“You’re on the phone with your girlfriend, she’s upset,” sang Wired’s lead singer Alyssa Wong. This iconic opening lyric of Taylor Swift’s hit song, “You Belong With Me,” elicited joyous cheers as the audience sang back the next line: “She’s going off about something that you said!”
Throughout Wired’s performance, the final act of the Battle of the Bands event, students and faculty alike sang along to their stellar setlist, which included “You Belong With Me,” “vampire,” and “Since You’ve Been Gone,” dancing in the endearing embrace of others under the neon-colored spotlights.
Winning first place, Wong said, “I enjoy seeing the audience dancing and singing along from the pit.” Recognizing the supportive nature of our students, Wong described the relationships between each of the bands: “We are all friends and have grown so much together!”
Chris Fukuda, lead vocalist for the second-place winning band Crackerz, agreed with Wong, saying “[When] we were waiting for our turn to perform, my bandmates and I would go out into the crowd and support the other bands–I enjoyed dancing in the audience and watching my fellow classmates do what they love the most.”
Taking place on March 1st, the Battle of the Bands, a competitive, yet friendly, musical performance presented eight bands this year: Avenue, Echo Wave, Artificial Banana, Paper Cranes, KRNB, Crackerz, and Wired. The bands from South’s Contemporary Music Club demonstrated our immensely talented student body, displaying both their strong musical abilities as well as their kind-hearted personalities.
Each band practiced extensively in the time leading up to the performance night, refining their set list and practicing their songs, ensuring flawless melodies and ultimate cohesion between all band members. Although practicing may seem stressful, sophomore instrumentalist Enoch Kim explains that “[It] just felt like [I was] having fun with a bunch of friends.”
This fun, lighthearted energy was evident amongst all of the bands; in particular, Crackerz, previously named Ryan’s Basement, truly embodied this sentiment as lead vocalists Chris Fukuda, Lauren Hom, and Alexis Dorf expressed that their band was a collaboration of close friends, working together to craft intricate melodies—truly making each song their own. Wowing the crowd for the second year in a row, the band impressed audience members with their synchronized choreography and undeniable group comradery. The real showstopper was their opener, a passionate, one-of-a-kind rendition of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” that had students screaming with excitement upon hearing their spin on this nostalgic 2010’s tune.
Paper Cranes also rallied excitement with their upbeat and lively cover of DNCE’s “Cake By The Ocean,” encouraging everyone to huddle by stage and join them in singing the rest of their set list. Vocalists Lana Miao and Addie Suggs’ exuberant energy combined with their peppy dance moves secured them the third place win. “My favorite moment of the show was seeing all my friends in the audience—being able to interact with them made me so happy!” Miao exclaimed.
Besides the Battle of the Band veterans, several new bands joined this year: The opening performance Avenue was one of them. “At first, it [performing] was nerve-wracking because it was our first time being the opening act,” said revealed vocalist Khloe Chong. “But once we got on stage, we were vibing.” And the audience sure was too. Clapping to the beat of “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, the audience members accompanied the band’s slow-paced, cathartic take on this iconic song.
Other amazing performances were accompanied by thoughtful musical compositions like Echo Wave’s guitar instrumentals and Artificial Banana’s ukulele solo. Asian Culture Club’s KRNB band also made an appearance at the Battle of the Bands Performance, singing popular songs in both English and Korean. They ended their performance by singing LE SSERAFIM’s “Perfect Night,” perfectly melding vocals and instrumentals while showcasing their wide vocal range and calm stage presence.
Following the final act, the crowd was prompted to cheer for their favorite bands as everyone waited in anticipation: performers and audience members were eager to hear the winning results. Atop the stage, nervous faces were met with heartfelt smiles, embracing the everlasting crowd screams whilst maintaining a perfect balance of excitement and serenity. The performers gathered together, overlapping arms with their neighbors, reflecting the student body’s diverse talent and social unity. “It was really fun getting to witness and perform such amazing music all in one night,” Chris Fukuda concludes. “We ended up having the best time ever, leaving the stage with no regrets!”
