[KHTS] – The College of the Canyons hosted a Battle of the Bands Sunday at the college’s Canyon Country Campus with prizes, raffles, performances and a car display.
It was a warm day with a cool breeze as 7 bands competed for first, second and third place positions at the Carl A. Rasmussen outdoor amphitheater at the College of the Canyons Canyon Country Campus.
“We have 7 bands throughout the day,” Mckay said. “We have the car show going on, a raffle for prizes and just a bunch of cool stuff.”
The first band to perform, Good Chum, began playing around 1:15 pm after short introductions from Dr. Ryan Theule, dean of the COC Canyon Country campus, and Keyboard Galleria.
The event was free to the public and also featured a classic car display, a new car display by Galpin Ford and several kids activities, such as arts and crafts and face painting.
The cars in the display were lined up in a diagonal fashion, with hoods raised, just past the stage where the bands were performing. .
Food was available for purchase from local restaurants that attended the event as well as from the on-site Canyons Cafe.
Mckay said that there were a number of rewards for all bands who were able to make it through the selection process, as well as larger prizes for the top 3 finishers.
“All the bands get stuff just for being here, like guitar strings, t-shirts, hats and cleaning products for their instruments,” Mckay said. “First, second and third place all get a gift card from [Keyboard Galleria].” They also get money from D’Addario for spending on their products and Zildjian has a cymbal for first place.”
The winning band will also have their music showcased on KHTS radio.
The 7 bands that competed Sunday, along with their descriptions, are listed below:
Good Chum – Formed just four years ago in Santa Clarita, this four-member unit has already released one album, with another nearly complete. Songwriters Jesse Fletcher and Michael Castillo-Walsh joined with drummer Chris Wakelin and bassist Elliott Kuhn to create catchy, approachable tunes with depth and force.
Out of Ashes – This five-piece band hails from the Antelope Valley. They joined forces in 2010 and mix melodic vocals with metal riffs and heavy breakdowns to create a unique, crowd-pleasing sound.
Brightside of Blue – This Santa Clarita-based band came together just last year with two sisters as its foundation. Joined by two friends, they perform original music, as well as cover classic rock, punk, pop, country and modern rock favorites.
Good Deeds – This four-piece band from Los Angeles is poised to release their first album, “The Good Tape – EP” this month. Zac “Ziggy” Garfinkel (vocals/guitar), Joey Bonfanti (drums/vocals), Russell Johnston (bass) and Petey Forest (guitar) blend a mix of rock, alternative, hip hop and blues to create their own sound.
The Voxes – Based in the San Fernando Valley, the band was formed last year with Brian Lopez (lead guitar), Javier Valenzuela (vocals), John Toledo (drums), Alec Pereda (bass) and Adrian Jardines (rhythm guitar). Their mellow but upbeat sound has earned them local gigs, and they released a self-titled demo late in 2013.
The Murrows – Brothers Bryan and Evan Fradin formed The Murrows in 2012 with childhood friend Logan Cantrell, and later added guitarist Jason Spathopoulos. Their indie rock sound has steadily built a fan base in the greater Los Angeles area. In 2013 the band recorded and released their first singles, “Let You Down” and “New York City,” and plan to release their first EP soon.
Randy Volin and the Hard Ones – Born and raised in Detroit, Randy Volin ventured west in 2011 and landed in L.A. An accomplished blues guitarist, Randy has played with and opened for performers such as Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eddie Money, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells, Albert King, Lonnie Brooks, Cheap Trick, Steve Marriott, John Mellencamp, The Kinks and more.
Mckay said he was happy with the variety of music and was looking forward to holding more Battle of the Bands events in the future.
“[The music] is mixed,” Mckay said. “It’s rock to pop. Theres a good mix of softer pop to harder pop and some rock. We’re just going to have fun, see how it goes and hopefully we can do it again next year.”
For more information about the rules for Sunday’s Battle of The Bands, click here.
To find out more about the COC Canyon Country campus, visit their website, here.
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