By Mitch Huttema (The Cascade) – Email
This year marked the fourth since the inception of CIVL Radio’s Battle of the Bands, and the third show of the battle was enough to make every nineties kid / UFV student want to start up a garage band of their own.
The participant bands compete in a series of shows from which the best of each is chosen to perform in a finale battle at the Fraser Valley Music Awards (FVMA’s) this Saturday, July 16 at Matsqui Centennial Hall. The winners of the battle will receive a cash prize funded by donations at each of the shows.
The third show in the series was held Friday, June 24, at the Spotted Owl in downtown Abbotsford with six bands in attendance. The bar was nearly over capacity by the time the fourth band and eventual winners of the night’s round, Casinos, came up to bat.
“I am overjoyed that the Spotted Owl, former site of the Airfair Lounge is open once more to campus and community radio music events,” said Aaron Levy, station manager at CIVL Radio and coordinator of the battle, commenting on how the venue has been through several different owners in the past years.
Intoxicated By Nature opened the night followed by Subcoastal, a rock group all the way from Langley. Each of the groups brought their own unique atmosphere to the stage as they tore through their 10 minute sets. Like Bears, a punk band from Chilliwack, brought their frenetic and temperamental energy minutes after Alex Rake and the Leaves hollered rhymes and crooned poetry over their mandolin and saxophone accompaniment. Sleep Science locked down the most diverse set by starting with rock and roll and then breaking into psychedelic vibes by the time they were done.
Once the bands had each done their time, Aaron Levy took the stage to announce an impromptu open mic session exclusive to members of the bands that had just played. He followed the announcement with a nostalgic but spectacular cover of Weezer’s Say It Ain’t So with the drummer of Like Bears, Alex Rake playing mandolin and Kier Junos of Casinos on guitar. Not to be shown up by his boss, Dave Cusick, director of production at CIVL took the mic and lead guitar to perform an improvised song reminiscent of the ever-timeless Fountain’s of Wayne’s Stacy’s Mom, complete with references to the fact that he had no idea what he was saying.
Following the CIVL staff takeover, a supergroup comprised of members from the various bands ripped apart a cover of In Too Deep by Sum 41 and had the whole bar singing along and pumping their fists in time as each person was violently taken back to their teenage years. Pilsner brand beer was on for four dollars a can and collectively everyone in the room raised their own as they yelled and screamed along with the cover.
The crowd stuck around long after the shows as band members and audience members instantly began reminiscing about what had happened only minutes before.
“This is exactly what CIVL is trying to get at with everything they do!” said Sonja Klotz, president of the CIVL Board, as the night was coming to a close and the bands were on their way out.
The semi-finals of the Battle of the Bands are this Friday, July 21 at Phoenix Ballroom and Global Lounge at 8 p.m. with The Sylvia Platters, Mollys Reech, Paravel, Doja, and My Goal Is Telepathy competing.
Admission is by suggested donation of $5.
Disclaimer: Mitch Huttema is the Treasurer of CIVL Board and Alex Rake is a sectional editor at The Cascade.
