Local musicians compete in Battle of the Bands

Kevin DeLury - Entertainment Beat

For musicians attending Appalachian State University, finding an outlet to expose their music to an audience can be quite a daunting task. When added to classes and other activities on campus, forming a band and finding the time and place to rehearse can be overwhelming.

Even after all of that work, there is no guarantee they’ll be able to find a show. However, many students put forth the necessary effort and dedication, and for four of these bands, their chance to perform for a wide array of students with a diverse lineup will come at the Battle of
the Bands.

The show, organized by A.P.P.S. Club Shows, will feature a grouping of bands that under other circumstances wouldn’t find themselves playing together. As a requirement this year, at least one of the members of each band must be an Appalachian State student.

The bands are not only showcasing their music but are also performing before a panel of judges for cash prizes.

The lineup for the third annual show was selected out of nearly 20 demos, including everything from live recordings to videotape. The demos submitted to A.P.P.S. Club Shows were then narrowed down to four in a painstaking elimination process. After the initial voting, there was a three-way tie that required even further decisions of the committee from A.P.P.S.

After many debates, the final list came down to Banana Da Terra, The Mighty Handful, Bums Lie and Brentwood.

Banana Da Terra, a melodic group with fluid songs fashioned after an amalgamation of folk, jazz and improvisational genres, comes with a very different, yet extremely appealing brand of music.

The Mighty Handful brings the infectious catchiness of songwriters of the 70s to a more rock-infused environment, with songs the audience will want to sing along to on the first listen.

Bums Lie, which has become a regular on the Boone music scene, is reminiscent of mid-90s Southern California punk-ska. Their punk-rock approach towards reggae reminds one of bands like Sublime or the earlier Pietasters albums.

Brentwood, who hails from the Greensboro indie music scene, comes with a style of emo that sounds like a hybrid of Further Seems Forever with the hardcore sensibilities of Grade, encapsulating wonderfully-written hardcore breakdowns matched with driven pop-punk and heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics.

Dan Frazier, chairperson of A.P.P.S. Club Shows, has been helping to organize this event since its start during his freshman year, when he presented the idea to A.P.P.S.

“My freshman year I was just a regular council member on Club Shows, but I suggested the idea to the council and they really liked it.”

Since then, no band has repeated, and the popularity of the event has increased. Although not every band got on this year, Frazier urges students not to stop sending in submissions.

“We try to encourage that if a band doesn’t make it this year, to try again next year,” said Frazier.

“The council changes every year so you never know what type of people will be on the committee. This year we got really great variety and I was really proud of that.”

The show is tonight at 9 p.m. at Legends. Admission is $3, and the show will be BYOB with a six-pack limit and proper ID.