Five teams. One dream. On February 4, The Take Over, Eclipses For Eyes, Divided Minds, Baseline, and Mimelight went head-to-head in a Battle of the Bands at Pub Rock in Scottsdale, AZ. The competition was held for bands to have the opportunity to play a set at So What?! Music Festival in Texas.
Kicking off the night was The Take Over. This girl-fronted band brought high energy to the stage. Their songs covered a ranged from positive and fun to aggressive and high-intensity. This had the crowd on their feet. It was obvious that the band members were having the time of their lives. While they were not the most technically sound group to perform, they were one of the most exciting to watch. With some tweaking, The Take Over could be one their way to a successful career.
Divided Minds were next to perform. The Pop Punk band meshes quite well together and that bled into their performance. They are comfortable having all eyes on them and are not afraid to interact with the audience. The quartet played their catchy songs and the crowd responded well. This was a great show for Divided Minds. They have grown a lot in their sound over the last few months. They definitely put on a show deserving of a set at So What?!
Eclipses For Eyes, also representing girl-fronted bands, came to Pub Rock to throw down. Lead singer belted out lyrics with a force unmatched by other competitors. Her power was unexpected. However, the lyrics were hard to understand in certain areas. It could have been the equipment, but it took away from the performance. However, the band should not fret because they played well and with confidence.
Pop Punk group Baseline came to the competition not only to win, but to have a good time. The crowd went crazy the moment the five-piece started to set up. It seemed like the most of the audience came to see them perform. Minutes into their set, lead singer Michael Schuster busted his lip with his microphone. But what is a pop punk show without a little blood? This only allowed the band to gain more traction. The audience was singing along to all of their songs and crowd surfing. These guys lit up the venue and put on a fabulous show. They made the local music scene and the Pop Punk scene proud.
Mimelight performed with one of the most refined sounds that night. Every note was played with purpose and every melody sung with heart. This group was stylistically different than every other band, which made them standout. The only thing that was missing from their performance was a little more confidence. Mimelight has stellar quality as a band and will go far in their musical career. If they believe in their talents as much as the audience did, they will be spectacular, and will being playing festivals larger than So What?!
Although all the bands poured their souls into their performances, only one band could prevail. After much deliberation by the judges, Baseline was announced the winner of the Battle of the Bands. The band will be playing in Texas at the So What?! Music Festival on March 25, 2017.
Thank you to Third String Promotions AZ for creating the opportunity for local bands to battle!