The Spicy Boys, Break the Skyline, Logan Crocker, Bread & Circuses, and Medicated Sunfish took the stage on Tuesday night to fight for the title of UNC Wilmington’s Best Band of 2015.

Dorian Newkirt, the Concerts Chair for the Association for Campus Entertainment, said this is the second annual Battle of the Bands at UNCW, originally brought to campus last year by the current VP of Marketing for ACE, Mallory Brayman. Newkirt and his committee had “full influence” on the show- they conducted the advertisement, sifted through a hefty amount band applications, narrowed the contestants down to five groups, reserved the space in the Warwick Center, and ordered tech for the show.

Each band was allowed to play three songs, one of which was required to be a cover, and at least one band member had to be a current UNCW student. Bands were judged on their “technical performance, originality of songs, professionalism, stage presence, vocals and audience reaction” by a panel of credible judgesdirectly after they played their set. At the end of the show, the audience voted by text for their favorite band to determine the winners who were awarded $500, with an award of $250 for second place.

The bands performed on a low-rise stage, allowing the standing audience to be as close as possible. “It gave the audience a chance to get an up-close view of the bands, so it was a more personal experience,” Junior Kaitlyn Manelski said.

The Spicy Boys, a pop punk/alternative/funk band opened the show with an energetic vibe, playing their originals, “Trinidad Heat” and “Nancy”, and a cover of Beyonce’s “Drunk in Love.” The judges were particularly impressed by The Spicy Boys’ stage presence and remarked on the “tightness” of the band.

A metal band called Break the Skyline then took the stage and blew the judges away with their song structure, band dynamics, stage presence, and raw sound. Maria Watson, the lead singer, said she was stunned by the judges’ reactions, particularly when one said, “Those beats were dope!” and then mentioned how far the band had come since their early performances at The Whiskey, downtown, in 2013.

Logan Crocker was next and, as the only one-man-band, stirred the crowd with his acoustic set and implementation of a looping station. He played a cover of “The Wayfaring Stranger” along with his two originals, “Unfamiliar Hearts” and “See You”.

According to Crocker, “See You” is a song written about missing his girlfriend who is currently studying abroad in England. The judges were very receptive of his set, calling him “engaging” and complimenting his “silky smooth” voice and multitasking musical abilities.

Bread & Circuses, a four day old band formed less than a week before the Battle of the Bands show, covered Led Zeppelin’s “Bring it On Home” and played two originals. Judges said they were a “classic power trio” and praised their songs for the “50’s/60’s rock and roll” fusion with a “punk and metal, older 70’s” vibe. During their set, two girls began hula hooping near the front of the crowd and while one student suggested that it may have taken attention away from the band’s performance, others felt that it added a genuine, outdoor concert feeling to the set.

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Finally, Medicated Sunfish, a seven member rock-reggae-psychedelic-fusion band, took the stage. The judges were struck by the band’s “absolutely great energy” and said “there’s nothin’ like a long song that doesn’t feel long ‘cause you’re lovin’ it so much”. Medicated Sunfish said the judges’ comments on their performance was “very insightful” and they took a lot from it.

As soon as the band vacated the stage, the audience feverishly began voting for their favorite performance of the night and – Logan Crocker won second place, with Medicated Sunfish taking the title of UNCW’s Best Band of 2015.

Logan Crocker was ecstatic about the show’s outcome, saying, “to be recognized in any way as a ‘winner’ is very humbling and encouraging.” Crocker has a strong passion for his music, having started writing songs when he was fifteen years old. Between then and now, he was inspired by Bern/Hoft and Ed Sheeran to try out the looping station. The audience and the judges at Battle of the Bands obviously thought that Crocker was successful in the attempt; one audience member even called it “hypnotic”. After the show, one of the judges approached Crocker and gave him her card, seemingly interested in producing his work. Crocker said he feels, “very blessed with how tonight went” and thanked everyone for coming out.

Tom McDonald and Chris Alen of Medicated Sunfish answered the recurring question that the crowd posed: How did they come up with the name “Medicated Sunfish”? They looked at each other and laughed, then dove into the wild story of their spiritual journey into the wilderness and on the high seas when a man in the distance rode toward them on a seal, holding a flaming fish over his head – thus, Medicated Sunfish. The band just formed in the summer of 2014 and since then has played at Ziggy’s By The Sea, The Whiskey, and The Calico Room, along with several other local venues. They just returned from a winter tour, playing their way through North Carolina, Virginia, and going as far as Washington, D.C. to spread their aphorism – “Get Medicated!. McDonald and Alen mentioned their upcoming EP (with Hourglass Studios, look for it shortly after March 15) and then thanked UNCW, ACE, the judges, the crowd, and the other great artists who came out on Tuesday night.