On Saturday, March 1, running into the early hours of Sunday, March 2, Rowan After Hours (RAH) and Student University Programmers (SUP) hosted nine Rowan-based bands in the Student Center Pit for their annual Battle of the Bands.

Rowan Alternative Music President, Andrew Ciardella and Vice President, Athena Rossi hosted throughout the night, which saw performances from each band competing for a main stage performance at Hollybash. 

The bands were judged officially on “stage presence, originality, sound, and vocal ability,” according to Ciardella.

Audience members were also able to choose their fan-favorite during a quick vote at the end of the performances.

“A lot of our friends are in the battle,” Lisa Dowling, a first-year psychology major, said. “I’m just excited to see them in a bigger venue than basement shows.”

The pit was full of students watching or in front of the stage dancing while each of the nine bands played. In order of appearance, the bands were Suburban Moon, Harvey Cartel, Shiva, LVNA, With Special Guests, Cold Comfort, Burning Oakwood, Estrogents, and Turtles in Plaid.

With the final strum of an electric guitar, the anxious wait for the winner began. Before long, Ciardella announced the winners.

Turtles in Plaid took third, LVNA second, and Estrogents were the big winners, earning first place and the fan favorite vote after three years of performing at the event.

“I thought it [winning] was an impossibility,” Estrogents bassist Dee Phillips said.

Jack Darischuk, the lead guitarist and vocalist for Estrogents, said that he would treat going to Hollybash “like any other show.”

“I don’t wanna treat it like a different kind of show, because then all that’s gonna do is make us more nervous,” Darischuk said.

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