Pepperdine students braved the cold and bundled themselves in their warmest coats for Battle of the Bands last Friday.
With heat lamps surrounding the upper tier of the amphitheater, a food truck serving warm Mexican food and spotlights illuminating the white-tented stage, students huddled together for a relaxing night of good music and camaraderie.
The event was emceed by seniors Zach Taylor and Josh Downs, who filled the night with laughs through their running commentary and wild antics during raffle giveaways, which ran throughout the night. Although the night was full of laughs, music was the real show-stealer of the evening.
This year’s Battle of the Bands hosted four bands, predominately made up of Pepperdine students who came together under short notice to practice and perfect their sound for the competition.
The first band to take the stage was Come Back Calling. A six-man band featuring a frontman vocalist, cellist, bassist, drummer, lead guitarist/vocalist and acoustic guitarist/vocalist, Come Back Calling did a marvelous job at breaking the ice. Embodying the rock star persona, the band performed as if they were seasoned veterans of the stage, utilizing the stage and getting the crowd involved and into the moment. The band, weighing more on the alternative pop-rock side of things, reached out to the crowd with a cover of “Stereo Hearts,” which included quite a bit of rapping and raised the energy level, getting everyone pumped for the next band.
Second on the lineup was the five-member band, Pepper 5. Female fronted, the band was made up of a acoustic guitarist-vocalist, keyboardist/vocalist, drummer, bassist and lead guitarist. Pepper 5 even went as far as color coordinating their outfits with a splash of purple somewhere in their wardrobe. They were a fun band, covering the popular “Drops of Jupiter” and even performing the lead singer’s own song, “Strawberry Lemonade.” The band was a lot Taylor Swift and a little pop, but they still maintained a rock flare that made them unique.
Band number three was Goodweather, whose sound was much less pop and much more indie-rock. Sounding like a mix between Coldplay and Maroon 5 with a dash of Vampire Weekend and Kings of Leon, Goodweather was a solid band with a laid-back sound and attitude that made it look easy. They played two original songs and performed an amazing cover of Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall,” stirring the crowd to clap and sing along. Goodweather ended on a high note with the Coldplay cover and gave the final band a run for their money.
The last band to show off their musical skills was Heroes Garden. An instrumental trio that featured an awesome electric cello, Heroes Garden came out strong. Solely an acoustic band, they depended heavily on vocals and cello, which was a captivating combination of sounds. Heroes Garden wasn’t afraid to step out of their indie-acoustic box and play an original song that was a little jazz, a little blues and a bunch of fun. It was a strange but good mix of instruments that created a unique sound and got the crowd involved in their set. Heroes Garden was a dynamic band with a vibrant sound that rounded out the competition for the night.
As the audience went about their voting business, hosts Taylor and Downs took it upon themselves to show their support of music with a satirical medley. Including songs from Ke$ha, Disney-animated films and general childhood memories — the smash hit was the “ABC’s” — their musical interlude gave the crowd a much-needed belly laugh to make it through the last leg of the event.
When voting was complete and tallied, everyone gathered around in anticipation to see who would take the title of Battle of the Bands champion. Zach and Josh spared no expense in keeping the audience on the edge of their seats when announcing the winner.
Fourth place went to Come Back Calling, third place went to Pepper 5, second went to Goodweather, and first went to the night’s final act: Heroes Garden. Once the winners were awarded their prizes, Heroes Garden performed a song from their set for the eager crowd who got up out of their seats to dance.
In the end, the event was a smash success despite the cold. Musicians got the chance to play in front of a crowd, and those in attendance got a free concert with food and friends. Students can never go wrong with the chance to enjoy good music, good food and good company.
