Campus bands will battle at CHP Showdown tomorrow, April 10, from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Phi Sig Pavilion. 

Students at the event will receive three pebbles to cast votes for their favorite bands during the night, and the top three will perform at Centralhallapalooza on Saturday, April 25.

Bands competing this year include South on 75, Warm Christian Biscuits, Dis Band, Jett Cruz and the Bahama Mamas, Backspace, Runaround, Plastic Frog Bank, and GoodTime.

“We have a showdown so it’s fair, and students are getting to choose who they want to hear from,” said Emma Kate Mellors, senior and Student Activities Board member.

Each band will have 20 minutes to impress the audience.

“Showdown’s tough,” junior Daniel Sturdy, lead singer of Plastic Frog Bank, said. “You are going against eight other bands and you only get 20 minutes. With every other gig you get 45 minutes to convey your message. So it’s not a lot of time to garner support.”

Sturdy said the time constraint makes preparation important for competing groups.

“If you mess something up in a 20-minute set, that’s kind of it — you don’t have time to recover,” he said. 

He noted that many bands aim to create setlists that immediately connect with students, often choosing recognizable or nostalgic songs.

“We’re focusing a lot on throwback songs this time,” Sturdy said. “We wanted songs that everybody knows but maybe they haven’t heard in a while. We’re probably going to open with ‘Shut Up and Dance’ by Walk the Moon.” 

Mellors said CHP Showdown reflects emerging changes in campus culture, especially as well-known bands have graduated and new groups emerge.

“In past years, we had bands like the Schizmatics,” Sturdy added. “Not having them is sad, but it opens space for new bands. Runaround is the big name now.”

Mellors said the event highlights both competition and community, giving students a chance to hear a wide range of campus talent. 

“Hillsdale is a very musically talented school,” she said. “It’s really cool to see so many students you sit next to in class who perform in bands.”

She said showdown stands out because it gives students a chance to see that talent all in one place, often in unexpected ways as new or lesser-known bands take the stage.

“You never know what new band is going to break out and actually be really good.” Mellors said. 

“I would recommend staying the entire time because it’s really fun to see new bands.”

For example, Schizmatics won as a freshman band and had its break at CHP Showdown, winning, and going on to open at CHP in 2022,  according to Mellors . 

“It’s really fun to see students playing and see how hard they’ve worked,” Mellors said. “And you get to see it all in one place.”