Winning bands look ahead after “Battle of the Bands”

Bozeman has earned a reputation for its thriving music scene through its local talent pool and its 

exceptional abilities of young musicians. On April 20, this was further proved as ASMSU and Logjam Presents showcased that talent at the third annual “Battle of the Bands.” In the SUB ballroom, six college bands competed for the title of “Bobcats’ Best Band” and a chance to play a headlining performance at the Rialto on May 3. 

At the end of the competition, local band MST was announced the winner. In addition, local band Bottlecap was named runner up. 

“We had just recently finished our [upcoming] album right before the Battle of the Bands,” drummer for MST Eliot DeFrancesco-Evans said. “We were super stoked. It was really cool to be able to perform live for the first time. Everybody did super well. We were not sure we were gonna win — we thought it could go either way. I think one thing we very intentionally thought of, and planned was [our] song choice. We have 10 or 11 originals that are gonna be on our album. Some are a little slower, and we [thought the songs we played] needed to be really high energy.”

For their set, MST played a mix of covers and songs from their unreleased album, tentatively titled “If I Learned Something Someday.” 

“Recording that album was a really intensive process,” MST guitarist Gabby Rizzo said. “We had to listen to the songs over and over again. It really trained us to finetune our music. So going into Battle of the Bands, which was conveniently right after, [we] felt ready. It was a lot of fun music.” 

The band members agreed that their success came from treating the competition like any other gig, emphasizing that the value lies in their strong friendship and having a good time. 

“We had so much fun up there,” Rizzo said. “Alyssa ended the show smashing a plush guitar. We just have a lot of laughs, even on stage. There's always something in a show that isn't expected.” 

MST began their journey in 2022 after meeting on campus. Since then, the group has been playing gigs around Bozeman. “Unfortunately we are all moving away [so the band] will be done in July,” singer for MST Alyssa Mandich said. “It's bittersweet, but we are doing a lot within the last two months. We are all going on tour. We’ve never played outside of Bozeman. All the dates are on our website.” 

Kicking off the tour, MST’s album release party is scheduled for Friday, May 17 at the Rialto. Having already planned this event before “Battle of the Bands,” the bands and event coordinators decided to exchange prizes with the runner-up. Bottlecap will now be playing the winning showcase on Friday May 3, and MST will receive the second place prize of studio time to rehearse and use for general jamming. 

“It's a weird thing [to] compete in music,” guitarist for Bottlecap Jackson Twitty said. “But we’re really tight with [the other bands]. [Our] tech team did such an insane job. It made such a huge difference. Music is one thing, but it takes a lot of people working to make it happen.” 

Similarly, Bottlecap began after the members crossed paths in the dorms of MSU. 

“The progress I've seen in these guys from when I first met them freshman year in the dorms, to now has been insane,” manager for Bottlecap Henry Robinson said. “As soon as we got into a new house and actually had our own space, [we] started playing electric. The progression [from there] was just immense. It was crazy just how much they were able to do.”

During their set, Bottlecap performed an array of instrumental pieces influenced by psychedelic rock and classic rock genres. 

“[Our sound] has evolved over time,” Bottlecap rhythm guitarist Alex Von Barloewen said. “We love bands like Grateful Dead and [Creedence Clearwater Revival.] We like Goose a lot, and Pink Floyd. There's influence from all the bands we listen to. We've been working on improving everytime we play. We try to come up with ideas on the spot and go from there. We're always trying to expand.” 

The members of Bottlecap, having taken part in last year's “Battle of the Bands,” opted to minimize stress this time around, choosing to "keep it loose," as bassist Ian Oehler put it.

“It is so rewarding doing all the prep for the shows, and seeing it come to fruition in front of my eyes,” Robinson said. “Seeing all the people pour into the venues, and experience what we've been preparing for. It's very rewarding to see your hard work pay off.”

Both bands invite students to come out and show their support for local music scenes. Information about both events can be found on Logjam Presents website, under the events tab.

“Live music,” Twitty said. “Nothing beats it.”