Hey collegiettes™, do you love music? This girl loves to rock out to some good tunes, and the second annual Battle of the Bands on March 10 in Hewitt Union Ballroom did not disappoint. Six artists performed that night, and the prize for the band with the most votes won the opportunity to play in the Campus Center while people are waiting to see J.Cole and Sam Adams at the spring concert.
If you’re thinking Battle of the Bands is only rock music, think again. The first act was “Chris Mac” from Syracuse. As the only rap group of the night, they expressed their inspiration through J.Cole, one of their biggest idols. The duo delivered a solid performance and were even able to bring a hometown crew to enjoy the show.
A complete contrast from the first act, “Summer Moon” took the stage next. A rock and metal band, Chris Ballard is one of the guitarists and a student at Oswego State majoring in journalism. However, the rest of the band hails from Ballard’s hometown of Binghamton, and this was their initiation into Oswego music. Although some of their songs didn’t have lyrics, “Summer Moon” gave an entertaining performance and sold the crowd simply because they looked like they were having the time of their lives.
Many bands also made the trek to Oswego, including “For the Win”, who plays in Utica. A punk rock band, they sold bright blue shirts throughout the event and reminded audience members of Fall Out Boy. “For the Win” drew people to the dance floor throughout their performance while others inched closer to the stage to seep in as much of the music as possible.
“Mick Van Rick,” a grungy jam band straight from Oswego, played an impressive set. And if the redhead drummer looks familiar, he’s Hank Van Boxmeer, defensive lineman on the Oswego men’s hockey team. This band was loud and crazy with its jamming beats and had people grooving to their tunes throughout the performance.
“Thrifter” travelled from Central Square and changed things up a bit with their indy rock genre of music. The songs were a bit unconventional, but provided great dance opportunities and many heads were bobbing along throughout the set. If you’re into Modest Mouse, “Thrifter” may have been your favorite performance of the night.
And last but not least, “Burning Bridge Street” finished out the night with their set, a great jam. By this time of the night, everyone had danced a lot and was really happy to go out with a great final act. Voting took place during the “Burning Bridge Street” performance, and everyone a waited to see who the winner was after they cleared the stage.
At the end of the night, the band that won Battle of the Bands and will play for the crowd before the spring concert was “Mick Van Rick.” All three guys were incredibly excited and should put on a wonderful show. If you’re going to the spring concert, or just hanging around the Campus Center before the concert, be sure to check them out!
Photos by Vala Kjarval