BATTLE OF THE BANDS: A surprising (and amusing)
line-up
by Lisa Ermak
Upon hearing about the 5th Annual Battle of
the Bands this weekend, I immediately had the stereotypical image
of punked-out rockers with Mohawks and chains. I was
going to see the show, and I had no idea what to expect. Since I’m
easily bored, I was worried when I heard there would be eleven bands
performing. But Battle of the Bands was much different from what I
expected and proved to be a lot of fun for a Friday night.
When I got to the International Center,
I found a seat on the far right of the stage in the front row so I could
get the full concert-going experience. After hearing the first three
bands, Gaia’s Ghost,
La Remodea and Matt Martinez, I was still a little anxious to hear
something different.
A Story Told was the fourth band to play, and
as soon as they started carrying bongos and a dulcimer onto stage,
I knew I’d like them
and their “not so average” style. Their stage presence was
refreshing the songs they sang reminded me of the soundtrack to the
O.C., lyrics filled with emotion and pain, similar to the sounds of
Imogen Heap. It also impressed me that on top of playing guitar, the
guy was also singing and playing the dulcimer.
Egon and Red Herring came next, following A
Story Told and changed the mood quite a bit. Red Herring came onto
stage ready to go, a few of them barefoot. The lead singer was very
poised and was interacting with the fans a lot, encouraging us to
clap along and try and sing along to their songs about Facebook and
another called BiPolar Is The New Sane. Since they didn’t really
take themselves very seriously, I think it allowed for the crowd to
enjoy their performance a lot more than some of the others.
My personal favorite was Egon. The band that wasn’t
afraid to drop the F bomb or get a little crazy and jump up on the speakers.
Their fast paced and energetic rock style was exhilarating and it was
the first band of the whole night that got me up out of my chair. Sounding
a little bit like Greenday, their lyrics were catchy and repetitious,
which I liked, because even after they were done playing I was still
humming the chorus in my head.
I thought it couldn’t get any better than what
Egon had to offer, and in my opinion, it really didn’t. Last Man
Standing hit the stage and their fan club of eight or nine gathered
right in front of them, moshing and screaming along with their undistinguishable
lyrics. It was evident; they weren’t really a crowd favorite and
none of the bands after them really had anything that set them apart.
I think it was safe to say that the middle chunk of the show was filled
with the best bands, and the votes from fans agreed:
Matt Martinez brought home 1st place and won
$1,500 from Marshall Music, followed by A Story Told with 2nd place
and $1,000 and Egon with $500.
Amidst the smells of sweat, cigarette smoke
and a hint of weed, I enjoyed getting a chance to venture out of my
niche and go see some bands that I normally wouldn’t go see. And believe it or not, I’m looking
forward to next year’s lineup.
