_{By Jeremy Thacker}

Night 2 of Velour’s Winter 2024 Battle of the Bands is in the books! My favorite part of these battles is going in completely blind and leaving with four new bands in all of my playlists. Each group that performed showcased a diverse range of talent, bringing their own flavor of indie rock to the stage. From start to finish, the performances kept the crowd engaged and left everyone buzzing about the future of these up-and-coming bands.

Care

Care really set the bar high with a dynamic and high-energy performance. Sonically they set themselves apart from the other bands of the night by leaning much heavier than your typical Velour indie band. While I wouldn’t say this set quite got into metal territory, it’s very obvious there’s some metal influence. Their guitarist and vocalist could easily be dropped into any metal band and shred. They were both phenomenal.

I love a band that lets themselves be vulnerable on stage, and that is one area where Care truly excelled. The songs were all about personal experiences or relationships, with the standout being “The Ghosts.” Written about the vocalist’s personal struggles with bipolar disorder, the song was raw and introspective. That being said, there were a couple moments of seeming disconnect with the band that undercut the emotional power of the songs a little bit. I’m not sure how long these guys have been playing together, but with more time and performance experience those rough edges should smooth out and Care will be able to hit some truly great heights.

Wilbere

When asked to give a bio for their introduction, the members of Wilbere replied there was nothing interesting about them. As they took the stage it quickly became clear this was far from the truth. From the get-go they had a large portion of the crowd on their feet, even getting fans to make “W” signs with their hands while dancing around.

Their set was tight and energetic, with particularly impressive guitarwork. The breakdowns in their songs left me in awe. The vocals were a bit a rough around the edges compared to the other bands of the night, but it didn’t detract from the overall performance. Their song “Break Me” was a personal favorite, and I highly recommend checking it out. Wilbere has an exciting sound, and it’s easy to see them gaining more attention in the future.

Bonneville

Bonneville can only be described by saying they’re a vibe. Their indie rock sound leaned heavily on instrumental jams, with less emphasis on vocals than you’d expect. It was clear they were confident in their ability to let the instrumentation take center stage, and by doing so they were able to take us all on an interesting journey through their soundscape.

My only criticism of Bonneville is that the set lacked some structural cohesion at times. There were moments where the momentum seemed to be building, and the crowd would get into it then suddenly things would slow down with little warning. A little more refinement in their arrangements could have taken the set to the next level. Nonetheless, Bonneville delivered solid jams, and their laid-back yet dynamic approach made them one of the most interesting acts of the night. If you have the opportunity to go see their show, I’d highly recommend it.

Daniel’s Park

Daniel’s Park closed out the night. I’ll admit I had initially confused them with Daniel Park (a singer/songwriter who works closely with Provo’s own Klos Guitars) and was very surprised when they played solid indie instead of acoustic ballads. Daniel’s Park had my favorite vocalist of the night, as his slight rasp had me hooked on every word and added a rawness to their performance.

While there were a few moments that needed some tightening up, the overall set was very well done. They closed off the set by playing two new songs that had never been played live before. I wasn’t able to catch the names of these songs, though they did end up being my favorite songs in their performance. Their future releases should definitely be on everyone’s radar. The energy was high, and despite a few tightness issues, Daniel’s Park was able to keep the crowd fully engaged while closing out the night.

Results

Overall, the night was filled with a wide variety of talent, from grungy, vulnerable performances to tight indie rock jams. Each band showed a unique voice and potential for growth, making it clear the future of the Utah scene is in good hands. Unfortunately, only one band can advance to this weekend’s finals, and so it was time to announce the winner: Wilbere! They’ll be joining Sage Lane this Saturday during finals night.

Velour’s Winter 2024 Battle of the Bands Night 3 is tonight! Lonnefelt, Bat Brain, A Few Feet High, and Sabrina Fair will perform. Doors open at 7:30 PM. While you’re waiting for the show to start, check out “Break Me” by Wilbere below. Be sure to follow the band on Instagram too!