Student bands battle, shred up stage in Magnolia Ballroom

The walls of the Magnolia Ballroom shook March 31, as several student bands took the stage to compete and showcase their talent in the fourth annual Battle of the Bands. Hosted by the Resident Student Association and the musical fraternity Phi Mu Alpha sinfonia, this year’s battle was another hit.

This year, five unique bands took the stage in the competition, striving to win two awards. Like the previous years’ events, the main prize was for the judges’ pick of the best band. This prize earned the winning band a $400 award and opportunities to play at several other events on campus, including an upcoming Ultimate Fighting Champion match to be held at the Centennial Center.

The audience picked the secondary award by putting their ticket stubs in a container for the band that they thought did the best. This award was a $300 prize.

This year’s event did not nearly pull in the audience of last year’s battle, which packed the Magnolia Ballroom so full that the staff had to turn listeners away at the door.

Event coordinator Jamie Knox did not let the smaller audience get her down.

“While the numbers may have been slightly lower we had a great, energetic crowd that remained excited throughout the entire show,” said Knox.

First, a band named Sun Set East took the stage. Its set list contained all original songs that closely matched a modern punk style. Their songs were the perfect start to pump up the crowd and pull them into the rest of the show.

Groove Moose performed next with an eclectic fusion of several musical styles. The trio effectively demonstrated their mastery of each of their instruments, which ultimately ended up winning them the judges’ prize.

The middle band to play was Rico Bay, an acoustic group that played exclusively cover songs including the edited version of Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You” and “Keep Your Head Up” by Andy Grammer. The band’s smooth and relaxed style was a welcome relief in between the energetic rhythms of the other bands.

Matt Williams, the pianist for Rico Bay and rhythm guitarist for Seconds From Falling, is a Battle of the Bands veteran. This year marked his third consecutive year of performing at Magnolia, and he has played in three distinct groups, including a hip-hop duo last year.

“As a third year participant in the Battle of the Bands, I’d have to say that this year would probably be the best of them all,” said junior accounting major Matt Williams. “Being able to play two instruments in two different bands in from of such a large crows is simply incredible.”

Following Rico Bay, Mars Motel played their fast-paced set. Their set notably included Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name Of” and displayed several impressive guitar solos. Mars Motel was even allowed to play one extra song due to the thunderous applause and cries for an encore at the end of their set.

Battle of the Bands regulars Seconds From Falling played last, mixing up some new covers with their old favorites. This was the band’s third year performing at the Battle of the Bands, and their hard work paid off when they won the $300 audience prize for the second time.

After Seconds From Falling’s finale, the judges went into deliberation and the audiences’ vote was counted while last year’s winners played a long set and the rap group NGP repeatedly proved to the dwindling audience that they could spell “Georgia College.”

Knox presented the awards to each winning band at the end of the evening. She hopes that the success of the Battle of the Bands will be continued in upcoming years, even though this was her last year at the helm of planning it. She would like anyone who is interested in being part of the planning and execution of future battles to contact her for details.

“I think the event was a great success,” Knox said. “Many of the people who helped with the event have helped in past years and that allowed the event to move forward without any hang-ups.”