With homecoming week coming to a close, Battle of the Bands 2020 hosted by ACE was the best way to get together with fellow Seahawks and listen to great music. Located in Burney Center at 7 p.m., the four bands competed for the first place cash prize of $500 for the best band of 2020! This year the competitors were Komodo, Also Joe, Mars2Marissa and Juneau. In between each band, the MC Jared Michael Cline sang a song with his guitar and introduced the homecoming court. Each band played two originals and one cover with Juneau taking the grand prize and Komodo taking runner-up.

First up was Komodo. Although they used pirate and squid hats along with a pirate accent to talk to the audience, their aesthetic did not match their music. It was cool to see a band take on hard rock with costumes of a sea shanty. Their energy was awesome, and you could tell they really enjoyed being on stage. The judges loved them and compared them to some of their favorite rock bands. They even had the audience moshing in the front!

Next was Also Joe. This band seemed to be familiar to a lot of the crowd. They came out in eclectic clothing and a sweet, relaxed vibe. With their complete range in instruments from an aerophone to a flute to a ukulele, this band had its very own vibe like no other. Their energy was very happy and vibrant, and they seemed to embody that very well. The judges said they could have listened to this music with the windows rolled down on the way to the beach. Their cover of Toto’s “Africa” had the entire crowd singing along with them.

Following them was Mars2Marissa. With her pop-punk vibe, she and her two bandmates took the stage with confidence. She seemed excited to be there and interacted with the audience with high fives and catchy songs. It was like a blast from the past from The Beatles cover to her originals. She had so much bouncing energy that radiated into the audience.

Finally, the moment you have been waiting for, the band Juneau! This band ripped the roof off Burney. They had energy where I did not know you could have energy. The guitarist did full split jumps in the air and danced until his legs fell off.

They looked like they were having the time of their lives. These guys came out on stage with beach apparel on, but their songs were alternative rock and very loud. They had the whole crowd jumping when they came in for their cover of “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. There were also some hardcore fans moshing just like Komodo’s performance. The judges stated that they “didn’t know they were going to see God tonight,” and that “the drummer was a monster.” You could say that they killed it, so it is no wonder they won the competition.

All in all, the bands rocked the house in each of their own styles. At the end of the night, the audience shouted for an encore making this one unforgettable night.