As the first of eight bands took the Trabant Multipurpose Room stage, the energy of the crowd immediately began to increase. A group of five males in slim T-shirts and shaggy hair introduced themselves as the Outlanders and insisted that the standing crowd come closer to the stage.
"I love your tight pants!" a fan in the audience yelled out in response.
On Monday night, the Outlanders were the first to perform in The Battle of the Bands, hosted by the Student Centers Programming Advisory Board.
However, like the other seven performers in attendance, they weren't just playing for the sake of playing. They were playing to compete, and it was audience members themselves who would determine the victor.
Some young spectators threw up their hands, some sang along and many heads and legs bobbed to the beat as each act brought their own flair to the competition. From solo artists to group efforts, and from a difference in appearance to a difference in instruments, not one band was the same.
The Outlanders started off with an energetic performance, as band members lurched in unison and jumped around on stage until the amps around them shook and rocked. The band Future Unwritten then appeared across the room on the second stage, the long-haired bassist tossing around his locks to the music.
Then came an act named Joel Rakes, who referred to himself as "the guy without a band." He explained to the audience that he didn't receive an offer to play until two hours before the competition, which wasn't enough time to get his band to join him. Determined to keep the audience involved, Rakes asked his fans what kind of songs they wanted to hear.
"Would you rather hear a song about my grandpa or a fake love song?" he asked.
The crowd yelled out a resounding "Grandpa!" in response, leading into Rakes's song about his Grandpa Grady, which, he pointed out, is great for alliteration's sake.
After Rakes's solo performance came the One Armed Bandits - a nine-man band consisting of one trumpet, one guitar, one bass, a keyboard, an alto sax, a trombone, a baritone sax, a drum set and a set of congos. The band made sure to entice the audience, getting the crowd to not only dance, but also scat along with one of the vocalists Reid Kelley. By the loud screams between songs from the audience, it was clear that the One Armed Bandits were a crowd favorite.
Guitarist Parish Warrington says in order to describe the 4-month-old band's sound, one would really just need to listen.
"I have a big blues background, and then the other guy who writes most of our songs - his background is heavily reggae," Warrington says. "And I'm also into rock, jazz, funk, so you throw those in with reggae and you kind of get what is us, and it's very unique."
The One Armed Bandits were followed by four more bands including The Shakedown; Brandon Langer, another solo artist who was without his band, Stealing December, for the night; the Scarecrow Smilies, the only band involving three girls and one boy along with a violinist; and The Blend, which closed out the night with a remake of the Muddy Waters song, "Hoochie Coochie Man."
However, by the end of the night when the votes were cast, the One Armed Bandits remained the crowd favorite, taking home the top spot in this year's Battle of the Bands. The bandmates cheered and hugs were shared, and as a reward, the group will have its own set performance on April 18 in the Scrounge, with the second place band, the Outlanders, as its opening act.
Keyboardist Jeremy Carlson says this Battle of the Bands was the One Armed Bandits's second victory in a competition this month, and the band is currently working on its first CD. He says he felt it was their horn section that made their band stand out in the competition.
"Especially since it's so large," Carlson says. "It's nice - there are a lot of harmonies."
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