The Foster-Walker Complex, which headlined Friday’s Battle of the Bands and had its audience singing and dancing along to “Fortune Cookie” and “Don’t Think I Have Time,” beat 12 other contestants to secure the opening spot in this year’s Dillo Day concert.
The contest was held May 6 and 7 at Nevin’s Live, 1450 Sherman Ave., and raised more than $2,000 for Mayfest, the student organization that sponsors Dillo Day.
Dave Moyer, a Weinberg sophomore and drummer for The Foster-Walker Complex, said the group’s win was “exhilarating.”
“Winning Battle of the Bands … legitimizes you, because all of a sudden now you’re going to be onstage with pros at one of the biggest concerts of the year,” Moyer said.
The regular Battle of the Bands announcement of the other Dillo Day acts did not come this year. Mayfest co-chairwoman Stephanie Rich said the organization wasn’t able to name the other acts at the usual time because contracts with some of the performers haven’t been finalized.
University rules regulate publicity for acts without contracts that have been fully executed, said Rich, a Medill junior. She added that Mayfest hoped to be able to make an announcement later this week.
Battle of the Bands attracted a sizable audience. By Thursday’s third performance, Nevin’s Live was full to its capacity of 200, and a line of more than 20 people snaked out the door. The crowd chatted in clumps, turning its attention to the stage when bands played.
Battle of the Bands organizer Ben Wolfert also grabbed attention when he introduced the band Captain Teabag by offering a free drink to whoever could make a haiku about teabags. The winning haiku? “A man has a sack/ He can put the sack in your mouth/ This is a teabag.”
Competing bands had to have at least one member who currently attends Northwestern. This requirement allowed a blend of students, older community members and younger siblings to play a variety of musical stylings. But Education junior Sarah Purdy, a judge and Mayfest co-chairwoman, said the judges chose a band they thought NU students would enjoy.
“As much as we loved a number of the other bands, we really wanted to have a band that represented NU and put out a lot of original, fun music,” she said.
Bands were judged in categories including originality, stage presence and crowd response. Bands with mostly NU students — such as the second-place Gracious Brunettes and fourth-place Captain Teabag — garnered the most audience support. Charles Thornton, lead singer for Gracious Brunettes and a Weinberg junior, said many audience members were already familiar with his band.
“We just asked all our friends to come, and we’ve played a lot before, so there were a lot of people who know the songs,” Thornton said.
This was the first year that Battle of the Bands awarded prizes to runners up. Gracious Brunettes won a $100 gift certificate to recording company Conspiracy Audio, and the third- and fourth-place bands, blues band Usual Purpose and Captain Teabag, were invited to play at Bill’s Blues this Friday.
This also is the first year that contestants who did not win Battle of the Bands will be able to play Dillo Day. Purdy said Mayfest will invite local deejays, some of whom were competitors, to spin beats during set changes.
Wolfert, a Weinberg sophomore, said he was impressed by the quality of the bands and the size of the crowds.
“It’s awesome to see all this talent from NU come out to Nevin’s Live and just rock, you know?” he said.
