Blue Note Hosts Battle of the Bands
Emily Rackers, Reporter
May 21, 2012 • 294 views
Filed under Entertainment, News
Ben Morgan belts the words to "What I Like About You" to a live audience.
The annual Columbia Public Schools Battle of the Bands kicked off Thurs, May 17, at 7 p.m. at the Blue Note to celebrate the senior band members who recently graduated from their respective school.
The Battle opened with Volatile- a metal band with an amusing bio and strong vocals by junior Zane Elshoubasi and junior Aaron McMurry on guitar.
With the transition from multi-colored lights and roaming “x”s came the primarily Rock Bridge band Odd One Down. The group has a rock background with a metal edge and have been performing since June of 2010 (according to the group’s Facebook page).
Academy of Rock and Hickman teacher Phil Overeem took the stage after Odd One Down for a short intermission and to thank all the students groups for their dedication to the music. “Most of our bands are a mix of Rock Bridge and Hickman students,” Overeem said. “We’re really lucky to have that.”
The real crowd started funneling down to the dance floor around 8:45, when senior group Lot 56
Volatile starts off the show at Battle of the Bands with changing lights.
unleashed their “high energy rock” on the teenage crowd. Girlish squeals erupted as Lot 56 strummed the first notes to their cover of popular Romantics song, “What I Like About You.”
“I’m so glad they played this!” now Hickman alum Claudia Sipikati said in between dance moves. “I’ve only known like two of their songs so far but I like this.”
Leaving the crowd delightfully animated, Lot 56 cleared the stage to make room for the final band and ultimate winners of the Battle: Table for Five.
Being the only band with a female member at the Battle, Table for Five blew the crowd away with instruments not traditionally thought of in a rock setting- a saxophone and trumpet. The group has been performing live around Columbia for the past two years.
For more information on these bands, like them on Facebook.
www.facebook.com/oddonedown
www.facebook.com/lot56rock
www.facebook.com/pages/Table-for-Five/126992535269