Velour Summer 2026 Battle of the Bands – Night 2

Awakening Autumn

If it’s been said once, then it’s been said at least once: Opening the night is one of the hardest things to do. Despite that, Awakening Autumn did a good job. The start was a bit shaky, as is expected, but they didn’t let the pressure stop them from having a good time. McKade, the frontman of the band, moved about the stage as if he owned the place. They have a very fun, basement indie-pop vibe that works well for them. Their opening song had a layer of autotune on the vocals, which was surprising, but I was sold by the end. That being said, I’m glad they didn’t keep that for the whole show.

If style points got you anything in this competition, they definitely would have scored high. As shaky as they started, Awakening Autumn ended their set very strongly. To contrast the autotune from the first song, the last had distortion running through the vocals, which is something I absolutely love. That and the talk-singing style and screaming from the frontman and the drummer mixed well together.

As all of us musicians know, it can be very difficult to field a full band. We’ve all experienced it; heck, I’ve been looking for a drummer for the last five years. So it was very unfortunate for Awakening Autumn to have their bass player drop out a week before BOTB. Despite that, they played well to the backing track, but I’d love to see what they can do with a full band.

JolleyTime

JolleyTime subverted my initial expectations when I saw their viola and keyboard on stage. I planned on hearing an indie-folk band (which does have a special place in my heart). Instead, I was treated to the frontman walking onto the stage literally to the beat of his own drum, as he had a drum slung over his shoulders. This band dares to ask the question, “What if stomp/clap was still around in 2026?”

JolleyTime’s frontman beat the keys on that keyboard like they owed him money and sang with a whole lot of soul. Their viola player plucked out their bass line, which was different but fun to hear. Their songs were fun, the crowd was into it, and at one point, they played a hoedown and the frontman jumped into the crowd to dance along with everyone.

The biggest thing going against JolleyTime is the lack of a bass player. While bass lines on the viola were fun to hear, as soon as she started playing anything other than the bass line, the momentum halted. The hoedown was a great song, but it fell short without that bass there to back up the rest of the group.

No Need to Whisper

My first thoughts as No Need To Whisper set up was “Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?” Maybe it’s because their frontman is a dead ringer for Eminem. I was positive we were about to get some rap-rock at Velour last night. I was so pleasantly surprised when he ended up having the voice of an angel as he sang the band’s opening song.

No Need To Whisper had arguably the largest crowd last night, and they were getting cheers from them as early as sound check. They had a great alt/punk sound that bordered on pop-punk. The band gave us our first 4-piece of the night, and our first live bass player on stage, and you could feel the difference. The tempo was pushed, the performance was elevated, and the crowd bought in from the get-go.

Midway through their set, the band threw out t-shirts in exchange for follows on their social media. While this is a good marketing scheme, their momentum stalled as they went to toss out the t-shirts in the crowd. Any other show, go for it. But that doesn’t fly at the battle of the bands. Keep the set flowing, continue building that momentum, and keep delivering your show.

Mortal American Body

Effortless. Effortless describes Mortal American Body’s set last night as they closed the evening. Their comfort level on stage gave the impression that they weren’t sweating the competition. They played their music as one and were well within their element during the set. I wasn’t sure what to make of them as they set up. They were the largest group of the evening with six members – consisting of three guitarists, two bass players, and one drummer. I had doubts that they weren’t just going to play over themselves and be redundant. But then they started playing, and the music hit me like a wall.

Their frontman has a crazy set of lungs as he belted out their songs. He had such an intensity about him that drove the crowd wild. He gained crowd buy-in quickly and naturally. I also haven’t seen anyone else play the tambourine with such a ferocious look in their eyes as he did. As for the rest of the band, they worked very well together. My initial skepticism quickly vanished as they moved through their set. The shoegaze sound came together so well.

Results

At the end of the night, Mortal American Body won. Between them and No Need To Whisper, it was close – but I believe the best band is moving on towards the finals. Their comfortability with each other, the way the crowd was engaged, and their musicianship led to their victory. They weren’t playing for a slot in the finals; they were the headliner of their own show. I cannot wait to see how they do this upcoming Saturday.

Night 3 of Velour’s Summer 2026 Battle of the Bands is tonight! Catch Red Fox Diner, Lunar Spirit, Scarlett Letter, and Apollo Junior. Doors open at 7:30 PM.

While you’re waiting for the show to start, check out “High Strung Heart” by Mortal American Body follow them on Instagram!