_{Words By Madeline Harris
Photos By @shaykphoto}

Happy Winter Battle of the Bands! What a privilege to participate in such a rich tradition. As a community staple, BOTB has always been and continues to be an occasion to come together and absorb the scene’s energy. Tuesday night reflected this spirit of camaraderie, with smiles happening all around and nothing but positive vibes drifting through the incense-infused air. 

Catch night three tonight at Velour to Wonderbad, Kōmas, The Filibusters, and Breakfast Biscuit take the stage.

Mitchee

The first band to take the stage was Mitchee, who said this was only their second time playing for a crowd! Kudos to them – it didn’t show. Frontwoman Sarah Mitchell Seaman was an exceptional performer and was right at home on center stage. She handled the multitasking of singing and playing guitar well, and her vocal control was extremely polished. Her vocals are familiar and approachable, but also shone when the band leaned into their punkier corners on the occasion.

They experimented with genre, but I was particularly fond of moments in which influences of pop-punk broke through. Her voice was perfect for high-energy or angsty songs, and I think leaning into this could be awesome. Overall, the band brought a really fun and warm atmosphere to the beginning of the night. There were moments in which I was hoping for a bit more punch or potency to their sound, though this is likely to come with more experience performing. Otherwise, their performance was solid and made me excited about their future.

Samuel Charles

After Mitchee, Samuel Charles and his band began setting up. Every Samuel Charles performance I’ve seen displays excellent songwriting, and BOTB was no different. The group had immense synergy and were clearly well-rehearsed and comfortable with performing. Charles broke into a few soulful harmonica solos during the set, which were (or at least gave the illusion of being) flawless. Similarly, the group also tastefully incorporated a trumpet at some point. All musicians were well-acquainted with their instrument, and the group’s music flowed freely as extensions of this unity. The lead guitarist was particularly interesting to listen to – his approach to supplementing the lyrics felt playful and full of spontaneity. Their music felt very alive.

Allo Monroe

The third group was Allo Monroe. This band generates an engaging atmosphere better than most I see live. They nailed their airy guitar tones and imbued their performance with a whole lot of feel. The group was locked in with each other and played fluidly, creating a sense of ease over their actually quite nuanced and multifaceted songs. Thierry de Carvalho was the lead vocalist, and his clean tone provided a satisfying counterbalance to moments when the music leaned heavy.

They had fantastic crowd control, interaction, and engagement, and all attendees gladly became passengers aboard the Monroe Express. Their style can in some ways come off as chaotic, but so long as it is harnessed this can be of great appeal. The cherry on top of the performance was the theremin that came into play towards the end of the set. Controlled by guitarist Mason Brindley, it was a charming addition to their indie sound. 

Always Her

To conclude the lineup, Always Her began their performance. From the beginning, it was clear that Brian Cabello’s audience interaction and storytelling charisma are hard to match. Additionally, the percussion was absolutely on-point. One song featured a saxophone, which was a rich texture to round out their sound.

The band works well together and plays upon their strengths and quirks, making their sound one-of-a-kind and massively entertaining. Their music is very curated, and they have totally pinpointed their natural sound. Their storytelling is incredibly immersive, and because of this, the audience was invited to have a personal relationship with the music. Their performance was very much a collective experience in which all those present became drawn into the art. Overall, a super solid performance.

Results

Ultimately, there can only be one winner – so votes were cast and a winner was named. All bands received top votes from one or more judges, so the results were once again very close. The competition was tight and all bands made an admirable case for themselves, but…

Allo Monroe will be moving on to the finals!

You can catch Allo Monroe at finals this Saturday! Velour’s Winter 2025 Battle of the Bands Night 3 is tonight, featuring Wonderbad, KōMAS, The Filibusters, and Breakfast Biscuit. Doors open at 7:30 PM.

While you’re waiting for the show to start, check out “Somewhere Across The Veil” by Allo Monroe below and be sure to follow the Night 2 winners on Instagram!