[Originally published on the Tennessee Journalist on Mar. 5, 2015]

The Campus Entertainment Board hosted a battle of the bands in the University Center Auditorium on Thursday night. Four local artists competed in the competition in hopes of winning the grand prize: a set at this year’s Volapalooza on April 24 in World’s Fair Park.

The event had three judges, two dj’s from WUTK and David Brown, the director of Volapalooza. The audience also got to cast their vote by text after each act had performed. These votes counted for one fourth of the total, and the other three came from the judges.

Each act was given fifteen minutes to perform original music.

Maps Need Reading was the first band to perform. The group hails from Knoxville, and describes their style as a combination of indie rock and post-rock. Along with the guitar, drum and bass, the group featured a trombone and tenor saxophone.

Two attendees, Abbie Fields and Kathryn York, were excited to see the band perform because they knew some of the bandmates.

Sale$ was the next performer to compete. The University of Tennessee senior is also a rapper who currently has four mix tapes. He says he has been making music since he was in elementary school.

The rock band The Screens performed next. They are from Nashville, and brought a crowd of supporters with them for the competition.

Another Nashville band, Heathen Sons, closed the show with their blend of rock and alternative country.

After the votes were tallied, Heathen Sons was crowned the runner-up, and The Screens took home the top prize of the night.

The attendees liked having the opportunity to vote for their favorite act.

“I think it’s a good idea and it worked pretty good,” said Fields. “It was pretty straightforward.”

You can listen to music from all the performers online. Maps Need Reading has music available on theirBandcamp page, Sale$ has an official SoundCloud page, as do The Screens and Heathen Sons.

To see all the acts at Volapalooza, including The Cold War Kids and Lupe Fiasco make sure to buy your ticket from their official website. Tickets are free to students who opted in.