Four bands, only one winner: this was the backdrop presented by the advertisement for Battle of the Bands. It was held by UPAC Concerts in the McNeil room of the Union this past Saturday. Four RPI bands, each with their own styles performed in hopes of being voted the best band by the audience at the end of the night.
The McNeil Room was transformed with the stage set up in front of the kitchen area of the cafeteria, and chairs arranged to give the audience a comfortable view of the performances. The lighting control booth was set up behind the chairs with the help UPAC Lights and Sound the battle was set to begin.
Ballots were handed out up to the end of the second band’s performance so anyone who wanted to vote had to be there before the show was half way over. This also gave anyone who was there for the first show but not sure if they wanted to hang around for the entirety of the show plenty time to make up their mind and get a ballot if they so chose.
Up first, after a half hour delay, Introduction to Communication Theory played a set of different jazz and contemporary-styles. Made up of two drummers, a cellist, a keyboardist, and a bass player, Introduction to Communication Theory’s performance ran the gamut from classic blues and jazz to a little bit of orchestrated polyphony. The audience seemed to enjoy their music, as most stood to hear what was next.
Beer Vest, a band with alternative rock feel, took the stage with the hope of making an impression on the audience that would last until voting time. This time, three guitarists and a drummer performed three pieces. Two of these were written by the lead vocalist himself. The first was written two years prior while the latter was within the last few months, both added to the authenticity of their performance.
The Effect took the stage and presented a collection of ambient electronica techniques with a touch of rock just to make it interesting. This group of four; including one keyboardist, one drummer, one bass player, and one guitarist, played for a near continuous 15 minutes in one of the pieces they performed.
Last, but certainly not least was Off White, another group of three guitars and a set of drums. This band performed three popular songs, which are commonly heard on the radio. Their set list included a cover of Rage Against Th e Machine, which was a bit out of their element. This gave everyone an enjoyable end to the evening.
At the end of the night, audience members placed their ballots into the bin of the band they wished to vote for. After tallying the votes, The Effect went home with second place while Off White took home first place. Overall, the night was successful and Off White held the honor of best band again.
