_{Words By Zach Collier
Photos By @shaykphoto}

Tonight was really interesting. Traditionally, Night 1 of Velour’s Battle of the Bands happens on a Monday, which has often meant smaller crowds and a lot of anxiety around turnout. I was curious to see whether moving Night 1 to a Saturday would make a difference, since more people are generally available for a show on the weekend.

What tonight reinforced, though, is that promotion matters far more than the day of the week. According to Velour’s official BOTB rules: “Any band that brings under 20 people to their preliminary show will not be allowed to move on to the finals regardless of judges scoring.”

Unfortunately, two bands were disqualified tonight for not meeting that minimum requirement.

The takeaway is simple: opportunities rarely create momentum on their own (or as I like to say, “Nothing happens if nothing happens.”) Building an audience takes consistent effort, and people are much more likely to show up when they’re invited. The expectation Velour has set here isn’t crazy. It’s actually the baseline evidence that a band is willing to try.

For any bands competing later this week, I hope this numerical breakdown is helpful as you plan your promotion and set expectations so you know how much effort you need to exert.

• If you have a band of 5 members, each member needs to bring 4 people to your show.
• The average sales conversion rate across all industries is roughly 5%.
• According to that conversion rate, in order for each band member to bring 4 people to your show, every band member needs to invite at least 80 people.

I’ve been in the industry for over a decade. The people who make it are the ones who are kind, hardworking, and talented. Talent alone will not give you a career.

All that aside, the show tonight was really fun.

Back By Sundown

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a local band get spontaneous applause on the very first vocal entrance of their set – especially on the opening night of Velour’s Battle of the Bands – but by golly Back By Sundown did it.

Their vocalist is excellent. He has a natural indie charm and a slightly raw edge while staying impressively consistent and in tune. A few standout high notes later in the set left a strong impression on me.

Musically, they fit comfortably within the Provocore genre, though with a more atmospheric and reflective feel. Their first song featured the genre’s familiar clean tones and tight rhythmic soli sections, but with more space and ambience. Like a blend of Wilbere and Cardinal Bloom. Their second song leaned into a steady, upbeat groove and paid off with a powerful halftime shift in the back half.

The third song felt less polished than the first two. There were a few missed hits, some guitar tuning issues, and a couple of rough moments in a particularly exposed section. Afterward, the band mentioned they had released the song the night before, which helps explain why it felt newer and less settled than the rest of the set. Kudos to them for taking a risk.

The remainder of the performance was strong, with several effective builds and thoughtful arrangements. One thing I appreciate about the Provocore genre is the attention adherents give to the full ensemble rather than focusing solely on the vocalist, and Back By Sundown reflects that well. As far as bands going first on the opening night of this competition, this was one of the best performances I’ve seen. Their final song closed on a high note, earning spontaneous cheers during the guitar solo—a good sign that the crowd was fully on board.

Thee Rat Catchers

These guys might objectively be Springville’s hardest rock band. They leaned hard on classic rock and 00s garage rock influences (like The Kinks as covered by The Hives). Lots of distortion, fast tempos, shouts, and rowdy gang vocals and harmonies.

They kept the energy high throughout their set, with no breaks in between the songs for tuning or talking. They just let the music speak for itself, which I really appreciated. They were riffy, with their songs revolving around instrumental hooks. They also had brutally impressive guitar solos, and their drummer was FEROCIOUS.

Unfortunately, some of the tones felt a little muddy at times, and the vocals got buried behind the wall of noise. There’s only so much you can do sound-wise at BOTB due to the quick setup times, but really solid bands dial things in during rehearsal so they sound great no matter what the circumstance. I feel like the songwriting, talent, and style are there – they legitimately feel like an actual ROCK band – but just need a little polishing up.

That being said, their song “Something In Your Ear” was BONKERS and proved my point. That one was locked in and firing on all cylinders. Great vocal hooks (and the vocals cut through!), great instrumental hooks, great tonal distinction between the bass and the two guitars – it had it all. I liked them just fine before, but this song won me over. It’s legitimately a good song. I really, really liked these guys.

The Midnite Judges

Let it be known: these guys have cool fans. On my way to Velour, I kept seeing groups of goths making their way toward the venue, all dressed in dramatic black outfits that looked like a mix between The Crow and Kiss. Once I got inside and saw the band at the merch table in matching fashion, it suddenly made sense.

Building that kind of community is no small feat. Plenty of bands struggle to get friends and family to shows, let alone inspire a recognizable scene around them. Credit to The Midnite Judges for cultivating such a dedicated following.

Their set was loud, theatrical, and heavily influenced by true punk. Chanting vocals, guitar squeals, distortion, and bursts of raw energy defined much of the performance. I was genuinely surprised by how aggressive several of the bands on this lineup were (especially for Velour), and The Midnite Judges fully embraced that approach.

The lead singer was especially charismatic, making it easy to get swept up in the performance. After their second song, the band announced, “COURT IS NOW IN SESSION,” which is an objectively badass thing to say.

Despite the intensity of their sound, the band maintained good sonic clarity. It would have been easy for everything to blur together as it did with Thee Rat Catchers, but the vocals consistently cut through the mix. The addition of keyboards also added texture and balance, from atmospheric pads to plucky piano lines that stood out in the second song. They also made effective use of ambient sounds later in the set, creating a darker, more immersive atmosphere. My only criticism is the high end across the whole band was pretty shrill. Those high frequencies could use some taming.

The Midnite Judges won’t be for everyone. Their music is intentionally raw, theatrical, and a little unconventional. It’s easy to understand why they’ve developed such a devoted fanbase. Their style invites strong reactions, and the people who connect with it seem to connect deeply.

In a scene where bands often play it far too safe, I greatly prefer The Midnite Judges approach to art. It’s bold and unforgettable.

Gralley

Gralley rounded out the night. What set these guys apart was their distinct lead vocals. Beyond simply being female-fronted, Gralley’s voice possesses an ethereal, indie quality that feels special and sparkly – while still possessing enough grit and bite to really dig into the choruses and play rough. 

You can tell these guys have it together. The tones were dialed in, the rhythms were locked, the moments were planned and well executed, they had transitions pre-planned. It felt like the whole package.

My only criticism is that a lot of the songs were mid tempo. The performance felt like a singer/songwriter set run through an arena rock filter, which in and of itself is a vibe. But even though the songs had punch and energy thanks to the band, structurally they were lacking that hooky glue that made bands like Back By Sundown and Thee Rat Catchers really work for me.

I think an acoustic set from Gralley would’ve allowed me to really dig into the lyrics a little more – as the music felt really confessional and heartfelt – but a lot of that got lost in translation due to the epic presentation. It was a good set though.

Results

In the end, The Midnite Judges took home the win tonight. I think it was well deserved. Even though the music will prove divisive on Saturday, this is a band that hustles, and they’re a band that cares.

They’re intentional with the kind of music they make. They’re intentional with the relationships they cultivate. They’re intentional with the image they project. And they’re intentional with how hard they hustle.

Every band should be more like The Midnite Judges. Maybe not in terms of sound and style, but definitely in terms of ethos. Learn from them.

Night 2 of Velour’s Summer 2026 Battle of the Bands is tonight! You’ll be able to catch Awakening Autumn, Jolleytime, No Need to Whisper, and Mortal American Body. Doors open at 7:30 PM.

While you’re waiting for the show to start, check out “The Lighthouse” – my favorite song by The Midnite Judges – and be sure to follow them on Instagram!