By Steven Hoskins, Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD – Entering the Trutter Center, I’m given
a ballot, drawing ticket and program by students volunteers wearing long-sleeved, lime green Battle of the Bands shirts.
The ballot and program list only six of the nine bands previously announced would be playing.
Michelle Burger, student engagement coordinator, said two bands had schedule conflicts and another failed to confirm its time slot.
Waiting for the music, I decided to explore the vendors. They were selling the lime green shirts for $10 and dark gray T-shirts for $5. I buy a shirt.
The next stand gives out popcorn. Another stand has the ballot box and seven jars, six with a band’s name on it and the seventh labeled 50/50 Drawing.
The crowd is told later that the jars are another way to vote, money donated through the jars would count toward a band’s score.
I enter the darkened stage area.
Bands set their equipment along the far wall. People were busily going in and out the emergency exit.
The room is already crowded with a talkative crowd of more than 100 fans. Burger ran around frantically preparing for the show.
With arms full of chairs, Burger waves and smiles just before volunteers descend on her like vultures looking for orders.
With a few minutes to show time, I decided to head outside for a smoke and jot down a few notes.
On my way out, I see Lamp photographer Ryan Mazrim entering.
‘Automatic Afterthought’
I take a spot in the back as AJ Mulvey, from local station WDBR, announces the first Act, “Automatic Afterthought,” to a smattering of applause.
The band got right into their first song, an original track titled, “Wasting Time.”
The speakers blared, shaking the chests of the audience, as Aundrea Marsh and her band give it their all.
After Automatic Afterthought finished its first song, much more enthusiastic applause follows.
Marsh announces the bands second song, a cover for “Blink 182,” “if you have ever heard of them,” Marsh jokes.
“I will Miss You” is followed by another cover of a band called, “All Time Low.” The song was titled, “Kids in the Dark.”
Marsh jokes that given the time of day, sunlight streaming in from open doors, “we are more like the kids in the light,” Marsh jokingly said about the sunlight casted on the band. “No that’s a terrible joke.”
The crowd still laughs.
The band finishes its set with another original song titled. “Ecstasy.” It can be heard on YouTube and SoundCloud, with help from ‘Built in a Day’s” J.R Bennet, for which bassist Nick Dabbs also plays.
I snag drummer Dylan Gladson for a quick interview.
Dylan Gladson tells me that the band formed two months ago. He and Nick had found Aundrea through friends.
He expressed relief at going first, since it got the nerves out. Now he could just enjoy the rest of the battle.
‘On Point’
After announcing the winners for the first door prizes, Mulvey welcomes “On Point” to stage. It won last year’s Battle of the Bands.
A large gathering of fans screams widely near the front of the stage.
The band belts out song after song with barely any recovery, just a quick notice of each song starting with, “Wanted,” by Bon Jovi, then slipping into “Say It Ain’t So” and “Hold On Loosely.”
The band does some trick playing, as both guitarists and the bassist raise their instruments behind their heads and continue to play just as well as they have the whole show.
Dave Harris, guitar and vocals told me that the band of four formed about a year ago, just in time to enter and win last year’s Battle of the Bands.
“It was an awesome experience,” he said, with sweat pouring off him as he asks if he can get a drink of water before I ask more questions.
When asked about how he felt about his playing this year against last year, he said, “I feel really content. We played much better than last year. Though that first band made me a little nervous. They were so good.”
On Point can be found on YouTube.
‘Built in a Day’
Mulvey introduces “Built in a Day,” with Molly Edwards, on vocals.
She gives the name of the first song, but bungles it “Close call call close, something like that,” she says to a few chuckles.
The Black Sheep Café, a local music venue on south 11th Street, lists the song as “Close Calls Call For Calls Home.”
The music is great with lots of instrumental parts. The band also play a cover of Fallout Boy’s “Dead on Arrival.”
I learn from Edwards that the band formed in 2012. It has gone through several band mate changes, tonight was a real treat in the band had all its original members.
While Built in a Day played at last year’s Battle of the Bands, it didn’t even place, though in that same year they won the Black Sheep Café’s battle.
Edwards said she felt like the band did about the same as it did last year. The band plays at The Black Sheep Café, an all-ages venue.
You also can find a sample of Built in a Day’s music on the Black Sheep Cafe’s website.
‘Fill in the Blank’
More prizes — that I didn’t win — are announced.
Mulvey then introduces Two Fat Guys and a Skinny Guy, or “Fill
in the Blank.”
It rushes out full of energy into its first song. Even a little bit of speaker trouble is not going to stop the band from singing about being mad at your parents.
The next song about being mad at your ex-girlfriend has a great drum solo. But then we get dark as the band that seemed so goofy starts to sing some heart wrenching sad songs.
After the second sad song about a kid wondering if anyone would care if he ran away, a broken string sends the band off early.
“No, it (breaking a string) is not normal,” said lead bassist and vocalists Lukas Meyers. “But we do break stuff occasionally.” Myers said when asked about the broken string.
Meyers and his band mates Kevin Carman, guitar and lead vocals, and David Gardner, drums, surround me, blocking off the entrance to the lobby.
“We’ve been a band for three years, and we are great friends, though it wasn’t always that way,” Myers said, retelling a time when he got in a fist fight with Carman over a girl.
But it’s all good now, Myers said giving Carman a hug.
You can find music by the band on SoundCloud and Facebook page.
‘The Light Home’
Another prize is announced, as ‘The Light Home’ enters the stage, draping its drum kit in a white string lights.
There were a few technical difficulties with the drum and guitar. But that didn’t stop this group from putting on a great show.
Its ‘Fallout Boy’ cover was the closest sounding cover to the original all night.
The band also played a very inspiring song about how even when you are stuck there is always a way out.
You can The Light Home’s their music on its Facebook page.
Audience reaction
Katie Heikes liked On Point a lot, but she also liked it more when the bands used original songs.
Heikes also said she didn’t expect there to be so many original songs played.
Rebecca Zielke, who was friends with of The Light Home’s drummer Caleb Jennings, also enjoyed the original music. She said that she is in a band herself and understands that string breaks during shows
Wanna
Last prize was announced. I still didn’t win.
As “Wanna” makes it onto the stage, it arrived more than a little late, due to bassist Johnathan Sabath being sick.
He said he was feeling much better by show time. He said he was glad he came, even if he risked spewing on stage.
The band announced it is going to play only one song, but assure the crowd not to worry, as some voice their disappointment.
“It’s probably going to be really good,” someone in the crowd says.
The band jammed on that one song until only four minutes of its set was left, so they jammed for four more minutes to the delight of the crowd.
“We (Wanna) are more of a jam band,” Sabath said. “I was taught at this school to never let a good composition go to waste. So that’s why we let a good thing peter out after 5 minutes.”
You can find photos and music samples on the band’s Facebook page.
And The Winner is…
- On Point wins the battle and the $500 top prize.
- Fill in the Blank grabbed second with a $250 prize.
- The Light Home took third and a $100 prize.
A lead singer for On Point, Dave Harris, and his band members thanked everyone and the fans who donated more than
a hundred dollars for the Illinois United Way.
Harris also offered a special thanks to LLCC and AudioTechnie Services for putting on such a great show.
Steven Hoskins can be reached at [email protected] or (217) 786-2311.
