Where Hunter College Rocks: The Return of Battle of the Bands

Where Hunter College Speaks (WHCS) radio station hosted their annual Battle of Bands on March 28.

Battle of the Bands, where local New York City music groups perform live music for the chance to win an award, came back for the second year in a row. The event featured a lineup of five bands: Pawn Promotion, Mother Cabrini, Attic Ivy, ABCDEFGH and Crippled Sound.

“Battle of the Bands has become an integral part of the station. It’s a perfect way for us to connect with the New York City music scene and showcase local talent that people might not be familiar with,” said Valerie Duran, the WHCS station manager.

Putting together the battle was no easy feat. David Horn, the station’s treasurer and member of the event’s production team, shared the challenges of securing equipment for the event.

“We don’t have a big budget, so I spent weeks finding missing pieces of instruments. For example, we had an incomplete drum kit and I borrowed the missing parts from the music department,” Horn said.

David Horn engages the audience, sharing insights on the event’s production process. (Photo Credit: Cassidy LaPointe)

Crippled Sound, a grindcore band blending heavy metal and hardcore punk, snagged second place, and delivered an extraordinary set during the event and shared their thoughts on the experience and how it impacted them as a band.

Crippled Sound’s bassist Aidan Mason delivers an intense performance. (Photo Credit: Cassidy LaPointe)

“The experience was great, the crowd was super involved and amazing. We have a good number of people interested in our upcoming performances and releases,” the band shared in a statement to The Envoy.

Samantha Maloney, a sociology major and member of WHCS, explained the process of getting her brother’s band, Crippled Sound, involved in the Battle of the Bands. Despite her connection to WHCS, the competition received a high volume of submissions, and Crippled Sound was only selected after another band dropped out.

WHCS e-board then asked Maloney to reach out to the band to see if they could still perform, and they were able to join the lineup, where they ultimately won second place.

Attic Ivy also shared their unique perspective on the night. Pablo Solotarow, bass player and vocalist for Attic Ivy, highlighted a particularly memorable moment.

“My favorite part of the night was watching the grindcore band [Crippled Sound] getting the crowd to do a wall of death,” Solotarow said.

Attic Ivy’s guitarist captivating the crowd during their set. (Photo Credit: Cassidy LaPointe)

Despite not being a Hunter student, Solotarow says he’s been following WHCS on social media for a while and stays “tuned in for events like these.”

“We’d love to come back or even just play at someone’s place near Hunter’s campus,” said Sanam Singh, the guitarist for Attic Ivy.

Kyle Gutierrez of ABCDEFGH on stage, delivering an exceptional performance. (Photo Credit: Cassidy LaPointe)

Kyle Gutierrez, Hunter student and lead singer of ABCDEFGH, is currently making a name for himself as he runs to become New York City’s first independent mayor.

However, at the event, Gutierrez and the band focused on delivering an unforgettable performance. Gutierrez even wore a G-string during their cover of Verbatim by the band Mother Mother. By their third track, the crowd had their flashlights on and waved their hands in the air.

“We are pumped to be a part of ABCDEFGH and the excitement and engagement displayed by the audience at Battle of the Bands, which was our debut, only fueled this feeling. Stay tuned for new releases!” said Onel Galagedara, a member of the band and a Hunter student studying environmental science.

Onel Galagedara on stage with ABCDEFGH. (Photo Credit: Cassidy LaPointe)

Similarly, Pawn Promotion made a strong impact that evening, taking home the first-place trophy. Sam Weinstein, the band’s drummer, reflected on the experience.

“I am grateful that we earned first place, but standing beside my bandmates who I am so thankful for, and creating these transcendental moments: that was the true reward,” said Weinstein.

Pawn Promotion claimed first place with a standout performance that captivated the crowd. (Photo Credit: Cassidy LaPointe)

Pawn Promotion kept the audience engaged, with mosh pits forming and cheers erupting as they performed original songs and covers.

“The most fun part of the competition, for me at least, was to see the involvement of my peers. It was truly lovely to see the energy of everybody involved … The crowd was amazing their involvement with our set contributed positively to our playing,” said Saem Iftikhar, the guitarist for Pawn Promotion.

The Envoy reached out to all the bands for comments but did not receive a response from Mother Cabrini.

As the night came to an end, Maloney reflected on the event’s success.

“Battle of the Bands is WHCS’s most diverse and coolest event. I’m 90% sure it’ll return for a third year! Stay tuned,” she said.