The City of La Palma partners with the City of Cypress to present the thirteenth annual Battle of the Bands to benefit the teen and youth communities of both cities. This year KROQ radio was there with their own tent set up to support the event, creating quite a buzz among the crowd. The event took place at Central Park in La Palma on April 17 and had quite a turnout of about 50 people this year.
The competition is judged and the bands are separated into 2 divisions; High School Division and Open Division with an age cut off at 21. There is a first, second, and third place given in each division and then an overall winner.
To recruit bands for the event, the City of La Palma sends out flyers to local schools as well as after school programs. In addition the city sends out information via the City of La Palma website and newsletter. Once bands have signed up and are ready, the city also provides them with flyers so they can promote their own performances and the event itself.
The park is packed with fellow students, fans and of course supportive parents. Some of the younger division bands blow the crowd away with their professional sound. A band called Random, made up of elementary school students, did a fantastic job in front of the judges with their three-song set.
Band member and Rossmore Elementary student Jack Taylor, 11, said, “I’ve been playing bass for a year and a half and I love preforming, I want to do this for a living.”
Jack’s mom Honor Levin was there wearing a shirt with the Random logo on it. She said the event was, “Very inspiring, it’s fun to watch them.”
One of the event’s coordinators, Tim Dodd, a recreation specialist for the City of La Palma, has worked in the youth programs for five years and loves working with the children. Dodd said, “I love my job, and these events are for the kids, to showcase their talents. And it is a lot of fun”. Dodd was also the one who got in contact with KROQ to come to the event.
As the night goes on the competition got tougher and the last performance of the night comes from a band called Five Minutes Late, who was stiff competition for the rest of the bands. Five Minutes Late finished strong and then the judges deliberate.
The winners of first, second, third place all got trophies. First place winners also got a prize of studio time at Harmony Studies, as well as $100 towards a music school called The Rock Experience. After careful deliberation and the announcement of the division winners, Random took home second place. The moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived, the over all winner of the evening, Five Minutes Late was announced as the big winner of the night.
Of course, everyone is a winner at this fun event,and the city of La Palma plans to keep it that way.
High School Division band RANDOM.
The crowd watches the performances at La Palma Central Park.
Open Division Band, The Smooth Accolades.
Overall first place winner of the night, Five Minutes Late.
KROQ at the event.
