a little New Orleans and the French Quarter to CC.
Ben Bartlett ‘28, Joshua Briley ‘28, Rory Brumback ‘28, along with community member Aiden Ellis are the only jazz band in this year’s batch of contestants. Bassist Bartlett said their music offers something different and expressed his hope to expose people to jazz in a way that sparks their interests.
“Our music is definitely outside of super danceable, super exciting music,” Bartlett said. “This year we really have figured out our sound and have a lot of exciting things we’re going to do when we’re up there.”
Wild Goose Jazz Collective chose their name to honor the Wild Goose Meeting House, a once local hub for music that closed in 2024.
“It was one of the centers for jazz in Colorado,” Bartlett said. “They had their last show when we were starting, so we decided to name ourselves in its honor and preserve that part of the Springs jazz scene.”
The three-person group Domandi Domandi was formed at the last minute.
In a written statement, guitarist and vocalist Ian Nyberg ‘27 said the band came together spontaneously.
“We got together on the last day of Battle of the Bands registration and applied,” he said.
Nyberg heard the term Domandi Domandi, meaning “ask tomorrow” in Italian, during class. “There isn’t a special story,” he said. “We just needed a name and it sounded cool.”
The group describes itself as a progressive psychedelic rock band inspired by the expressive and novel sounds of ‘60s and ‘70s blues rock updated with modern equipment and techniques.
Two members previously performed in last year’s competition as part of the band Sinner’s Club, and Nyberg said the energy of that experience pushed them to return. “We loved playing live and connecting with other musicians on campus. Simple as that,” he said.
First-years are already making their mark on campus this year, including the band, Defacto, featuring drummer Holden Dalhaus ‘28. After performing at Lulu’s Downtown, the group has begun building a strong presence at campus events and night functions.
The band plays a “mean Oasis tune,” has “some good folk,” and isn’t afraid of “breaking it down heavy,” said Ben Ekhaus ‘29, who plays bass.
Defacto is in “rigorous practice,” according to Dalhaus, spending consistent time refining their sound. With optimism, there are hopes for bright outcomes.
“Winning as a freshman would be a big accomplishment,” said lead guitarist Gavin Ketley ‘29.
Beyond competition, the band emphasizes having a great time, because “that’s what matters at the end of the day,” Dalhaus said. For Defacto, it ultimately comes down to having fun and doing what they love.
Another new act in particular has sparked curiosity.
“We also have someone who signed up with their band name as Colorado College Men’s Lacrosse,” Cameron said.
According to Cameron, none of the members actually play lacrosse. “I’m really intrigued to see where that one goes,” he said, adding that despite the mystery, he finds them “pretty good musicians.”
Men’s Lacrosse declined to comment in order to maintain their anonymity until the event.
Rocky Mountain Guys, known as the mountain guys of the CC music scene, formed out of “necessity to commemorate the strengths of the block plan,” said lead drummer Aden Katz ‘26.
The band draws from the “legendary medium of ‘80s alternative Brooklyn rap-punk,” promising a sound that’s both unique and energetic. Their performance in Cornerstone will be a “high-intensity interval performance,” Katz said, adding that the group feels “super confident” in its rehearsals and ready to bring that energy to the stage.
With genre diversity, new talent and returning favorites, this year’s Battle of the Bands promises a dynamic night that reflects the evolving sound of Colorado College.
“I think live music on the CC campus is really important,” Schmitz said. “It’s a good community. We’ve met a ton of really fantastic musicians who we think are super cool and just fun people to share a stage with at CC.”
Bartlett of the Wild Goose Jazz Collective sees the value of the event in how it brings people together, both musicians and listeners.
“The community building is really awesome,” he said. “There’s a heightened kind of connectivity. I get to talk to people afterwards. I get to watch people dance. It’s just a really great way to bring people together, especially people who I don’t think would be together otherwise.” T.R.A.N.N.I hopes to make an impression, even if that doesn’t mean first place. “I think I’m pretty confident,” said Schmitz. “Hopefully we do well — if we don’t, we get to play. And that’s always exciting.”
Once the night of jam sessions comes to a close, a ranking vote from the audience will determine the winner.
Still, there’s added pressure for the competing bands, as the winner earns a spot to perform at Llamapalooza later this spring.
“Battle of the Bands specifically is a really cool event,” Schmitz said. “I think that the opportunity that it provides for student bands to be able to play at Llama is really cool, because that is a big crowd. Especially for some of the smaller student bands like us.”
With the decision ultimately left to the audience, Cameron said voting is set to take place this year through a Google Form.
As for the whole experience, “It’s going to be super lit,” Cameron said. “Because it is.”