With Dillo Day only two weeks away, 10 NU student bands are keeping their schedules clear.
Five groups performed Thursday night at Tommy Nevin’s Pub, 1454 Sherman Ave., while another five are slated to perform tonight as part of Mayfest’s Battle of the Bands, competing for an open spot on the May 30 line-up – and a shot to open for Dillo Day headliners N.E.R.D. and The Decemberists.
With more than 200 students in attendance, performers were ranked by a panel of four judges, including Mayfest co-chairs Weinberg senior Diana Richter and Communication senior Katherine Hadley, as well as musicology Prof. Jesse Rosenburg and football coach Pat Fitzgerald.
“What matters most is how the crowd responds,” said Kristina Marrero, co-chair of Mayfest’s Special Events Committee. “We want to make sure a crowd of 200 can translate into a crowd of 8,000.”
Bands with at least one NU student as a member were eligible to apply to compete in Battle of the Bands, but this year’s application pool proved to be competitive, Marrero said.
“This year was pretty selective,” the McCormick junior said. “We cut (the application pool) by half. There was such a great turn-out this year.”
For Battle of the Bands winners, Special Events Committee Co-Chair Katharine Stofer called the opportunity to play at Dillo Day a “really big deal.”
“Last year’s winner (Mind at Large) got to play in front of more than 7,000 people,” the Communication senior said. “They were all there to see Third Eye Blind – but for anyone who saw it, it’s incredible exposure for that band.”
Anne Leone, a Communuication junior, said she came to support Communication sophomore Will Crouse, drummer for the band The Earth is a Man.
“I’ve never heard them play before,” Leone said. “It’s really so cool – I didn’t actually know that they could play that well.”
The event was not without its hitches. Although Nevin’s Pub offered an open bar for students 21 and over, they stopped serving alcoholic drinks less than an hour into the show after an underage student was caught drinking.
Hadley called the incident “extremely unfortunate,” and said they wanted to hold an 18+ event “because students should be able to see their friends perform.”
Hadley said she hoped the incident would discourage underage students from drinking the following night.
Mayfest officials will announce Dillo Day’s remaining headliner during Battle of the Bands’ second day, as well as the band chosen to open from the competition. Five bands – Lolita, Mind at Large, Rotimi and the Rainmakers, Right on Red and Slow, Weird and Melodic – will compete tonight at Nevin’s Pub.
Editor’s note: The original version of this article stated that three bands will be chosen to perform at Dillo Day. Only one band will be selected. The Daily regrets the error.
Related: Estelle confirmed as third Dillo Day headliner N.E.R.D., The Decemberists are Dillo Day headliners
