Words can barely describe the music that I was fortunate enough to experience at UCLA’s Battle of the Bands. But, since it is my job to do so, I will look for them. First, however, about the Battle. This event was put on by Pi Kappa Phi, a fraternity at UCLA, as a philanthropic event supporting Pi Kappa’s own Push America Foundation to aid those with disabilities. All proceeds from the event (which was sold out) were put into this foundation and UCLA’s own Community Service Commission. This was truly an event for a great cause, and was extremely successful.
Now to the music! Opening the show was UCLA’s own Free Rob G who had a special connection to the audience as they were the only on-campus band to battle. Sharing insights to their lyrics that only UCLA students would understand (such as random umbrellas found in the dining hall), Free Rob G was a great show starter. Lead singer Dan “Z” Zamani was incredibly energized, performing various jigs and pulling a seemingly endless array of facial expressions to entertain the crowd.
The next band to take the stage was Paper Models, whose blend of Jimmy Eat World and Third Eye Blind put out a refreshing sound of melodic lyrics and pop sound. The vocals coming from front-man Alex Hovis were beautifully accompanied by bassist Ted Vega and guitarist Dan Hammond and gave the band a very solid, mature sound that was very pleasant to listen to.
Following the Paper Models was the OC’s own Hopefield. This band, who has received numerous local music awards, showed why they could be on tour with such bands as Sugarcult and Waking Ashland. They had great stage presence and a professional sound. In what was probably the best on-stage move of the night, drummer Jojo Casillas poured water on his toms and started beating, making for a very cool water show.
Faulter took to the stage next, another band to hail from the OC. This band was easily the most sound (pun intended?) and professional group in the Battle, and, despite lamenting having to follow Hopefield’s great act, it was no surprise that they had the crowd’s favor to win the contest (which was “scientifically” determined by a decibel meter measuring crowd response). Faulter displays a great combination of indie and mainstream rock, giving them a unique, yet catchy sound. Lead singer Andy Carpenter took to the guitar to relieve lead guitarist Jonathan Carpenter as he took to the synth during “Sixes and Sevens.”
The final band to take the stage in the Battle was Aviatic, the only group in the lineup with a full-length album recorded. This band was not the standard guitar, bass, and drums group, as they take advantage of lead singer Sebu Simonian’s talent on the piano. Simonian’s voice was a different twist on the theme of the night as well-much deeper and more emotional than the others. Aviatic’s sound was darker than the other four bands of the night, and they seemed to have a much larger loyal fanbase than the other bands. And, in checking their Myspace pages (lame, I know), I found that they drew far more comments after the show than any of the other bands.
What really made this show so fun, however, were the performances in between each of the major bands. Each of the routines was done by UCLA students, which truly added another dimension to the show and the students’ connection with it. Mikey G and Dan from Danville, who can be found touring around the LA area, provided refreshing, original duets accompanied by Mikey’s piano and Dan’s acoustic guitar. Also to take the stage was UCLA’s Awaken A Cappella group, who performed a delicious medley of well-known rock songs along with some songs of their own. UCLA’s ACA Hip Hop dance team also took the stage, doing whatever it is hip-hop dancers do (sorry I can’t comment more, but I’m not really an expert hereit was fun to watch though!). A10 The Realest performed his original hip-hop song “Mary Jane,” which wasn’t about what you might thinkwellyes it wasOther performances included a hip-hop basketball dribbling exhibition by Dean Otsuka, and a guitar performance by Don Nguyen.
The final act of the night was Kristopher Roe and John Collura from The Ataris performing an acoustic set. This hour-long set was amazing to experience, not only because the music was flawless, but because Roe gave the crowd insight to the creation of each of the songs they played. He explained where the inspiration for his lyrics came from and gave background information on the songs. Plus, since it was acoustic only (and Roe’s vocals were right on) the lyrics were easy to hear, allowing the crowd to connect with the emotions behind Roe’s powerful lyrics.
The UCLA Battle of the Bands was an incredibly successful event, selling over 1500 tickets at the sold out on-campus venue. Congratulations to Harsh Parikh and Pi Kappa Phi for creating such a successful philanthropic event for a great cause!
