By Andy McFerren
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and all of our nonbinary friends, the moment you have all been waiting for is here: The Boardwalk Spring Battle of the Bands Final. So, let’s get into it.
Viridian
As the winners of the Ultimate Runners-Up Night, this was Viridian’s third time playing this week. The fact that they were standing, let alone performing, is a miracle. Despite all that, they played a pretty dang good opening set. They revved up the crowd like it was their weekend residency, and with how many times they’ve played this week, The Boardwalk should probably give them one.
In case you haven’t heard, the ’90s are back. JNCO jeans were out in full force at tonight’s final. In addition to some of the worst style choices of the past 40 years, jam bands are also back. But unlike JNCO jeans, I am not complaining about jam bands. Because that’s exactly what Viridian is.
Their songs just kind of keep going, in the best way possible. I don’t think the band has necessarily nailed down a specific sound, but they sure do love to jam. And they’re good at it.
Everyone’s favorite sax man, Enoch Thornock, was my personal favorite highlight of the set.
New Sequel
Did I mention the ’90s were back? This time it’s not a jam band, it’s something better (completely subjective and up for debate). It’s The Offspring reincarnated as New Sequel. And with that, comes a lot of chaos. But in a good way.
The band sure knows how to make an entrance as they rushed onto the stage as their guitarist and frontman soloed walking down the stairs of the venue.
They came with an energy that was reminiscent of Duke Nukem. And if you don’t know who that is, I can’t blame you. I hardly remember. But it’s like a sucker punch to the mouth, except you like it. So much noise. So much energy. So much unbridled joy.
If you haven’t seen either of the Godzilla vs. Kong movies, then don’t worry. Just go see a New Sequel show where both monsters make an appearance to fight for ultimate supremacy. I think Kong won tonight.
Twin Systems
It’s rare for a trio to fill out the stage so well sonically, but that’s exactly what Twin Systems did. And because of it, they were the most cohesive band of the night.
The award for Best Hair goes to frontman Porter Dean by a landslide. It was almost a little distracting. But his hair wasn’t the only thing that impressed me. His bass riffs while singing were arguably one of the more impressive things of the night. While they might’ve been a little too intricate, taking away from the song as a whole, it was still captivating to watch.
When their set began, quite a few people had gone outside for air or food, but as the set progressed, they reeled the crowd back in. A not-so-easy feat at a battle of the bands.
Their last two songs, “Virginia” and “Six,” made me believe that they would’ve killed Warped Tour twenty years ago.
The Friendly Monties
Despite what one of the other judges had to say, I really enjoyed The Friendly Monties. They’re a lot of fun. They have a good vibe to them, even though some of their music might be a little repetitive. But whatever you say, they had a groove. For me, they were possibly the easiest listening band of the night.
Their song “Eels and Tarantulas” is a certified bop that gets the people moving. They were there for a good time, and it showed. It’s refreshing to see a band take the stage and just vibe. Unfortunately, it was also a competition.
As an aside, all of these bands seem to be one minor inconvenience from turning into a ska band. Take that for what you will.
Lipsill
The best way to describe Lipsill, is that they all kind of look like Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray minus the dead animal that adorned his chin. Or as another judge put it, “They look like they’d be a band in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” I can’t disagree.
But as my grandpappy once said, “Not all that smells is sh*t.” So don’t judge this book by its cover. Because they might look like Sugar Ray, but they don’t sound like them (for the record, I like Sugar Ray).
Now, I am old. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And being old, sometimes I have a hard time understanding the younger generation. But I know one thing for sure: they crave violence. They crave chaos. They might look like they belong in an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue sans puka shell necklaces, but they desire to break something, even if it’s their own eardrums. They’re an angsty bunch. And it comes out in their music. It’s loud. It’s intentionally dissonant. And I like it.
Results
It was a great final. It’s incredible to watch The Boardwalk continue to grow this Battle of the Bands into something truly unique and cater to a portion of the scene that has been largely neglected historically.
I think it could’ve gone either way between Twin Systems, and Lipsill, but ultimately, Twin Systems came out on top.
A major congratulations to all the bands who competed this week and also to The Boardwalk for such a successful series! It’s been one h*ck of a BOTB. Be sure to follow both Twin Systems and The Boardwalk on Instagram and listen to “Malibu” by Twin Systems’ previous form, Cellar Dwellers, below!