WZND and Castle Theatre host first ever Battle of the Bands

NORMAL, Ill.  WZND’s Music Department partnered with The Castle Theatre in Downtown Bloomington to host Battle of the Bands: Next Gen. 

Emceed by Music Director Logan Moeller and Assistant Music Director Elizabeth Zoerner, Battle of the Bands featured seven live performances from local bands. 

The bands that hit the stage were: From Within, Blind Baby, Cats and Dragons, The Occasion , Loose 9000, Short Notice and Peng. Each band played a total of three songs and performed for roughly 20 minutes.  

 Some members of the crowd voiced their opinions on why they came out to the show and their thoughts on the performances. 

“I came out to the show tonight because I am an artist myself so I wanted to show some support,  but I also came out because it’s really cool to see other artists and groups hit the stage and perform,” audience member and music artist David Hunter said. 

Audience member Nick Marchigiani compared the experience to enjoying a sweet treat.

“Incredible,” Marchigiani said. “I’ve seen old and new faces and seeing these 2o minute sets of each band was like sampling a bunch of ice cream flavors. Seeing my peers rock out on stage with one another was great.”

WZND also partnered with the School Street Food Pantry, and audience members were allowed an extra vote toward their favorite band of the night if they donated food.  At the end of the show, the pantry box was filled with over 300 non-perishable foods and hygiene products. 

The audience vote winner was From Within, who received a $500 prize courtesy of Waiting Room Records. There was also a panel of judges who picked a band to win the opportunity to open for a show at Castle Theatre and have a professional photoshoot. The winner of this award was Blind Baby.

Between the novelty of seeing so many different live performances and the plethora of items going to community members in need, the event gave a lot of people something new.