Battle of the Bands
7 p.m. Feb. 19
Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre
Rock music fans can witness a musical “fight to the finish” when the Washington Symphony Orchestra hosts a Battle of the Bands on campus.
Eight local rock bands will perform original music as they compete for a $500 grand prize.
In addition, seven minutes of music by the winning band will be arranged for orchestra, and the band will be invited to perform the arrangement at the WSO’s “We Will Rock You” concert in May.
Performers in three of the eight competing bands —Tartarus, Soulios, and Mike Meketa and the Half-Baked Jazz Band — are Cal U students.
Admission is free for Cal U students, $5 for others. All members of the campus community, as well as area residents, are invited to attend.
Various musical styles will be represented in the contest, but themes, language and attire will be no stronger than PG-13.
The battle of the bands is a collaborative effort of the WSO, Cal U’s Department of Music and Theatre, the Student Activities Board (SAB), and the Underground Café.
Contest judges will be Dr. Yugo Ikach, Cal U’s director of choirs, as well as music director and principal conductor for the WSO; his faculty colleague Ralph Guzzi; Pete Povich ’03, of WJPA radio; and radio personality/columnist Scott Paulsen.
Preview performances
The competing bands have been invited to perform at two of the Underground Café’s Thursday “open mic” nights — at 9 p.m. Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 in the Energy Zone, inside the Natali Student Center.
The Underground Café is open to all Cal U students. Admission is free with your CalCard.
Hear the winner and the WSO
The winning band will perform with the WSO at 8 p.m. May 7 in Trinity High School auditorium, in Washington, Pa.
SAB will sponsor a bus to the concert. Cal U students with valid CalCards are admitted free of charge to all WSO performances.
Learn more
For more information, e-mail Dr. Yugo Ikach at ikach@calu.edu.