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Bands battle it out at Sussex Tech

| 27 Mar 2013 | 02:24
    Photo by James J. Mazzella Hamburg's 'Losing Streak' took first place at the Battle of the Bands.
    Photo by James J. Mazzella Hamburg's 'Losing Streak' took first place at the Battle of the Bands.
    Photo by Scott Baker No Vertebrae horn section: Ian on tenor sax, Christina on alto sax, Allison on mellophone and Cara on trombone. Bassist Andrew is on the right.
    Photo by Scott Baker No Vertebrae horn section: Ian on tenor sax, Christina on alto sax, Allison on mellophone and Cara on trombone. Bassist Andrew is on the right.
    Photo by Scott Baker Asylum guitarist Mike Sokolwski shreds a guitar solo during a popular cover song.
    Photo by Scott Baker Asylum guitarist Mike Sokolwski shreds a guitar solo during a popular cover song.
    Photo by Scott Baker Mumbling Lucy singer and lead guitarist Jonny Amato. The band was praised by judges as "excellent musicians" and brought "great energy" to the stage.
    Photo by Scott Baker Mumbling Lucy singer and lead guitarist Jonny Amato. The band was praised by judges as "excellent musicians" and brought "great energy" to the stage.
    Photo by Scott Baker Something About January singer and lead guitarist Joe Parella. Something About January won the 2011 competition and returned to the battle of the bands as special guests.
    Photo by Scott Baker Something About January singer and lead guitarist Joe Parella. Something About January won the 2011 competition and returned to the battle of the bands as special guests.

SPARTA — An assortment of genres were represented as Sussex Tech’s Peer Leaders group hosted their 4th annual Battle of the Bands at McNeice Auditorium after missing out on the 2012 competition due to a fire that closed the school for more than one week.

Each band had 15 minutes to wow the audience and impress the judges to earn prizes. The top two scoring bands of the night based on musical technicality, expertise, complexity and originality were decided to be "No Vertebrae" and "Losing Streak." These bands took to the stage together to close the show while battling for the first place prize: four hours of studio time at Oak Ridge’s Burn Room and a professional photo shoot from Arbor Entertainment. The big winners of the night were Hamburg’s "Losing Streak."

"No Vertebrae" took home a second-place prize pack from You Rock Media Group, which included a consultation with industry professionals and the development, mixing and mastering of one song. Third place went to "Rewind the Crisis," who were awarded a small cash prize.

Also competing in the event were "Mumbling Lucy," "Collapsing from Within," "Asylum" and "Sunspots." Special guest performers included 2011 winners "Something About January" and multiple-time winners "Seas of Wake."

Judges Mike Goolsby, of You Rock Media; Anthony ‘Hot Wheels’ D’Agostino, a local rapper, entertainer and songwriter; and Kyle O’Leary, of Franklin’s Whirlybird Studios, also gave critiques after each performance to help with the young musicians’ future endeavors.

Tickets to the event were $10 and monies collected will be used for the Peer Leaders club’s Peer Mentoring program, where sixth, seventh and eighth graders are invited to the Sussex Tech campus to meet with peer leaders for an activity-packed day, according to event organizer and SCTS mental health clinician Marcia Fallon.

Event organizer Vikki Szabo said more than 100 people turned out for the event.