While many of my interests have come and gone over the years, live music remains constant. From attending the cultural phenomenon that was the Eras Tour to listening to local bands on rooftops, the energy and passion of live music will always be unmatched. So, when I heard UCF’s Campus Activities Board was hosting a Battle of the Bands, it wasn’t a question of whether I was going—I knew I would be there.
After waiting in the long line, which wrapped around the hallway in front of the Pegasus Ballroom, colorful lights and excitement filled the space as attendees filed in. Judges sat on a raised platform, and the audience buzzed as we waited for the first band to play. After a few minutes of anticipation, the background music came to a halt, and the first band, Quarter Life Crisis, was introduced as they made their way on stage.
There were a few moments of awkward tension as they prepared their first song, but those feelings soon melted away as the opening chords of “Scotty Doesn’t Know” by Lustra rang out. Almost instantly, people started crowding around the edge of the stage and singing along. The environment shifted from slightly shaky and unsure to a familiar confidence that’s found when people are doing what they’re passionate about.
As the night went on, more bands played a combination of original songs and well-known covers. The energy from the bands and the crowd grew more comfortable and confident, with booming voices singing and swaying next to friends and strangers. 10 bands performed in the following order: Quarter Life Crisis, Flatline, Wadeview, Shepherd, TeeBeeDee, Urban Sprawl, Harwick, Bellicosa, No Clue, and Zenith.
While every band had its attention-grabbing moments, some highlights of the night included Flatline’s magnetic stage presence, Shepherd’s prop sheep (which lead singer Aiden Shepherd carried for the duration of their set), Wadeview’s performance of “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit, and the jaw-dropping high notes from the vocalists of TeeBeeDee. At the end of the night, Urban Sprawl took home the judges’ pick, and Harwick won the crowd’s vote.
In the days following the performances, I was able to sit down with several of the bands to talk about their experiences participating in Battle of the Bands.
The first band I met with was Quarter Life Crisis, made up of Diego Vega (vocals and guitar), Noor Salem (bass), Thomas Chidester (guitar), and Gabriel Castenada (drums). When asked what three words would describe their music, they responded with “punk, indie rock, and Scott Pilgrim”—the last word thrown in by Salem, earning a laugh from the rest of the group. Their set list included two original songs, “Crisis” and “Polaroid Girl,” along with “Scotty Doesn’t Know” by Lustra and “Longview” by Green Day.
While proud of their performance, Quarter Life Crisis was honest about technical frustrations. “Guitar was completely blown out, you couldn’t really hear my bass, and there were no vocals in the beginning,” Chidester and Salem said. Though they faced issues, the band pushed through and delivered a strong performance.
The group described the audition as one of the most nerve-racking things they have done, explaining that they previously had to perform in a nearly empty room for five judges. According to them, judges were looking for the ability to recover, stage presence, and overall preparation.
To end our interview on a lighter note, I asked, “In The Hunger Games, who is most likely to win and who is most likely to die first?” There was immediate agreement that Diego would die first, and after some debate, they concluded their drummer, Gabe, would win. The four spent the interview finishing each other’s sentences and making lighthearted jabs at one another, which clearly translates on stage.
Next, I spoke with Wadeview about their electric performance, which had the entire crowd headbanging and jumping along. The alternative metal band has been performing for several years. Wadeview is made up of Zac Glazier (vocals and guitar), Evan Vergara (bass), and Cannon Thompson (drums). For Battle of the Bands, Ryan Reeck from No Clue filled in on guitar due to a hand injury Glazier sustained. The band got its name from a park near the high school they attended together.
The most memorable moment for them was playing “Break Stuff” and seeing the crowd dance and sing along. With this being their first time competing in Battle of the Bands, they were most nervous about performing their unreleased song “Magdalene,” which they plan to record soon. “It’s the most vocally demanding song that I think we’ve written,” Glazier said. “Because it’s our newest song, we’ve only played it once in front of a crowd,” Vergara added.
When I asked, “In reference to Destiny’s Child, who is the Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle of the group?” Glazier immediately responded, “OK … I’m saying I’m Beyoncé.” Vergara and Thompson laughed as they joked about how seriously Glazier took the question. “Kelly … Michelle,” he said matter-of-factly, pointing first to Thompson and then to Vergara. It was clear from our conversation that the three share a close relationship built on humor and a shared passion for music.
I also spoke with Shepherd, comprised of Aiden Shepherd (vocals), Luke “Garbanzo” Gonzalez (bass), Kendall “Rat Man” Raymon (guitar), and Jordan Haynes (drums). This was the largest audience Shepherd had ever performed for. Their set list included four original songs: “Moshpit,” “Shepherd,” “Rotating Clock,” and “Mindless,” along with a cover of “Some Kind of Hate” by Misfits.
One of Aiden Shepherd’s favorite parts of the night was seeing the crowd march along to one of their original songs. Like many other groups, they experienced a few technical hiccups but said they were proud of their performance overall.
Similarly, Zenith, made up of Angel Salva (vocals), Sam Schultz (guitar), Andrew Lane (bass), and Landon Pichette-Stansfield (drums), received a call from UCF’s CAB less than 24 hours before the competition asking them to fill in for another band. As a result, their set list consisted of two songs: “Toxicity” by System of a Down and “Nightmare” by Avenged Sevenfold. Despite limited preparation time, the band walked away with lasting memories.
The final, and perhaps most memorable, band I spoke with was Flatline. While drummer Matt Black and guitarist Ryan Gomez were unavailable, I had a long conversation with Brandon Rossel (vocals and guitar) and Taylor Fournier (bass). The band played an untitled original song, “Everlong” by Foo Fighters, and “Figure It Out” by Royal Blood. The crew tried not to look at this performance as a competition, but just like any other gig, emphasizing the importance of being themselves on stage.
According to both Rossel and Fournier, nerves built backstage before their performance. Rossel described a moment when he looked at his bandmates, and they shared a silent understanding. “I just took a step back, I looked at my crew, I looked at what was going on out there—Taylor and I kind of shared a look—and they all kind of just told me, ‘Hey, let’s do this. Together.’”
When talking about their audition process, their experience was a little different. Due to a scheduling issue with another band member, they had to record and send in a video audition, which Rossel described as the downside being that they “didn’t get the luxury of performing live,” in reference to the energy of performing on stage, but they did get to send in “a perfect audition.”
As someone who loves music production, I asked whether they had any dream producers they would like to work with. They said collaborating with someone experienced in rap or jazz could bring “a different edge” and a more well-rounded sound to their music. With every question, they answered with genuine enthusiasm. Their captivating stage presence clearly stems from a shared passion for every part of the process, from performance to writing to production. The graciousness and animated responses made for a lovely conversation with the pair.
Live music isn’t just about perfect performances, but the chemistry and community that buzzes through the air, both on stage and in the crowd. I can’t wait to see what these bands do next and what new bands emerge at the next Battle of the Bands.