Local bands slayed at Battle of the Bands

On Friday, March 31, the SUB ballrooms filled with fog, local music and a rowdy crowd for the annual Battle of the Bands competition. Six local bands competed for the audience's support to win a first-place prize which totaled over $500.

Battle of the Bands allowed the musicians to showcase their talents to their peers in an electric environment. 

When I walked through the main doors of the SUB ballrooms, fog filled the air and I could hear a band playing bluegrass music inside the ballrooms. Upon entering, two stages were set up with multi-colored strobe lights and a crowd of students with glow-in-the-dark bracelets cheered on the band. 

“It's a good time. I've never done a Battle of the Bands event or anything school-sponsored, so it was fun,” said Rabi Phelan, the upright bass player in North Folk Crossing. 

North Folk Crossing left the audience in awe after its bluegrass performance at the battle. Unfortunately, North Folk Crossing did not place at the event. However, according to the North Fork Crossing website they plan to continue performing together and have multiple performances coming up.

Phelan said they are about halfway through recording their first studio album and have a gig coming up on April 14 where they will open up for Laney Lou and The Bird Dogs at the Attic in Livingston.

The Battle of the Bands winner was a local Ska band called Hornbread. They have eight members including people on drums, bass, electric guitar, bass trombones and trumpets. 

They specialize in a lesser-known genre of music called Ska. During the 1950s, Ska music originated as Jamaican dance music and eventually evolved to include influences from American Jazz and R&B, according to the Washington Post. 

“We want to keep spreading the genre of Ska. There aren’t any other Ska bands in Bozeman,” said Nathan Rodacker, drummer in Hornbread. Rodacker commented, “People like it, but they just don’t know they like it.” 

Hornbread has a couple of upcoming gigs, one on May 5 and another on May 27, both at the Filling Station in Bozeman. As part of their first-place prize, they will also be the opening act for the MSU Fall Debut next semester.

If you enjoyed North Folk Crossing and Hornbread at Battle of the Bands, keep up with them on Instagram to never miss a gig. North Folk Crossing can be followed @northforkcrossing and Hornbread can be found @hornbreadofficial on Instagram.