Battle of the Bands

After five hours of diverse and energetic music, the judges at Saturday's Battle of the Bands in Hotung Caf?© were faced with the difficult task of choosing one of the six bands to be the winner, and go on to receive the prestigious Spring Fling opening gig. After a period of deliberation, it was announced that this year's winner was Drowned.

The band, composed of seniors Sivan Illamathi (guitar), Joedat Tuffaha (keyboard), Daisuke Fujiwara (bass), and recent graduates Mike Blumberg (drums) and Mike Neary (vocals), is characterized by soulful melodies, excellent vocals, and a thumping bass that comes together to form a powerful alternative rock sound. The band's tight set, which included their single off the Jumbo Audio Project CD, "All My Time," got the crowd up on their feet and impressed the judges.

It was clear that that band came into the battle focused. "We talked about what songs we thought the crowd would enjoy and just stuck to practicing all week," guitarist Sivan explained. That work paid off as now the band will get to meet Busta Rhymes and Reel Big Fish at the end of April. Less then 24 hours after the battle was over, the band was already planning for Spring Fling. According to Sivan they have "a few ideas up their sleeves, but it will be a surprise for the show."

Drowned was the last band to take the Hotung stage and it may seem like the winning band got this finale time slot for a reason, however, the order of the bands was completely random. The judges also used a specific scoring rubric to make the final decision fair. Yet, it was still a tough decision as the day included many memorable performances.

The day was started with the laid back jams of Raw Dog. The talented quintet played a set laden with improvised licks and brought in a sizable crowd for early Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, by going first, the band experienced the brunt of the technical kinks, which were worked out for the later bands. However, the band's set showed off the group's cohesiveness and catchy song-writing ability.

C.R.U.M.B.S took the stage next and got the crowd dancing and bobbing their heads with their energized beats and lyrical proficiency -- the duo was at their best exchanging one line rhymes back and forth. The highlight of their set was the rousing version of their Jumbo Audio Project track, "Ironmic."

Bands YGS and Bunk 9 also took the stage to battle. YGS sounded cohesive and balanced, but lacked the energy to get the crowd on their feat, despite their strong songwriting ability.

Bunk 9 had the most original sound, featuring a wide range of sounds, and a set up that included several synthesizers and electronic effects. Their set ranged from alternative punk to ambient to blues and brought similar sounding bands from Reggie and the Full Effect to the Flaming Lips to mind. While at times the group seemed a little bogged down under their equipment -- during one song the guitarist/keyboardist played two different synthesizers, harmonica and guitar -- they also had moments of synergy, when everything blended and the electronics served their purpose well.

While some of the bands may have been frustrated at missing the opportunity to play Spring Fling, every band that took the stage was impressive and reinforced the message, evident in the Jumbo Audio Project CD, that there is a wealth of on campus musical talent.