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Unsigned bands go to battle in Atwood
The Atwood Ballroom rocked Tuesday night as UPB presented its annual Battle of the Unsigned Bands.
The event, co-sponsored by Pepsi, Angel Beach Records, 88.1 KVSC and 104.7 KCLD, featured five bands, Otto 81, Docket 18, 2nd Hand Halo, Aurora Court Project and Sunny Travels, vying for first place.
The performances were judged on originality, creativity, performance, stage presence and audience participation. Second place winners received two $25 gift certificates to Schmitt music and two certificates for Perkins breakfasts. First place winners received 10 free hours of studio time at Angel Beach Records, a slot on KVSC and UTVS' "Monday Night Live," a $10 certificate to Applebee's and the prestige of being the opening band at this year's Mississippi Music Fest.
For band members and audience members alike, the night proved to be an exciting time to get out and hear some good music.
"I thought it was fun," Jenny Ganser, a sophomore, said. "It is a really good idea, something different to do to take the stress off the school week."
Josh Geer, lead singer for 2nd Hand Halo, had to agree.
"We had a blast," he said. "We had to edit two of our songs for time, but I am just glad that we got to play."
2nd Hand Halo, who have been together for about three months, did not receive one of the top two honors, but that didn't matter for Geer.
"It's just a great accomplishment making it to this concert," Geer said. "Hopefully it will spark more interest (in 2nd Hand Halo, and in live music in general). There were a lot more people than we thought there'd be, but everything was good and the sound was awesome."
A reason the show was such a success may be that the bands all played their original songs.
"I thought it was so cool that all the bands played original songs," senior Sarah Schmitt said. "It was good, free entertainment."
And good, free entertainment it was, but for the bands, the element of competition also played into the night.
And the winners are ...
After the last band, Sunny Travels, finished its set, the judges tallied up scores to determine the winner. Band members lined the back of the Atwood Ballroom to hear the announcement of the winners: second place to Docket 18 and first place to Aurora Court Project.
Sean Marrer, a post-secondary student at SCSU and singer/guitar player for Aurora court Project, said that winning wasn't the most important thing about the night.
"We played to new people, which is always a success," Marrer said. "It is always good to play to new people."
Of course, hearing that his band had won had some reaction for Marrer.
"I had a little spark of joy," he said. "The other bands were really competitive."
For other members of Aurora Court Project, hearing they'd won was a little more than just a "spark of joy."
"I was surprised," drummer and St. Cloud Cathedral senior Nick Bellmont said. "I was really impressed with the other bands and I was overjoyed to hear we won."
Aurora Court Project, which already has one CD recorded, will probably use the free time at Angel Beach Records to record a second one, lead guitar player Mitchell Johnson said.
Before the band even took the stage, Johnson noticed the difference of the show as compared to other shows they've played in their year-and-a-half existence, namely at the Red Carpet, Java Joint and Java Z (which is now closed).
"This show has more pressure from the competition," Johnson, also a student at Cathedral, said. "It's very intense, but I just said to myself to go up there and do the best I can."
Bellmont said once on stage, the nervousness about the pressure and competition he felt went right away.
"I didn't have to worry about the judges. We just had to do our best," he said. "Everything just goes away and it feels like we are at practice. I relax and have fun."
Even though they took home the top prize, the guys from Aurora Court Project just enjoyed playing in front of the crowd and listening to the other bands.
"It was great to have people making noise and moving around," Bellmont said. "And, we were really impressed with the bands that played before us."
Marrer agrees: "It was interesting hearing them. We didn't know any of the other bands, but it was enjoyable listening to them."
And now that the show is over and they've won?
"It's just a relief to be done," Bellmont said.
Tracy Ust can be reached at: [email protected]
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