Leon Li and Manny the SAC Mannequin play outside the chapel to promote the Battle of the Bands.
Northwestern will witness its first Battle of the Bands on Friday, Oct. 2, at 9 p.m. in the RSC mini-gym.
Student activities coordinator, Lori Couch, views this new event, which will replace Air Band, as an exciting event for the student body. Due to the lack of Air Band acts the past two years, Couch and the Student Activities Council decided to try something different this year.
“There was always great audience turn-out and participation, but never enough acts,” Couch said.
Couch said only one person has asked why Battle of the Bands is replacing Air Band, and she views this as confirmation of a positive change.
Battle of the Bands has five groups on the lineup: Bromance, Cadence to Arms, Happy Sam Sawyer, Synthesize Me Captain and We’re Okay.
Each of the groups will play a cover song during the first round of competition. Artists whose music will be covered include Imogen Heap, Ingrid Michaelson, MGMT, One Republic and Kelly Clarkson. A panel of professors will judge the acts.
When the judges have compiled their opinions and reached a final decision, three of the five bands will move on to the second round, when the bands will perform new songs of their choice. After this, the audience will particpate in a live vote. The winning band will play an encore performance and receive an undetermined pizza prize.