Photo courtesy of Bill Lace

Joe Ho, bass, Sean Anderson, drums, Brad Sharp, vocals and guitar, and Will Lace, keyboards, of the band AMERIGO are the opening band at the Battle of the Bands, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 11 during the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival.  AMERIGO won the 2009 Battle of the Bands.  New to the competition this year are judges and trophies. 
 
 

Formed just two months ago, the Mukilteo-born grunge and metal band Lead Based Paint has yet to play for an audience.  

That’s why the five-member band of students from Kamiak High School is looking forward to competing in the for-teens Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival Battle of the Bands this weekend.

“We’ve been practicing for a while, and I just want to see what people think of us,” said Gus McManus, who plays guitar in the band.  “I want to see how they vote. I like getting feedback like that.”

Kamiak Performing Arts Boosters is hosting the fourth annual Battle of the Bands from 5 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Rosehill Community Center.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for kids to appreciate and experience their talents, other than just in their basement and in their garage,” said Maggie McManus, co-chair of the competition.  

“They get to be on stage and have their peers come and see them.”

The competition is a fundraiser for Kamiak Performing Arts programs, including the school’s show band, choir, orchestra, color guard, dance and drama programs.

A total of nine bands are scheduled to perform at the competition include pdi, Lead Based Paint, New Found Heights, Scarlet Fever, sic transit, Beneth This Dimention and SHED.  

The band AMERIGO, which won first place in the 2009 Battle of the Bands, is the opening act for the competition, but is not competing.

Last year, more than 500 teens attended the Battle of the Bands.

“It’s the talk of all the high schoolers,” Maggie McManus said.  “I hear them buzzing about it for months before it even happens, so this is a big deal to them.”

For $5, attendees get to hear the competition and vote for the band they enjoyed the most. But unlike in the past, they aren’t the only ones judging bands.  

Starting this year, the Battle of the Bands is using a points system to determine the top bands and musicians.  The audience still votes, but now only awards points to their favorite bands.

New to the event are four local, professional musicians acting as judges – Andy Wray for drums, Shan Candelario for guitar, Jeffrey Thomas for bass and Steve McKeever for vocals.

The judges are going to award bands additional points based on showmanship, technicality, and “best of” drums, guitar, bass and vocals.

“We wanted to mix up the competition a little,” Maggie McManus said.  “The winner isn’t automatically known based on who has more friends in the audience.  

“We’re leveling the playing field and honoring the real musical talent that does show up.”

The winning band is awarded the 2010 Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival Battle of the Bands trophy, with the band’s name engraved next to past winners.  The trophy – to be passed from band to band – is also new to the competition.

In addition to the trophy, the winning band is invited to perform for the grand opening of the new Rosehill Community Center in February.

The “best of” winners also get a trophy.

Lead Based Paint’s sound consists of three guitars, a bass and drums.  The band is still in need of vocals, but McManus said LBP may just end up as an instrumental band in the festival.

This weekend’s show is going to be McManus’ second in the Battle of the Bands.  His band Funky Wizards won second place in the 2009 show.

McManus said he likes the addition of judges to the competition.

“(With judges), you get to see who has the better guitar player for real instead of whose guitar player has more friends,” he said.  “And it’s cool that you can still come away with a ‘best of’ even if you’re not in the winning band.”

For more information about the Battle of the Bands, go to http://mukilteofestival.org.