Battle Of The Bands Review

Penn State has been hosting Movin’ On, a free music festival since 1975, and on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. Movin’ On hosted their annual Battle Of The Bands.

Battle Of The Bands is a competition where bands, featuring at least one Penn State student, showcase a handful of songs in hopes of being selected by the judges as the battle winner. The prize for winning the battle is the opportunity to open at the Movin’ On festival.

Four judges were scoring the bands based on a variety of factors.

This year's Battle Of The Bands was held in Schwab Auditorium and was sponsored by Celsius. All attendees were able to go home with a free Celsius on the way out of the venue.

The crowd was light at first, but fans of the local bands trickled in as the show went on.

Jack Fresier, director of events, introduced the event and welcomed emcees Dakota Suchowierski and Catherine Aboulhouda, who then introduced the first act of the night, Honess.

Honess, a solo rapper, pulled up in a blazer that he lost in the second song to reveal a white wife-beater below. His stage presence set the tone for the acts to follow.

He was upbeat and energetic throughout his set, involving the crowd in many aspects.

His first song was a self-produced song off his EP. The songs to follow were “about her.”

While leaving the stage he shared he will be dropping an album this summer.

The next band, “Just Say When” filled the stage with their four members. They experienced some short technical difficulties and then it was off to the races.

The band members have been playing together since 2017 in their hometown of Lehigh Valley.

Their set was lively, ending with a bang playing their original, “Hope You’re Doing Well.” After hearing this song, everyone in the audience was most definitely doing well.

The competition was really heating up when OutRun Infinity took to the stage. The band was conceived in 2020 and featured three instrumentalists backing up their leading lady.

She rocked large sparkly combat boots that were almost as big as her impressive vocals.

Their set was very exciting and kept the crowd on their toes.

At the halfway point in the program came Curbhead, a local five-piece screamo band. They have only been together for two months, but you wouldn't know it watching them play together.

There was intense stage chemistry and passion between the band members. Between the guys there was some vigorous hair flipping, and some very serious guitar playing.

Look out for Curbhead’s next single drops.

Extreme vibe change followed the screamo section of the show. Next out came, 18-year-old Brooklyn New York rapper, Swervo Staacks.

The rapper was very talented and clearly passionate about his craft. He delivered bars and moves while interacting with his fans in the audience.

Anaphylaxis followed Swervo Staacks. A group that faced pretty big technical difficulties that swayed them at first but they did not let this affect the rest of their set.

Their lead singer was small but mighty. Inside of her petite frame was a powerhouse voice that brought down the house.

Second to last came Hot Fudge Yacht Club, an absolute fan favorite. As they set up the stage, audience members stood in applause, one attendee even went as far as to bring a large Penn State megaphone to cheer on the band.

They are a funk and jazz band and brought a new style to the night which was very exciting and engaging. They encouraged the crowd to stand and embrace the music.

Before finishing their set, their lead vocalist even took the time to shout out and congratulate every other band on their performances during the night. This was a very unifying move on their part and represented what music is all about- bringing people together.

Last but certainly not least in the lineup was Golden Achumba, a Penn State defensive guard who apparently moonlights as a very talented RNB singer.

This was the perfect way to end a very entertaining night.

He played several of his own songs, a few of which he said were about “the only person you really want to talk to but you’re both really busy.” His set definitely hit the feels, but he killed it.

Following the last act was a short intermission to tally the votes from the judges and determine the winner of this year's battle.

All of the bands crowded onto the stage for the final results. The anticipation was palpable, and then it happened. Hot Fudge Yacht Club won it all!

The smaller crowd that remained at the end of the event erupted, chanting “HOT FUDGE YACHT CLUB! HOT FUDGE YACHT CLUB!”

Every group’s performance was incredible, and Movin’ On put on a wonderful program, and increased expectations for the festival later in April.

Savannah Swartz is third-year majoring in communications. To contact her, email sms9072@psu.edu.