Bands ‘battle’ with unique sounds
By Braden Howell
Staff Reporter

A TCU tradition kicked off Tuesday as students passing through the Student Center Lounge were entertained by two distinctly different types of music at the annual Battle of the Bands.

Fabian Morice, a Programming Council projects director, said the event is put on by PC as a way to show off the talent of TCU students.

Andy Humphrey, a sophomore radio-TV-film major, said he likes the fact that the event brings in music that most TCU students are not used to listening to.

“It’s good for TCU because it exposes the students to music other than the Dave Matthews Band or Jay-Z, and it’s great for the bands because it gives them good exposure,” Humphrey said.

The contest opened with a 40-minute set from Mysteree, featuring songs off their album, which was available for free to students. The group was followed by the heavier sounds of the metal band, Shadowed Beneath.

During their set, Shadowed Beneath singer/guitarist Nathan Horn humorously addressed an issue that was evident on the faces of TCU students in attendance when he thanked PC for allowing them to play, even though their music didn’t fit in at TCU.

Along with the music, the decision to hold the event inside the Student Center Lounge received mixed emotions from students. Some students said they were unhappy the event was not outside, while others, such as sophomore advertising/public relations major Mary Wrench, said they enjoyed having it inside.

“I don’t really know if all the music is TCU flavor, but it is cool to have music in here,” Wrench said.

Freshman psychology major Jennifer Noy, a PC projects director, said the decision to move the event inside was based on how long the event has been in the past and how hot it was when held outside.

Morice, a junior kinesiology major, said there are six bands competing this year, and the four bands that did not play can be heard Tuesday in the Student Center Lounge. He said for a band to be able to compete, at least one member of the band must be a current TCU student.

A new edition to this year’s competition is online voting, Morice said. Students will be able to log on and vote for the winner of the Battle of the Bands the same way they voted for elections, he said.

Morice said the winner of the competition will receive $300 and the top two finishers will be selected to open the TCU Block party, an all-campus event scheduled for April 27 at Frog Fountain. Morice said the block party, put on by PC, will feature a well-known headliner, but that he could not disclose the identity of the band.

When the competition resumes Tuesday, each of the four remaining bands will be able to play a 40-minute set, Morice said. He said The band 18% Grey will start the show at 10:30 a.m., followed immediately by The League, Free the Leaf and Skitch.

He said students can vote for the winner online at (www.pc.tcu.edu).

Braden Howell