_{By Joe Vickrey}

One of the most exciting parts of our local Battle of the Bands series is how many people it brings out of the woodwork to come see local bands. I’d already received a few texts from friends yesterday asking if I knew the previous night’s winner, and it felt like there was a buzzing in the air. After having listened to everything I could online for the bands that were playing last night, I put on the coat I stole from the green room of The Boardwalk last winter and eagerly made my way to the venue.

Daisy Chain

Daisy Chain kicked off the evening on the lighter side of pop punk with some ska influence, but quickly ramped into some more aggressive punk tones. Throughout the set, the vocals transitioned from melodic to screaming, and by the end, this was a hard rock band. The biggest issue the group had was that the guitarist didn’t have a tuner and after a couple of songs it created some dissonance. I think it held back a few potential new fans, but that’s a very easy problem to solve for future shows. 

The group warmed into a good stage presence and did a great job interacting with the crowd. Young and old, there was a lot of headbanging going on including some of the other bands which is always a good sign for a great night. Towards the end of their set the group played a song where all instruments cut out aside from the vocalist who screamed, “I’m not your therapist,” and I got goosebumps. The other judges and I looked at each other like we were watching a trailer for a new Smash Bros game. Provo needs more high-adrenaline, female fronted punk, and Daisy Chain certainly scratched that itch. 

Cougar Gold Music

Following their introduction, Cougar Gold Music quite literally leaped on the stage exuding confidence. The three-piece rockabilly outfit was on fire. Featuring a guitarist who sang, a drummer who sang backups, and a saxophonist who played both baritone and tenor. With the baritone saxophone filling in where bass might usually sit, the band sounded massive. When the saxophonist switched to tenor, the guitarist was ready to walk basslines with an octave pedal which I thought was rather clever. 

The group’s performance held my attention span longer than anything else has since I developed brain rot from TikTok. The group already deserved a perfect 10 for their showmanship about halfway through their set, but it just kept getting better. Not to say they’re a joke band, but I haven’t laughed that hard at a band’s on-stage antics and banter in a long time. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands and could’ve had us shouting any obscene thing they wanted us to. I’m just sad they didn’t ask. 

Cougar Gold Music was probably the tightest group of the evening and played everything to perfection — each member soloed, and each solo outdid the last; “Monster Underneath My Bed” was such a monster of a jam; the singer’s ability to play walking basslines and sing simultaneously was massively impressive. The biggest shock of the night was that their saxophonist wasn’t whisked off stage and recruited against his will by the Blues Brothers.

Staycation

The boldest move of the evening was for Staycation to start their set with an a cappella vocal harmony before a single note had even been played. Having the crowd clap along from the start was also quite the attention grabber. 

While the dream of the 90s is alive in Portland, the dream of the 70s is alive in anyone listening to Staycation. The four-piece band sounded a bit like yacht rock for proms in the best possible way. While technical issues from the sound system plagued their keyboardist’s performance, it was quite dreamy when you could hear the electric pianos and synthesizer. 

The keyboardist and bassist both sang lead vocals and would interchange high harmonies most impressively. To top that, the basslines were dastardly complicated. Staycation was the most grooving band of the night and even during repeated cable swap outs on the synth they kept the vibes chill and positive. Their songs were wonderful, and my only suggestion would be for them to involve the audience in singing with them more. The songs are good, so don’t be afraid to lengthen them out, lads. 

Lunar Spirit

As Lunar Spirit took the stage, I was not expecting to see two guitarists, two keyboardists and three vocal mics. I was intrigued to say the least. The six-piece band almost immediately captured my heart with their perfect three-piece harmonies. They sounded like a better version of Say She She. You heard me. Better. 

With that many hands on stage, it could be quite easy for the sound to get a bit too thick or muddy, but each song was arranged so perfectly and not everyone needed to play at once. From jangly guitars to electric pianos, harmonica, and even a mouth trumpet solo, their songs had the widest diversity of any group of the night, and they all sounded incredible. On top of the array of different styles, the band had the greatest use of dynamics for the evening as well. The crowd couldn’t get enough of them, and it showed as they won the end-of-night decibel meter challenge crowd vote. 

A few members of the group looked a bit shy at first, but the group all seemed to be having loads of fun and frequently interacted with each other. There was a sense of camaraderie between them that you just can’t fake. I’m not saying they should’ve had a moment of choreographed dancing or hip shaking, but I would’ve loved to see it too.

Results

After Lunar Spirit played I went back to the judge’s table and looked around. Three of us looked at each other and said, “I know who my winner is.” We huddled and after some elongated altercations (that for legal reasons did not end with me being forcibly ejected from The Boardwalk), Lunar Spirit was crowned the victors of night three. 

While they didn’t have the primal rage of Daisy Chain, the larger-than-life personalities of Cougar Gold Music, nor the retro of Staycation; their songs were fun, exciting, and they managed to edge their way into first place. All four groups were great last night, and we look forward to seeing Lunar Spirit in the finals alongside Dog Years, The Drought and the TBD winners of night four!

Tonight marks the final night of prelims for The Boardwalk’s Fall 2024 Battle of the Bands and will feature performances from 45th Decibel, The Shindas, Lazy Loners, and Ivy Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 PM and music starts at 7. You can catch Lunar Spirit and all the other advancing bands at finals night this Saturday, November 9.

In the meantime, check out “Monster Underneath My Bed” by Cougar Gold Music!