As anticipation for the annual Springfest celebration crescendos, students across Case Western Reserve University’s campus gathered on Saturday, March 23 for a night of groovy tunes and musical competition. This year’s neon-themed Battle of the Bands was hosted at The Spot in Leutner Commons, a more cozy venue than previous years, which were held at The Jolly Scholar and Thwing Ballroom. Ten impressive student bands came together to compete for a chance to open for the Springfest headliner later this semester. Alongside many returning fan favorites, this year’s Battle of the Bands also featured several new groups that each delivered stellar performances.
Maxwell Clark’s ukulele performance was filled with poignant, melancholy original songs—setting an intimate tone for the rest of the show. The room was hushed and full of admiration as the singer moved the audience with his evident love and appreciation for folk music. Clark discussed with The Observer the numerous wonderful music teachers and people that inspired the alternative folk style of music of the set. Although this was Clark’s first performance of this scale in six years, we were very impressed and fortunate to have him kick off the show.
The band that was born out of a lab, Performance Anxietae, brought their unique style to the stage. Their usual lead singer Adrian Palumbo was unable to make it that night, but nonetheless, the group killed it with their unique “fabloo” set, drawing inspiration from Tally Hall’s wonky rock style that defies categorization. Contrary to their name, which implies stage anxiety, the group’s confidence and lively spirit captivated the audience, and their cardboard cutout of their absent band member only added to their charm.
Lake Effect entered the stage with a roaring “Yeah!” After asserting their remarkable stage presence, they quickly launched into an electrifying performance. In their interviews with The Observer, the band members demonstrated that their humor extends beyond the stage—they named themselves after the local Cleveland weather, are planning for a world tour and seem to be some of the biggest Weezer fans I have ever met. Aside from their silliness, their energy was exceptional onstage, and I have high hopes for seeing them at Springfest 2024.
Space Kayak Attack!!! took the stage and delivered what might have been one of the most memorable sets I have seen. Its members showcased fantastic musical versatility and talent, with one even bringing a talkbox on stage—what a unique instrument, and one I had never before seen in person. Their genre for Battle of the Bands was funk pop, so they played hits such as “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars and “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk. However, their passion seemed to extend to any genre of music, evident in their enthusiastic discussions about their upcoming musical projects. Their rendition of “Get Lucky” featured an acapella breakdown of the song, and they even snuck in part of the CWRU alma mater.
No Pitches? was also one of my favorites, and they delivered a stunning performance once again. Their Battle of the Bands debut from the year before left the entire audience in awe with a beautiful violin solo during “I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers. This year, they kept up the Phoebe Bridgers theme by playing “Not Strong Enough” by boygenius. Their harmonies were exceptional, and the song lingered in my mind for the rest of the night.
greenhouse also catered to my music taste, playing one of my favorite songs, “Francis Forever” by Mitski. Putting my personal bias aside, however, their performance resonated with the entire audience—not just myself. Born out of a group of friends with a shared passion for performing, greenhouse had a wonderful time on stage, and everyone else enjoyed them as well.
Space Cadets returned to the stage to mesmerize us with their commanding stage presence once again. Their confidence and devotion to performing were incredible, and remained consistent throughout their entire performance. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of artists, from Jimi Hendrix to Dominic Fike, these musical influences clearly shone through in Space Cadets’ strong performance.
EX/MAPLE, a long-time campus favorite, also returned to the Battle of the Bands stage. Over the years, their original songs have only grown in musicality. Even the instrumentals by themselves are beautiful tracks that you could listen to on repeat. Describing their genre as “indie rock but cooler,” EX/MAPLE and their style seemed to appeal to everyone, and quickly became one of the biggest highlights of the night.
Dishwasher Possum was also a returning fan favorite, and their lead vocalist dazzled the audience as always. Their cover of a Backseat Lovers song was a surefire hit, and not a note was missed, much to the awe of audience members who had never been blessed by Dishwasher Possum’s presence before. The entire band’s chemistry was incredible, and I loved every second of their set.
Sons of Greek Love enthusiastically closed off the night with the perfect amount of energy. They opened for Waka Flocka Flame earlier in the fall, and only seem to have strengthened their musical identity since then. Their band demonstrated so much love for their fellow musicians, describing Dishwasher Possum as their dream band to open for. Their energy both off and on the stage was well-received by the students, and the crowd was left begging for an encore at the end of their performance.
Shortly after Battle of the Bands, the Springfest artist was announced as Bea Miller, a previous X Factor star and the singer of the TikTok popular song “feel something.” Many students expressed disappointment on the Springfest Instagram account, the most liked comment being “WHO???” Nevertheless, despite the overall negative reaction to the artist announcement, students had an exhilarating time at the Battle of the Bands event. And given the more-than-stellar performances at Battle of the Bands, surely Springfest will be well worth attending, if not for the invited artist but for the student bands themselves.