Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia’s annual Battle of the Bands will take place from 7 p.m. to midnight tomorrow at the Historic Dawn Theatre in Hillsdale. The event will feature seven student bands vying for the top spot, with an opening performance by touring band August Hotel and an encore set by student supergroup Full Paisley Jacket.
This will be the first year Battle of the Bands will take place off-campus, a decision which Phi Mu Alpha hopes will create a more memorable experience for performers and audience members.
Battle of the Bands is a chance for student bands to compete, be heard, and give an audience a great time.
“It’s an opportunity for students to show off their talent, and to prove who’s got the most swag in the music department,” said senior Conor Woodfin, a member of Full Paisley Jacket.
According to sophomore Luke Zahari, one of the Phi Mu Alpha members organizing the event, the student bands will be: Athwart, led by junior Walker Mulley; Coffey and the Sugar Packets, led by junior Catherine Coffey; Daw!, led by senior Aaron Pomerantz; Holy Moses, led by senior Mike Ragan; Nasty Earl, led by sophomore Andrew Egger; The Pink Jalapeño Poppers, led by senior Ian Fury; and The St. Joe Trio, led by sophomore Frank Bruno. A number of these bands have established pages on social media as well, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Each band brings something unique to the table, choosing their own style of music. The St. Joe Trio describes their music as a mixture of “blues, rock, garage rock, alternative, and basically all things fun.”
Walker Mulley and the rest of Athwart had this to say regarding what to expect from their performance: “Have you ever heard a punk band sing Friedrich Hayek before? Have you ever read punk lyrics with footnotes before? Have you ever heard a punk band rail against FDR before?” Presumably, you’ll be able to answer all of these questions in the affirmative after their performance.
After the opening performance at 7 p.m. from August Hotel, each of the seven student bands will duke it out in 30-minute sets starting at 8 p.m. and finishing at 11:30 p.m. Full Paisley Jacket will then play an encore set before the victors are announced.
Three judges from the Hillsdale College faculty will select the winning band. The judges will be classics department chair Joseph Garnjobst, music department chair James Holleman, and assistant professor of English Dutton Kearney – three professors with a passion and an ear for good music.
Admission will cost $3 in advance or $5 at the door; pizza and pop will be available for purchase throughout the evening. Complimentary popcorn will also be served.
