Chelsea Pound
Assistant Intrigue Editor
Get your air guitar ready, because 2010's Battle of the Bands is finally here.
Student-led bands will face off for bragging rights and first prize in UPC's Battle of the Bands Friday at 7 p.m. on Cater Lawn.
The first place band will win $400, second place $300 and third place $200.
To take home a prize, the bands must impress the panel of judges, including SGA president Kurt Sasser, Miss Auburn University Rebecca Hart and Auburn Idol runner-up Shannon Henderson.
"It has been my experience that students at Auburn are among the most talented in the country," said Ainsley Carry, vice president of Division of Student Affairs. "I look forward to seeing the performances on Friday. It will be a great atmosphere on campus with the pep rally, College GameDay and Battle of the Bands."
The bands will be judged on originality, vocals, stage presence, musicianship and overall impression.
UPC Special Projects Director Matthew Ciuros along with assistant directors Kaitie Gallahue and Erica Martin were responsible for choosing which bands would compete.
"All the demos were extremely good, which made our decision process difficult," Ciuros said. "We narrowed the 14 bands down to six based on their demo and application."
The final lineup consists of Therapy, Blame Sydney!, BrokenRail, Planet Swim, Just Marked and The Bandar-Log.
Nikita Miller, lead singer of last year's winning band Therapy, is looking forward to competing again this year.
This will be the last time most members of Therapy will get to perform in Battle of the Bands.
"We're just so blessed to have the opportunity to compete this year again," Miller said. "If we placed this year in the competition, it would mean our hard work and dedication to each other and as a band would pay off. We are looking forward to debuting our brand new songs we wrote, especially for the Battle of the Bands competition."
Bands must have at least one Auburn student to compete. Each is allowed 25 minutes on stage. This includes setup time, sound check and performance.
If a band exceeds the allotted time, points will be deducted from its final score.
Each band will play three songs: two original pieces that will be scored by the judges, and one cover or original song for sound check purposes that will not be scored.
"I love the variety of bands we chose to compete this year," Martin said. "It will really be a show to entertain everyone who attends."
Free food from Papa Johns Pizza, Nathan's Famous and Chick-fil-A will be served at the event.
"We have invested in a lot of high-tech staging, sounds and lights which should amplify the outdoor concert atmosphere," said Ciuros. "This event should be a lot of fun."
Though the effects will be impressive, Gallahue focused on the bands:
"I really hope that the Auburn students appreciate all the talent we have on campus. These bands have worked so hard to participate in this event and UPC has worked so hard to put on this event for the students," she said. "I hope everyone is ready to have a good time and in the end leave the event excited for next years competition."
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