Spring Break
The battle has only begun
Sarah Ruholl/Assistant Verge Editor
Issue date: 3/27/09 Section: The Verge
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Once again, the Verge and the University Board are co-sponsoring a campuswide battle of the bands.
The submission deadline is March 29, and voting will be open to the public on April 1.
The five bands with the most votes will battle it out at 7 p.m. April 16 at 7th Street Underground for an opening spot at Pantherstock on May 1.
The winners will join the EIU Jazz Band and last semester's Battle of the Bands winner, the Staff Blues Band, as they open for Wrong Way, a Sublime tribute group.
To be eligible, at least one member of the band must be a current Eastern student and no member may be involved with The Daily Eastern News or the UB.
"Its an opportunity to really show what you can do," said Sean Walker, Staff Blues' vocalist and a senior art major. "I feel like it really opened a lot of doors for us."
The battle is more than just a show. It provides bands with an opportunity to connect to the campus, broaden their fan base, meet other musicians and set up more shows in the future.
"(The last battle) gave us an opportunity to network with other bands," Walker said.
He also noted that the battle marked the beginning of his group playing a lot of shows with other Eastern bands, particularly Little Boy Jr. and MugWump Specific, two other contenders from the fall battle.
The music scene as a whole has changed since the original Battle of the Bands.
"I feel it's grown tremendously," Walker said. "Going back to last school year, it was really non-existent."
The growth spurt is showing no signs of stopping.
"The music scene right now is really booming, and it can only go up," Walker said.
Pantherstock is in its third year of existence and is an event that reaches the entire campus.
"It's a collaboration with Celebration: (A Festival of the Arts,)" said Lauren Phillips, the UB's mainstage coordinator. "It kicks off Celebration."
The concert will be in the Library Quad on May 1. Celebration will run through May 3.
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