Last Saturday, students dressed up and got down at Berger Hall to three electric acts that made those not moshing look out of the ordinary.
This was UCCS Radio’s fourth annual Battle of the Bands competition, complete with a costume contest and bingo. Radio Manager Justin Harris described high spirits and good vibes as the themes for the night.
“This was the best battle of the bands we have done so far,” said Harris, adding later that the event even ended up coming in under the budget.
The first band to hit the stage was Renegade Hangover, a group of UCCS students who focused on original music. This was the band’s first performance, and it was a hit with crowd members and organizers alike, with Harris lauding their performance.
Second was Rude Mood, another group of UCCS students who focused on a mix of cover songs and originals. Near the end of their set list, they covered “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac. In the outro, the crowd erupted into a mosh pit near the stage, full of costumed students hurling themselves at each other.
Lastly was a group of students hailing from Colorado College called Jabberwocky. Playing a mix of original songs and covers, their lead singer screamed his lungs out to “Led Zeppelin” and “Pink Floyd” dressed as Princess Peach.
In between performances, attendees played bingo rounds to win prizes before being thrown back into the mix of the next act.
Before the winner was announced, Harris kept up the energy by announcing the winner of the costume contest and having a Q&A session with band members. The Q&A was hosted by UCCS Radio podcast hosts from the show “Full Frontal Neck Dissection.”
Jabberwocky came out on top, narrowly beating out Rude Mood with 51 to 49 votes. Even though a UCCS band couldn’t take home the cake, Harris was still more than happy to see people show out for some live music.
“I think people love live music. It brings people together in a unique way… the crowd is apart of the vibe,” said Harris.
Photo courtesy of UCCS Radio.