Pelham students have developed a reputation for musical skill, but for one night only they traded in their Handel for head-banging, their Mozart for mash-ups, and their Beethoven for bass guitar. The annual Battle of the Bands took place on January 10, where students from more than half a dozen groups showcased their musical talents and collaboration to deliver stellar performances. This year, there were seven performing bands: The Bandanas, Caravan, Moth Party, Seventh String, the AcaPelicans, Ryan Urquhart, and The Heartbeats.

Senior Lance Brady, bass player and singer of Caravan, said, “Battle of the Bands is great because it’s so fun to experiment with different sounds in trying to find a coherent set list to play. I thought the night went great… [there was a] large crowd and it seemed like people enjoyed everyone’s music. It’s tough that it was my last one, but I’m thankful I’ve done it three out of four years.”

There were many memorable performances of the night. Senior Maria Comerford and the rest of her band, the Bandanas, stunned the crowd with their take on Ho Hey by the Lumineers. Shep Solimine was electrifying in his several guitar solos with Caravan, and Katja Fair with Moth Party provided comic relief when performing Rock and Roll McDonalds.

Drummer for the Bandanas, senior Elizabeth Comerford, said, “We didn’t have a lot of time to prepare but it ended up being fun and successful. It was great to play on stage as a band one last time and it’s something we’ve had fun doing since sixth grade…”

This event, annually set for the beginning of January, is traditionally scheduled for the week before midterms as an excellent way for students to relieve stress and decompress. Student Association advisor Ms. Rice has organized the Battle of the Bands for two years now, keeping the annual tradition alive and energetic.