ELENA FITZGERALD
Special to The Leader
The Music Industry Club is back at it with another Battle of the New Bands.
This event exists as a tradition that has brought many bands together that are now integral to the Buffalo music scene.
The event was planned mainly by Ahmani McKoy, events coordinator of the Music Industry Club (MIC). It featured three performances and multiple vendors that ranged from student artists to off-campus businesses.
The three performances included No Resolution, Mike Hogan and Chatterbox.
Putting together Battle of the New Bands is a semester-long process that starts with the mixer in October. The preparation continues with auditions in early November, which culminates in the show itself on Dec. 1.
There was an especially great interest for performers this year as there were initially six acts auditioning for Battle of the New Bands. When speaking to the President of MIC, Jasmine Torres, “that’s the most we’ve had in four years, so the fact that we [had] that many auditionees was fantastic.”
The setting up of the show itself in the Williams Center Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) proved to be a long process, with Sound Services and MIC starting in the early afternoon, and the event itself starting at 7:00 p.m. Even as the event was just starting, the MPR filled with students and supporters ready for the concert to begin.
First to perform was No Resolution, which included Bridget Brown as lead singer and guitarist, Kaiden Ruiz as lead guitarist, Ryan Tejeda as the guitarist and keys player, Nick Boggio as the bassist, Nick Russo as the drummer, and Brodie Atkinson as the band’s manager.
Although it was challenging following their formation, No Resolution has really enjoyed working together during rehearsals for Battle of the New Bands. “The writing process was really tough at first,” said Ruiz, “but we pulled it together. It was just getting to know each other.”
No Resolution began with an instrumental song with melodic features throughout the group and a strong rhythmic part from the drums. Following this debut piece were originals like “The First One” and “1024,” carrying through their alternative rock sound.
Their performance of “1024” was recorded, and they are hoping for a release in the near future.
Mike Hogan was a solo act that performed second, something that has not been seen prior at Battle of the New Bands. Alongside him was Micah Doig as his manager.
When recounting the process of Battle of the New Bands, Hogan talked about how Doig convinced him to take the steps in auditioning.
“He’s actually responsible for me being here in the first place… If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t even be sitting here right now.” In response, “It’s a true blessing to work with Mike” said Doig.
Mike Hogan’s performance truly filled the space with his smooth voice and intricate guitar playing. With original songs like “Mind of Markus,” “The Blacktop” and “Psychonauts,” he was able to mix folk influences with complex and impactful lyrics.
Last in the lineup was Chatterbox, with lead singer and guitarist Isabella Mowers, guitarist Conner Rankin, bassist Marc Guilliod, drummer Kevin Stevens, and manager Suzy Scaccio.
Chatterbox is a multi-genre group, with clear influences of indie folk, country and jazz. These influences can be seen as Mowers and Stevens are both jazz studies majors that form Mowers’ and Rankins’ country duo, Two Peas in a Pod.
From the start, they were able to work together and the writing process went smoothly. Guilliod reflected on getting to the performance, “it’s a breath of fresh air to finally be able to do what we want in front of people and share our art.”
Chatterbox commanded the stage between the band members, and it was evident that they all loved being on stage. The began with a cover of “Scooby Doo,” and followed up with originals “Walk in the Park” and “Fast Lane.” Their songs featured catchy lyrics and complex rhythms in the instrumentals that worked together to make the group a whole.
With five minutes to vote after the last performance, the crowd moved over to cast their votes. Micah Doig won the prize of best manager and Chatterbox won Battle of the New Bands itself. It was also announced that the winner would be playing in Fredchella, an event for the Spring semester.
A congratulations is in order for everyone who participated, and it is exciting to see the new musicians impacting the music scene.
