Bands battle for top spot in UIC Radio contest
Experience the UIC music scene tonight at the Battle of the Bands.
The event, sponsored by UIC Radio and Campus Programs, is free and open to the public. It begins at 6 p.m. in the Illinois Room, Student Center East.
“This is our first year that we’re doing the Battle of the Bands, so it’s something really exciting for us,” said senior Guillermo Duarte, music director for UIC Radio, which can be heard online.
“We’ve been really working hard to get this event together and express the music scene here at UIC that has been kind of hidden for many years.”
The event includes everything from indie folk to metal. Bands scheduled to perform include TanZen, Brigade, The Brothers StarRace, Gold Fires, The Kicky Mickys and One Man Down.
“We had a good amount of submissions, so it was tough to figure out who were going to be the finalists,” Duarte said.
Those who entered the contest had to submit a performance video and biography.
“The only requirement was that one person from the band was from UIC,” said junior Austin Sellers, marketing director for UIC Radio.
The six finalists were picked for their “performance ability, quality of sound, quality of music and how much of a crowd they could bring in and attract,” he said.
Another key component for selection was each group’s dynamism, Duarte said.
“Whether they’re interactive with people through social media, if they really want it. I think that’s what we were looking for,” he said.
The bands will be judged by the audience and UIC staff members. In addition to prizes, the winner will perform at Spark in the Park in September.
UIC Radio, which webcasts 24/7, plays “a wide eclectic range of music to cater to our eclectic, diverse community on campus,” Sellers said.
Elif Geris, a senior and assistant program director, is one of UIC Radio’s 20 DJs. Her program, “Paahsitive Thinking with Elif,” airs from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays.
“I hope that students will open up a bit more to the talents that we have on campus,” she said.
