Meramec hosts the annual Battle of the Bands. Many bands performed but only one came out victorious, the Blue B ottom Boat Blues Band.
Joe Douglas
– Editor-in-Chief –
Sticks and drums clash with the sound of lightning, guitarists and bassists pluck a downpour of chords, and singers flood the gymnasium with their trained voices.
On April 29, the Student Activities Council dedicated one night to the talent of local St. Louis musicians.
The bands’ music ranged from blues to metal and their goals vary from advertisement to obtaining first place. Aside from motivations, their sounds competed in the annual Battle of the Bands.
More than 30 musicians of eight bands played this year Battle of the Bands. Those bands are Axis Denied, Save the Penguins, The Stone Sugar Shakedown, Stealing Silver, M@, Blue Bottom Boat Blues Band, Sing Me a Fiction and Sack Lunch.
“We want to win first place,” Johnny Pelhank, base guitarist for Sing Me a Fiction, said.
Nick Blackburn, singer for Sing Me a Fiction, said, “Winning would be good. I would like to have more energy than any of the other bands here.”
Some bands weren’t after first place, though. Guitarist Josh Barbre with Saving the Penguins, whose band members played while sitting on a living room couch, said they just wanted to have fun.
“[We’re here] just to play music. I mean, just chill, obviously. We got it set up just like my living room,” Barbre said.
Stealing Silver, a Christian rock band, made their first performance at Battle of the Bands. Guitarist and singer Will Gerdel said its members have been playing together for approximately 8 months before this. He said the name “Stealing Silver” comes from a story of Joseph in the Bible where Benjamin was framed as stealing a silver cup from Joseph.
“We’re here to have a good time, plant some seeds, show people that Jesus loves them, and that we love them, too,” Gerdel said. “It’s true.”
On the other hand, Blue Bottom Boat Blues Band consists of members who have played at previous Battle of the Bands events. They’ve been playing together for almost one year and this is their first time as the Blue Bottom Boat Blues Band to play at Battle of the Bands.
In addition, Saving the Penguins has played at the past two Battle of the Bands. They won first place in 2009 and third place in 2010.
This year, the top three bands were Blue Bottom Boat Blues Band, Axis Denied and The Stone Sugar Shakedown in first, second and third place respectively.
“[Winning] feels really good,” Troy Rollen, singer and harpist for the Blue Bottom Boat Blues Band, said. The first place band won $700. “I think we’ll split it up individually and use it to keep the band going.”
Axis Denied who won second place earned $500. The Stone Sugar Shakedown received $300.
“Axis Denied really had their [stuff] together this year,” Mike Roman, Student Governance Council public relations officer who worked at the event, said. “It was just well-rounded.”
Proceeds from the event went toward the Student-to-Student Book Scholarship. SAC President Tony Speruzza said, “I think it went very well. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of at-door sales.”
