Battle Of Birdy’s: Week 9

50+ bands, 1 goal. It may be the end of one thing, but the fun is just beginning.

After 8 weeks of some of the most intense action “rock n’ roll’s nesting grounds’ has ever seen, the first round of the Battle of Birdy’s has finally reached its conclusion, but before we can completely close the book on it, we’ve got 5 more acts looking to prove themselves to their peers, and the audience that holds their fate in their collective hands.

So without further ado, it’s time to get this party started, and send this first round off with a bang…

Pres Maxon is our first performer for the evening. Now we’ve seen our fair share of solo acts in the battle thus far, but none like this. Rather, this is just one man, a keyboard, and his thoughts. Oh yeah, and an audience – so far a fairly modest one – to listen.

For the most part, it’s a very light-hearted performance. He even has a few friends heckling him in the crowd, which he playfully goes along with. Though he may have fumbled the words a few times, it’s a very entertaining way to kick things off.

After being on a little bit of a roll the past few weeks in terms of attendance, it seems a little bare in comparison. It seems quiet, maybe a little too quiet, but let’s not jump to conclusions. It’s about 8:30 on a Friday night.

Now onto act #2, which continues our trend of having solo performers in the first two spots. Let’s welcome Chris Burch.

Though mellow in comparison, he fills out the stage nicely for being just one guy with his guitar. His somewhat grizzled, almost gritty voice compliments his soothing melodies very nicely. Maybe no one heard his bad joke at the beginning, but those who were around did hear a very honest, bare bones performance.

Meanwhile, life moves on throughout the bar. The NLCS is playing on the television screens, some people have moved things out to the patio, and the Flat 12 is flowing freely. With this much going on, I’d say it’s about time to kick things up a notch.

And by the looks (and sounds) of it, we don’t have to wait long.

Chained Fate is our next group, and while the name sounds familiar, I don’t think I’ve ever heard these guys before. Not to worry though, this is why you go out to local shows. You might just discover something new…

Unlike our first two performers, this is a full-on rock band, with all of the guitar licks and vocal harmonies that makes me think I’ve got my 90s Spotify playlist going, which is not a bad thing at all. Musically, everything is very tight, their harmonies sound great, and each member seems to have that chemistry down. While I may have wished they did more in terms of their stage presence, this seems like a very confident group that looks ready to make a deep run in this year’s Battle. That is, if the audience agrees…

I’ve seen Eyes On Fire several times, and I’ve seen Phoenix on the Fault Line once or twice, and tonight, I get to see members of both perform as a different kind of monster.

Join The Dead is our next act, and for the next 25 minutes, it’s nothing but straight-up, in-your-face metal. It’s been a fairly modest crowd around here tonight, but yet it seemed like everyone gathered around once these guys took the stage.

And why not? They were energetic, engaging, and just had that kind of big show mentality that some bands lack, despite only performing at a bar in Indianapolis. They demanded your attention from start to finish, and the audience is more than happy to oblige. It’s almost like that one friend you have that’s good at something, and they know it. With a sound like this and the confidence they displayed, things could get very interesting if they make it out of this round.

After this comes something that has become a trend in recent week: one band was unable to make it out to the show. Because each act is locked into their time slot, we’re faced with yet another lengthy wait until the next. It’s a lull that seems to drag on longer than usual. Fortunately, there is a baseball game on to pass the time. Me, along with several others, take to watching, while others head out to the patio for some air, or hit up the bar for a quick drink. We were on a roll, but now everything has come to a screeching halt. Sure, the payoff will be great, but still.

To make things even worse, our next band takes the stage to sound check, then exit stage right because it’s not time for them to go on. While there’s enough to keep me occupied (baseball, Tetris, conspiring to start a rumor with Indy In-Tune’s Darren Snyder), there’s nothing that live music can’t fix.

At long last, our final band of the evening has taken the stage. All night long, I’ve been seeing a few people walking around wearing camouflage. It wouldn’t be until the end of the night that I would learn that this is EspresSoul.

They have a decent-sized crowd, but most of them stayed around their tables during the performance. Of course, this doesn’t stop them from eventually standing up and dancing to the music. Actually, with their sound, it’s almost impossible to stay put.

From a performance standpoint, there’s something that seemed like they were a little awkward when it came to talking to the crowd, but once the music started, it was a completely different story. With their blend of hip-hop and funk with R&B, it was like a completely different group. Their chemistry was great, their sound is very pleasing on the ears, and all the while, they were enjoying every second of it.

But whether or not this would be enough to propel them into the next round, we’ll find out soon enough.

Finally, after 9 weeks and 50 or so odd bands later, Round 1 has reached its conclusion. Now the fun part of the evening begins. Last-second ballots and turned in, and from there, it’s time to tally the votes. The game has reached extra innings, so there’s something to stay preoccupied. Some decide to head home now. The rest stick around and enjoy another drink, as well as the company of others.

I may have complained about how it felt like the weeks were running together after a while, but overall, this has been a very enjoyable Round 1. The talent has been great, the crowds have been great, and the battle itself just has a different feel than it has the past few years. From someone who has had the pleasure of covering this the past few years, this has definitely been an enjoyable ride.

Best of all, this is only the beginning. I’m anxious to see what’s in store in the next round…

But of course, there’s the issue of filling out the final two spots, and it’s something that looks like we’ll find out shortly.

The results are in, what’s left of the crowd anxiously awaits to hear who’s moving on, but first, a few orders of businesses. Our host takes a few moments to thank the sponsors, as well as the crowd for making this First Round one of the best yet. There’s some light applause that follows, but also a feeling of “just announce who one already.”

So without further ado, here are our two winners for Week 9:

2nd: Chained Fate
1st: EspresSoul

And there you have it. After 9 weeks and over 50 of the local scene’s best and brightest, the field has been narrowed down to just 18. The stakes may be higher, but each of these bands looks more than ready to take up this challenge and grab that brass ring.

So join us, won’t you, for Second Round action. Support your favorites, discover something new, and more importantly,

Become a part of the ever-growing Indy Music Scene. See you all next week.