Graham Shea
Assistant Photography Editor
The loud, sweet sound of rock filled Smothers Theatre on Friday night as five local groups waged three hours of musical war in Pepperdine’s 2005 Battle of the Bands.
The Sindicate swept away the $500 first prize in a performance that clearly captured the crowd’s favor. Lead singer and 2003 alumnus Austin Trujillo warmed up the night’s last set with his electric violin in “Injun Song,” switching to bass when the music started to rock.
“I was impressed with The Sindicate,” said senior Stacy Reger. “They have a lot of energy, and great stage presence. When I first saw them a couple years ago, I wasn’t thrilled with the music, but my opinion has completely changed. They’ve grown immensely as a group, and I enjoy there music more every time I see them.”
At least two dozen people crowded to the front when The Sindicate took the stage, and few could keep still to the classic rock sound of “Long Legged Lover,” the band’s second number.
Soundmind took second place and a $250 prize with a musically diverse set very in line with their style. John Thomas, a 2004 alumnus, capped the final song of their performance with his ever-popular improvisation on alto sax. Though not as hard as the other groups, Soundmind drew a lot of enthusiasm. Thomas and the lead singer Travis McClain delivered tight vocal harmony throughout the set, while people in the crowd sang along to the catchy lyrics.
Even Trujillo commented afterward that he was surprised to find he knew the words to several of Soundmind’s songs.
“The singer from Soundmind has a good voice,” he said. “If I was a chick it would make me quiver.”
Climbing Ivy (formerly Black Molly) came in third with $100. The veteran band put a different spin on their performance by inviting junior Rob Galloway to play harmonica in one song.
“It was awesome,” Galloway said. “It was an amazing rush to get back up and play again after being dormant for so long.”
Galloway has played for the University Theater Department overseas and with a band in his hometown of Hannibal, Mo. Though the crowd seemed surprised to see a harmonica in an alternative rock band, the group delivered, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of their performance.
“When Rob first came to visit Pepperdine we had a show here for something,” said junior Brad Opel. “He really liked us, and he comes out to all of our shows and helps us move gear and things. He’s probably our biggest fan. We always knew he played harmonica, and we thought it would be cool to do something that he could be involved in.”
Self-life opened the event with a five-song set, and Stepsonday followed, also playing five songs.
The Programming Board, which sponsored the event, sold 270 tickets totaling $1,350. Of that, $540 will go to “One Cause, One Hope, One World” for tsunami relief, and the remaining $810 will cover a portion of the event costs.
“I think it was probably smaller than last year but pretty good for a Friday night event on campus,” Opel said. “Usually Friday and Saturday nights are hard.”
President Andrew K. Benton was one of the judges of the bands, along with students Lindsey Besecker, Jimmy Hutcheson, Christi Myers and staff member Rich Dawson.
In addition to the $500, The Sindicate will open for Pepperdine’s spring concert, which is still in the works with the Programming Board.
Senior Dan Yoder of The Sindicate said they enjoyed their performance in Smothers.
“The audience the other night was one of the most fun we have ever played to,” he said. “The vibe of the audience was really great. We are more used to having bar lurkers and cretins grooving with our stuff. It was really cool to see a group of nice-looking college kids out there having a blast.”
When asked what winning meant to them Yoder said, “It means we have 500 more bucks. You can’t really rank music, especially when you have great bands like Soundmind performing right in front of you.”
Sindicate and Soundmind had played together three times before this year’s Battle of the Bands. Members said they both have an appreciation for each other’s music as well as their common blues theme.
“Soundmind has made us a better band, and I’m sure we’ve helped them out too,” Yoder said.
01-27-2005