On a beautiful Saturday night, with the Java Barn garage door being open for the first time since the fall, five student bands competed to open at Spring Fest for Neon Trees on April 15. The bands competing for this opportunity were, Melowdramania, Shits and Gigs, GroupShower, The Mandy Issue, and The Earl Greys. For some, this was their first time performing on stage, and everyone put on a fantastic show. Similarly to how students voted for the Spring Fest headliner, students voted for their favorite band at the end of the night. This official voting was also joined by a lot of cheering as the crowd shouted for their favorite songs and bands.

Melowdramania opened the night at the Java venue, earning shouts of an encore from the crowd. Shits and Gigs were next to the stage, with a group featuring many members of the SLU funk ensemble. Victor Gamberoni lit up the keyboard with some fantastic playing and was accompanied by an amazing saxophone solo by Caitlin French. Their performance was made even more exciting with a broken snare drum and their drummer chugging a beer.

GroupShower, consisting of Zach Effman, Finn Paulson, Max Sabo, Rosie Johns, Taylor Beidler, Erin Reynolds, and Cara Monteleone, won the student vote. They played an electrifying set including “Free Bird,” “House of the Rising Sun,” and “Cuz I Love You.” “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd showcased Zach’s guitar-playing skills with his excellent performance of what is widely considered one of the best guitar solos of all time. Zach also dazzled with some incredible behind-the-back guitar playing on “House of the Rising Sun” — a feat that many only dream of. Along with this, for their last two songs, the horn section joined the stage, bringing a unique sound to the classic ensemble of percussion, guitar, bass, and vocals. This, along with the iconic opening of “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals, fired up the crowd, contributing to their popularity among student voters.

While The Battle of the Bands ultimately is a competition to open for Spring Fest, it’s ultimately a time to have fun and enjoy the moment. Finn Paulson, the bassist for GroupShower, said, “I think that every band there deserved to win. For me, the goal was to play music I like with some friends, and everything else is just a bonus. I’m super excited to play at Spring Fest though!” This feeling was present throughout the crowd with everyone cheering and hyping up the bands on stage. While it was a competition, everyone was there to have fun, listen to some amazing music, and support their friends up on stage.