Since June, KUR Student President Alan Schulze has been working hard to set up a Battle of the Bands.
“When I was elected President last April, one of my campaign promises was that we’re going to do this [Battle of the Bands] again and, we’re going to do it right,” said Schulze.
Previously, Schulze experienced KUR’s Battle of the Bands in 2009.
“It was the single most fun thing I’ve ever done with the radio,” he commented. Schulze explained that every year since 2009, the organization has tried to re-create the event, but it never turned out how they had hoped. This year is finally the year the station has decided to revive the Battle of the Bands.
New additions to the show include the old commencement stage for the bands to perform on, and a professional sound system.
“This year Greg Kokolus and his production crew are bringing in a professional PA, the one they use for KU Presents! Events,” added Schulze.
After the Battle of the Bands committee spent hours evaluating the 16 band entries, six bands were selected to perform at the event. Two of the originally selected bands dropped out, which opened spots for the seventh ranked band and the eighth. The performance line up now includes: Stargazer, Public Displays of Rejection, The Virtue, L’astronaut, Waking up Dead and the Groove Merchants. All the bands are rock oriented, ranging from heavy metal songs to chill songs.
“It’s going to be like an actual professional concert this time,” explained Schulze.
The six bands are competing to win a five-hundred dollar gift card to Guitar Center. A panel of three judges will determine the winner: one KUR member, one from Alpha Phi Omega (APO) and one faculty member.
Campus organization involvement has grown tremendously since the planning of the Battle began. The production crew will be assisting, KU-TV will be broadcasting the event from the mobile production truck, the Electronic Media Event and Documentary class will be creating a short documentary on the Battle of the Bands, and the KU-TV show, Mic Check, will be interviewing band members on set.
At the show, there will also be vendor tables. APO will have a concession stand, the KU chapter of the National Broadcasting Society (NBS) will have an interactive table, and the bands will have the option to set up a merchandise table where they can sell CD’s and other band paraphernalia.
“It’s grown into this massive thing that’s beyond anything I could have imagined at this point,” said Schulze.
The new and improved show is scheduled for Friday, April 26 on the DMZ under a giant tent. The event is free and open to the public. Students, faculty and community members are invited to jam out with the radio station starting at 6 p.m. The concert will run no later than 10 p.m.
KUR has recently been recognized by the Student Government Board as the, “Organization of the Year.” This has been a huge year for KUR, from being nominated and receiving national awards at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, to setting up a Battle of the Bands event. It seems like the radio station is on a roll, and now all they have to do is keep rockin’.

By Haley Bianco