On March 17th, CU Denver’s annual Battle of the Bands returned. The event was held in the breathtaking St. Cajetan, a refurbished Spanish Colonial church from the original Auraria neighborhood. The church was recently renovated into an event center. The event featured eight bands duking it out; Kieran Marci, Gravel Garden, Bryan Tadlock, Honey & the Hive Mind, Cece Blackford and the B-Team, Cassidy Lugo Band, Look at Fiona, and The Backlash. Each band was given a fifteen-minute set to perform, usually playing three songs to showcase their musical capabilities.  

In addition to the musical performances, the event was chalk full of fun activities, prizes, and food. The day of Battle of the Bands was St. Patrick’s Day, and anyone wearing green could grab a raffle ticket to potentially win a new pair of third generation AirPods. Besides the raffle, the event also had opportunities to win various prizes. After each set, music trivia questions were asked, and students could write down their answers for a chance to win a Lego set, vinyl records from SZA, The Beatles, Kendrick Lamar, headphones, and other prizes. The venue offered a photo booth with an assortment of different props that could be used in the pictures, as well as a station dedicated to personalizing a vinyl record with different decorations. Students and spectators had their dietary needs met with pizza, cookies, chips, and an assortment of sodas.  

The musicians were being judged by Major Motion Picture, the winner of last year’s Battle of the Bands. Each band delivered great performances, showcasing their distinct and unique musical voices as well as how they function as a collective unit. Ultimately, Look at Fiona was crowned the winner of the night; winning $500 and the opportunity to play the upcoming Lynx Live show.  

Look at Fiona is a “fusion of dream pop, art rock, folk, and shoegaze,” and has quickly gained prominence in the Denver indie music scene. The band began “when lead singers and guitar players Kennady and Jeremy met in their university’s songwriting ensemble where they discovered they meshed together as musicians.” Soon after, Gabby joined the band as bassist, and then Charlie joined last as the drum player, rounding out the band. This January, the band released their second EP titled “fionafionafiona,” which consisted of six songs. The band also recently recorded an audition for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk, a Modern MTV Unplugged which sees musicians of different genres give performances behind a desk. With this victory in the Battle of the Bands, the future looks very bright for Look at Fiona.   

 The event was a delightful showcase of CU Denver’s musical prowess and capabilities and the exceptional talent the music program has fostered within its students. As the sun began to set in St. Cajetan, and the light shone through the stained glass, illuminating the room, it felt like a truly magical music experience. This showcase of CU Denver’s music programs made one thing explicitly clear: The next Battle of the Bands will only be more competitive.