The Battle of the Bands blasted its music on the DMZ on Friday, April 26. The KUR sponsored night began at 6p.m. and ended around 9:30. As the night progressed, more students joined the growing crowd in and around the tent. Some students enjoyed the performances by relaxing on blankets outside the tent on the lawn while other students danced the night away.
At the front of the tent was the stage for the six bands to perform. KUR President Alan Shulze hosted the event and welcomed the bands to the stage. Waking Up Dead started the night off right as the first act. After each performance, the band would head to the back of the tent to the Mic Check set. Mic Check is a KU-TV program that showcases local music talents. Once each band performed, Mic Check’s hosts, Mellonie Lilly and Collin Miller, would interview them while the next act was setting up on the main stage.
The entire night was broadcasted live on the KU-TV’s web stream and is archived online, providing viewers with the show experience.
“It wouldn’t have been half the size it was if [KU-TV] hadn’t gotten involved,” commented Shulze. “It was so much bigger than originally planned.”
Following the first band was Public Displays of Rejection, The Virtue, Stargazer, Groove Merchants and L’astronaut. All the bands were competing for the top prize a $500 gift card to Guitar Center.
“They were all absolutely amazing,” explained Shulze.
After all the performances, the three judges added all the scores and announced that the winner of the 2013 Battle of the Bands was Stargazer.
“Stargazer was definitely a highlight because they were probably the most engaging with the audience,” said Shulze.
During Stargazers performance, the fans were literally “screaming” and formed a mosh-pit. At one point, Stargazer’s lead singer joined the audience in the mosh-pit mid-song. Stargazer’s performance got the crowd jumping and made an impact on the judges.
“Everyone was just really pumped; there was live music on the DMZ, it was totally free—you could just walk in and enjoy it,” added Shulze.
The Battle of the Bands definitely was a success and a great way to showcase the KU Radio Station. As KUR President Alan Shulze leaves his position at the end of this semester, he remains confident in future productions sponsored by the station.
“The only way it’s [Battle of the Bands] going to change is it’s going to grow,” said Shulze. “I’ve heard some people kicking around some ideas about not making it a battle in the future, just making it a free concert.”
With the 2013 Battle of the Bands under their belt and with the leadership of the newly elected President Dillon Snyder, it is exciting to see what KUR will host next.
For more information on KUR head to their Facebook page for upcoming events. To see pictures from the show, check out the KU National Broadcasting Society’s Facebook page. To watch the Battle of the Bands, visit the KU-TV stream: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ku-live.
By Haley Bianco