CARLY KNASZAK
Staff Writer
The final showdown of Battle of the New Bands took place on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 19 in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room. Students from the second floor gazed down at the stage when they heard the bands running soundcheck as the three final band names flashed behind the stage on a large screen: New Masons, Toxic Tom and For The Records.
Toxic Tom was the first band to take the stage. A small crowd had already arrived to support the local band, but many students came swarming in with their Tim Hortons coffees in hand; they wanted to see what the commotion was all about.
Toxic Tom consists of Rob and Tom Brennan and Pat Toscano. The band gave off a very grunge and punk feel. People in the crowd were head banging as the music played, but the song that made everyone start cheering was the band’s cover of Blink-182’s “Dammit.”
They played a few original songs featuring “A Hundred Miles From Home,” which was slower, but still had an edge to it.
“The guitar player had a very nice guitar, and you can quote me on that,” junior Michael Donnelly said. As the band left the stage, they announced that they had free donuts at their table and that everyone should vote for them. The band was, overall, a great blend of talented musicians.
“I really liked the Blink-182 cover,” said sophomore Jason Zimmerman. “I liked how the bass player was swinging his guitar.”
For The Record was the second band to perform. The crowd seemed to grow even bigger as the band set up. Brendan Hoare and John Greenan’s voices brought a powerful punch to the songs. Greenan, their drummer, did back-up vocals. The band gave off a very old-school rock ‘n roll sound.
They played a wide range of covers, including “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” by Jet and “Arabella” by Arctic Monkeys. However, they did cover a song that was much of a surprise to everyone.
“This next song is a surprise,” Hoare said. “We hope we will release your inner 12-year-old.”
The band then launched into Drake Bell’s early 2000s song, “I Found A Way.” Afterwards, the band went into a few original songs that gave more of an indie and alternative vibe. Guitarist Tyler Wright attached a GoPro to his guitar, and, before ending their set, he took off the GoPro and got a video of the whole crowd cheering the band on.
Last, but not least, New Masons was the final band of the night. They are a five-member band with Deanna Civilette as lead vocals and piano, Ariel Arellano on guitar, John Mix on drums and vox, Michael Gonzalez-Kelly on vox, Jimmy Hartmann on synthesizer and electronics and Jack Lorefice on bass.
They gave a new definition to indie by mixing electronics with it. The band played their song, “Animals,” and the screen behind them showed videos of wildlife. It was a very mellow but upbeat track, showing the band’s indie influences. They also covered Walk The Moon’s hit single, “Shut up and Dance.” By the end of their performance, the largest crowd of the night had filled the floor.
Students and fans rushed the voting table to vote for their favorite band of the night. Soon after the voting, the winners were announced. For The Record was the runner-up and won a microphone set, but the crowd’s favorite was New Masons, who also won a show at BJ’s Bar. New Masons’ manager, Jack Kane, won best manager of the night.
Battle of the New Bands showed how supportive the Fredonia music scene really is with all the bands supporting each other and fans coming out to watch them. But the best thing was random passersby looking at the stage and walking into the Multipurpose Room to listen to the music. It was a night that showcased Fredonia’s talented and popular music scene.