For the seventh year in a row, the University at Buffalo is hosting its annual Battle of the Bands. The event will take place on Thursday in the Student Union Theater. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 7 p.m.
At last year's battle, the audience was large enough to fill the entire SU Theater. This event is a student favorite, according to Paul Rukundo, the assistant talent coordinator of the Undergraduate Student Association. Rukundo hopes that this year's audience is as large and enthusiastic as last year's.
The five bands, which include MayDay, The Steakouts, In The Presence of Enemies, J Bangin' Brew, and Between Us All, were chosen from a pool of 20 applicants. Each applicant handed in a press kit, and the SA entertainment staff used a point scale to judge the bands and to decide which five would be able to perform at the competition.
The Steakouts, a ska/punk band formed in December of 2009, have recently played at several other venues, including The Haunt in Ithaca with the band 4 Point 0 for The Toaster's 30th Annual Tour. The Steakouts are known for "bringing a dance party to every show," according to the band's Facebook page. They have been influenced by Blink-182, Led Zeppelin, and Sublime, according to the band's website, thesteakouts.com.
In The Presence of Enemies, a four-piece band from Cheektowaga, N.Y., will be performing its progressive metal tracks at Thursday's event. They've been influenced by The Mars Volta, Killswitch Engage, and Dream Theater and have recently released their CD, The Learning Curve.
The J Bangin' Brew is a "hot new acoustic rock band fused with funk, pop and reggae, combining smooth vocals with catchy lyrics," according its website, reverbnation.com/thejbanginbrew. This local Buffalo band hopes to inspire and excite fans with its unique blend of musical influences.
Influenced by Destroy the Runner, A Day To Remember, and August Burns Red, Between Us All is a rock/metal band from Eden, N.Y. They are currently working on new tracks and hope to one day be signed to a record label.
MayDay is a four-piece rock band founded in August of 2007. They have played over 100 shows, and won both the 2008 and 2009 UB Battle of the Bands. The band also played at Spring Fest in 2009, opening up for Brand New and Rise Against. MayDay plays a variety of rock, ranging from classic covers to '90s rock, and the band also plays original music.
Each band will have 20 minutes to perform either three or four songs from its setlist. After each set, the crowd's reaction will be rated using a DB meter, which measures noise level of the crowd. When the bands are finished performing, the judges' scores and the DB meter's results will determine the winner.
The winning band will receive a cash prize of $500, second place will receive $250, and third place will receive $100. The event is free to all UB undergraduate students.
For more questions or comments about The Battle of the Bands, stop by the main SA office at 350 SU or visit the website at sa.buffalo.edu.
If MayDay would like to provide a comment or additional information, please contact The Spectrum using the below e-mail or call 645-8567.
E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
