Battle Of Birdy’s 2013: Week 1

As they like to say it: “let’s battle!”

For the ninth consecutive year, Indy’s largest organized battle of the bands – better known as the Battle of Birdy’s – kicked off. Over the course of the next 13 weeks, nearly 60 bands will take to the stage to compete for a variety of prizes, including (but not limited to) $5000 in spending cash, bragging rights, a chance to record a 3-song EP with Grizzly Music Co., and so much more. Many have entered, but as they like to say in the Highlander, “there can be only 1.”

As for the rules, let’s run through those really quick: Six bands will perform a 25-minute set to prove to their fans, their peers and to an few anonymous judges – all of which hold their fate in their respective hands – that they are the best. At the end of the night, points are awarded based on 1st, 2nd and 3rd place votes, with roughly 80% of points being determined by fan voting. Whoever the top 2 bands are at the end of the night lives to see Round 2, while the rest go home.

The welcomes have been said, the fans have taken their seats and the PBR is flowing generously at the bar. Time to get this battle started.

Since this is at a placed touted as “rock n’ roll’s nesting grounds,” it’s only fair that we kick things off with a band that just screams rock n’ roll (not literally though, because that’s an entirely different genre…). Raized By Records is the first to take the stage.

As the first band of the evening, there are no signs of those “first band jitters,” as they looked completely at ease bringing their 70s-influenced rock (it’s like they really were raised by records…) to the North Side as their loyal fans embraced it all from the comfort of their tables (plenty of “Raized By Records shirts in the area). Though I did arrive during their last song, their presence and articulate sound look like it’ll be enough to carry them for a deep run in this year’s battle. All in all, great way to kick things off.

Their set is over, and as they strike the stage and set up for the next performer, life goes on around the room. Some people head towards the bar for a drink, while others head to the patio for some fresh air or a cigarette. Inside, there’s polite chatter amongst friends and some more people are slowly starting to trickle in. For a local battle of the bands, it’s a nice turnout, and definitely a great sign of things to come.

One of the great things about this battle? It has to be how eclectic it is. Sure, there’s a large contingency of rock bands, but you also have the occasional hip-hop act, a folk band, or even in this case, and in some cases, a bare-bones, stripped down, acoustic solo artist trying to get his name out.

That being said, our next performer comes in the form of Steve Boller, who readily admitted to the crowd that we were going “from a rock concert to the aisles of LS Ayers.” There are no theatrics, no gimmicks and certainly no one else to fall back on. Just one man, his guitar, and a 25-minute set time.

As for his performance, he looked completely at ease, from his blend of originals and covers, to his overall demeanor on stage. He looked like someone who has been doing this for years, and has a complete grasp on what he’s doing, save for the brief moment when he cut his own set short and had to do another song (set times were pushed backed for the evening). While some in the crowd may have wanted more of a rock show, those who watched attentively look pleased.

It always feels a little bit like rival factions whenever a band’s fans arrive, especially when they all have on the same shirt. It’s more than just a band or their friends, it’s who they are. They’re here to support their favorites and maybe even put them into the next round.

That being said, we have the band Shed up next, and in keeping up with the theme of the evening, we have yet another completely different sound. This time, coming from the late 90s-early 2000s era of nu-metal. For those who have never witnessed something like this, there’s a little headbanging, a little distortion, a little screaming, and a whole lot of heavy. Okay, so maybe it isn’t music for everybody, especially since we just saw an acoustic performance, but hey, those who were there to see them enjoyed it, and sometimes, that can make all the difference when it comes to moving on to the next round. For now, let’s wait and see.

I’m starting to sense a pattern for Night 1. We’ve gone from rock to acoustic to metal to…

…you guessed it. We’ve got another solo acoustic performer, this time by the name of Eric Pedigo.

Much like we experienced earlier in the night, it feels almost the same. Only instead of going from classic rock to shopping music, we’ve gone from Drowning Pool to Damien Rice. A lot of his friends show up, and with that, also came the friendly banter that usually comes with it. Pedigo handles everything nicely, and maybe he does look a little bit nervous in between songs trying to talk to everyone, but he looks like he’s having fun, and even he admit he did this just to perform and meet new people. Just think of how many more he could meet if he moves on…

It’s getting closer to midnight, and the room is looking a little more bare than before. Yet there are still some enjoying it all, ordering more drinks and posing for pictures with friends. While things might be starting to calm down, we’ve still got two more to go.

Lilith On Top is next, and once again, we’re back to kicking things up a notch (or cranking it up to 11). Once again, it’s a metal act, but one perhaps more in-tune to a more contemporary/post-hardcore sound, so a good mix of singing and screaming, heavy guitars and the like. They sound solid, and they have a great stage presence. The downside? It’s starting to get late, and not many are still in the room (many retreated to the patio), but for what it’s worth, they sound impressive, and as we’ve seen in the past with 2nd and 3rd place points, anything can happen.

We’re at our final band of the night, and as expected, things have died down, but not so much that the place is dead.

And after this next band, this place is as jumping as it has ever been.

Werewolf With A Shotgun closes out the evening, and their performance coupled with the crowed that they brought is almost enough to breathe some life back into the room. They were articulate, fast-paced, full of energy and overall, just a complete blast to watch. Even a few people took to dancing next to the stage.

You know the old expression “time flies when you’re having fun?” That was definitely the case here, as they were almost forced to stop after going over their allotted time. However, we’re at the end of the night, and they were able to perform their last song, ending the night with a bang…

…or so we thought.

Six bands have performed and now they await their fate. Last second ballots are turned in and now it’s time to play the waiting game. While this is going on, some head towards the patio, while others hang around inside, making pleasantries or ordering a few last-second drinks. It feels like an eternity as they tally the votes, but of course, they need to count carefully. Actually in this case, votes were recounted, as points between 2nd and 3rd place were “unbelievably close.” Definitely the closest first night they’ve had in their 9 years of existence.

Eventually, the votes have been counted, and everyone comes back inside to find out who’s moving on to the next round.

So who will you be seeing in October? The winners went like this:

2nd: Erid Pedigo (405)
1st: Raized On Records.

With that, Night 1 is in the books. Pleasantries are exchanged amongst participants, and the rest head to their cars, perhaps a little tired, but overall, left smiling after an exciting first night.

Final verdict?

It’s hard to know what to expect in the first round, let alone the first night. To sum things up, the crowd was great, the bands were great, and if this is any indication of what’s to come over the next few months, we could be in for a wild ride.

And for this writer, I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it. See you all next week.