A major thunderstorm blew in mid-Saturday afternoon, mere hours before the scheduled Battle of the Belmont Bands. As rain turned order into chaos, the Office of Alumni Relations and the showcase crew debated what to do about the festivities.
Finally, the Office of Alumni Relations made the call.
“Due to inclement weather, today’s Family Fun Zone has been cancelled. The Battle of the Belmont Bands concert is being moved to the Massey Performing Arts Center. The official start time will be announced soon via social media. Please watch University accounts for updates,” said an email from the Office of Communications.
With that announcement, the teams scrambled to take down booths and equipment and move them to the Massey Performing Arts Center. However, even with the full effort of the production team, the doors were not opened until after 8 p.m., leaving only two and a half hours of performance time for seven bands. Security was only working the event until 10:45 p.m., forcing the Battle of the Band producers to cut each headliner band to two songs each.
Despite the hiccups and weather delays, the bands took the stage and rocked the house. The lineup featured Laurel & the Love-In, Wilder, Sawyer, The Civics, Lost Stars and Talia Stewart. The audience was very attentive and lively throughout the night despite the delay due to weather. Each band brought their own talent and expertise to the night.
The competition was a true battle, and there could only be one winner. As Belmont’s alumni band, Waker formerly known as Koa, took the stage, Musicians Corner announced Wilder had won the Battle of the Belmont Bands of 2016.
Then it was Waker’s turn to take the stage. They had the audience clapping, and standing up front, but the real highlight of the night was when Waker’s saxophonist went from playing one saxophone to two in the last number. The audience went wild, and it was a great way to end the set and the Battle of the Bands.
Photos and recap by Hunter Morgan.