Battle of the Bands, a well-established Carleton tradition, recently rolled around again and took center stage last weekend in the basement of Evans Hall. Last Friday evening, music lovers, supportive friends and curious first-years filled the Cave in anticipation of a night full of budding student bands with a repertoire spanning from indie rock to heavy metal. Each group played their hearts out in competition for the ultimate prize: opening at Sproncert.

Battle of the Bands has long held a special place in Carleton’s spring term traditions. Equal parts musical showcase and social gathering, it offers students a chance to step away from problem sets and research papers to instead celebrate the creativity and originality of the competing bands. For many performers, Battle of the Bands marks their first time playing original songs in front of a live audience — an exhilarating and nerve-wracking experience.

For musicians and audience members alike, Battle of the Bands isn’t just another concert: it’s a snapshot of campus creativity, collaboration and passion.

“There’s something really special about that connection between the performer and the audience and being able to hear this art that people have created,” said Lizzie Coy-Bjork ’27, lead singer of Emperor Tamarin, aptly putting into words the atmosphere of excitement and support created every year at the event.

As the night went on, the Cave became a space where nerves, competition and eager support mixed to create the classic Battle of the Bands energy. The crowd swayed to the beat of each song, cheered heartily after each set and sang along to every cover.

This year, however, the creation of a new rule seems to have brought out a whole new level of creativity and artistry in each performance.

Bands were limited to just one cover song, with the rest of their set required to be original material. Far from discouraging participants, the change seemed to spark excitement. According to Gabe Tarini ’25, the current general manager of the Cave, 16 bands signed up for the 2025 Battle of the Bands — the most in the past several years of this annual tradition. With 14 bands ultimately performing, Tarini expressed that “the last couple weeks in the lead-up to the event were a bit of a logistical crunch.”

Staff at the Cave spent countless hours planning, organizing and making sure each band went through a soundcheck in preparation for opening night.

The composition and performance of original songs also proved to be a hit for the throng of students in attendance in the first round at the first night of Battle of the Bands. The classic covers will never fail to get the audience fired up, but original songs seemed to bring a new wave of anticipatory energy into the crowd.

“I think there’s something that’s inherently really special about creating originals, because that really comes from your soul,” said Coy-Bjork, whose band opened the night to enthusiastic applause and ultimately earned a spot in the finals.

Despite the excitement, the competition aspect still loomed large. Out of the 14 bands who performed Friday night, only six moved on to the final round. The judging panel — made up of professors Jake Morton of the classics department and Jeremy Tatar of the music department and a musically-inclined freshman (this year, Percy Vermut ’28) — scored each band based on a rubric created by Cave staff, then combined their scores and deliberated to determine which bands had the potential to advance.

This year, the successful bands included “Montana Rides,” “Burn with Purpose,” “Junixr & MXDchild,” “Cowboy Killers,” “Emperor Tamarin” and “The First People to Ever Sell Cars.”

The final showdown is set to take place on Saturday, April 26 at the Cave, where these bands will return for one last battle. Two winners will open at Sproncert, slated for May 31, where they’ll share the stage with a yet-to-be-announced headliner.

Whether you’re a diehard fan of the Carleton music scene or just looking for something to do on a Saturday night, the Battle of the Bands finals promises an evening of original music that reflects the quirks and passions of this campus. The vibe might be chaotic, but that’s exactly what makes it fun.