Eleven music groups will battle for supremacy at this year’s Battle of the Bands.
The free event, which is hosted by Breakout Entertainment, begins at 6 p.m. in Ferguson Social Sciences auditorium and will be held tonight.
The bands will be competing for $400 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place and will be judged based on talent, music appeal and stage presence. Judges for the event will be student body president Amber Ramoz, breakout entertainment club chair Jerry Petter and Terence Bradford.
Here’s a look at the competing bands.
Addielou
Comprised of A&M-Commerce student Kyle Shovan, Tanner Harmening, who works at quick and easy lube in Paris, Justin Tidwell and Erik Jenkins, who works for Enterprise in Paris, plays rock, indie and screamo. Their influences include Taking Back Sunday, The Chariot, Emanuel and Underoath.
Blacksheep Masquerade
This band has many musical influences including modern and older punk, blues, folk and bluegrass, though they play acoustic music. The group is comprised of A&M-Commerce student Lucas Magee and Caddo Mills High School student Evan Carpenter.
Graceland
This group is formed by two housemates that enjoy letting everything go and have fun playing music. Members are Evan Wallis and Erick Baker. Both are photography majors at A&M-Commerce.
Last Day Living
Comprised of Justin Ranton, Paris Pipkin, Shawn Pipkin, Josh Horn and Joe Sloan, this band is an experimental rock group that has fresh and new music. This band won the 2006 Battle of the Bands and “wants to promote a non-vain appearance and show people to be themselves.”
Machinegun Green Eyes
This band rises from the ashes of two successful but short-lived bands. Longtime friends Kerry Karaffa (vocals) and Josh Alley (guitar) spent time in Socratic Method, a grunge outfit from Trenton, before joining Weston (guitar, vocals) and Dakota Miller (drums), remnants of an Indie rock band from Detroit, Texas known as The Fix. The foursome was later joined by lifetime friend Joey Dean. Writing with a message, they aim to challenge what is assumed and inspire everyone to rediscover life, love, and hope.
Melba Toast
This band is from Greenville and is a four-piece rock n’ roll band. Members of this band are A&M-Commerce student Adam Mixson, Greenville high school student Alex Mixson, Lee Hyatt, who works for All-State Insurance and Brandon Barker, who works for Balfour.
Silent on Bordeaux
This original rock band is based out of Greenville and has been working on music for two years. They have one guitar player, one bass player, a drummer and a singer. The members of the band are A&M-Commerce student Ben Gibson, UNT student Philip Love, Justin Cox, who works for L3 Technology and Collin County Community College student Jeff Gunter.
Stavely
This band has been playing the North Texas Area for more than two years and have played for such venues as the Dallas Guitar Show and the Phi Theta Kappa hay ride. The band members are Christ for the Nations Institute student Zach Shea, UNT student Brent Taylor, Collin County Community College student Josh Moore, Richland College student Kelly Armstrong and A&M-Commerce student Tim Sewalt.
Tired Glenn and the Uncertain Cannon
Two robots and a human converge to form this band that perform robo-electric-dance- punk music. The band is made up of A&M-Commerce photography majors Matthew Lindley, Alex Piper and Chris Heimann.
Undecided
This band plays rock and alterative music that is not too hard. The members are A&M-Commerce student Jordan Walden, Adam Norris, Paul Taylor who works for the Greenville Fire Department and Paris Junior College student, Dylan Stewart.
Understudy
Band members Blake Bethel, A&M-Commerce student, Zack Baker, who is a mechanic, Chris Dickson, A&M-Commerce student and Geoff McBroom who is a machine operator form the band known as Understudy. The band plays rock n’ roll and have been playing together for several years. Their influences range from classic rock to punk.