On Thursday February 7th, Middletown North shook with the sounds of rock n’ roll. The Battle of the Bands competition, a junior council event, was flawless, showcasing the tremendous talent of the students at Middletown High school North.
The Junior Class hosted a great event. Moderated by Chance Woodginski and Jackie Clark, the dynamic duo kept the audience entertained through intermissions and held the show together. Attending the Battle of the Bands was like going to a concert. Each band was unique and with the assistance of the Drama departments, lighting and stage crew, the event looked and felt professional.
Five bands performed. They included the following: The Wrecker, which includes Cross Siclair, Craig Abbes, Andrew Tachine, and Chris Anslemo; Partial Satisfaction, with John McDermott, Brian Lindner, John Murry, and Joey Sullivan; The Bomberos including brothers Michael and Justin Bartels, Doug Bornhoeft, Ryan Byrd, and Christina Nigro; The Even Crown with Steve Malero, Christopher Noterile, and Chris Conover; High Octane with Cross Siclair, Garrett O’Grady, Wayne White, and Bryan Stager.
Judged on a ten point scale on five different categories, competition was steep. Bands were judged on style, stage presence, lyrics, musical ability and their overall performance.
At the end of all of the performances, and after short judges deliberation, the winner was High Octane. High Octane impressed the crowd and the judges with their expert performances. High Octane, a remnant of the winner of the previous year’ battle of the bands, Modern Therapy, contains many of the same band members.
All in all, this year’s Battle of the Bands competition was a complete success. Not only were there strong performances by the bands, but a strong turnout. It was a true community event with many opposing band members aiding in the performances of another, either on backup vocals or assisting in the set up of equipment etc. The Battle of the Bands is not only a show case for talent, but a source of community, pride and excitement.