Another Ponderosa Battle of the Bands is in the books! This year marks the 12th Battle of the Bands at the Ponderosa. We look forward to the many more to come. This event brings the music and music-loving community together over seven weeks of head-to-head competition. It’s one of our favorite events of the year. Past winners include Pondo favorites Rekless Kompany, Jessie Leigh and Robert Henry Band.
Robert Henry Band won the competition in 2018.
Broken Cowboys, Second Chance Band, Jessi Rae Band, Midnight Highway, The Whiskey Breakdown, Macey Gard Band, The Casimir Effect, Got Yer 6, Pretty Gritty, The Pride of the North Bank, Trevor Tagle and Nekked Bonz Dance Klub. Eventually, Trevor Tagle emerged as the champion.
Trevor Tagle on stage at the Ponderosa.
Trevor Tagle wasn’t sure if it made sense to participate in the competition when he was originally asked. His band’s hometown of Salem is a bit of a drive away. Thankfully they decided to go for it. The rest is history! They played during Round 4 and were actually defeated by The Pride of the North Bank. Tagle called the group “amazing.” “Honestly, we thought they were going to win the whole thing. They are super awesome guys,” said Tagle. His compliment demonstrates the camaraderie of the competition. While it may be fierce, it’s also meant to be fun and in good spirit.
The Pride of the North Bank performing at the finale.
Thankfully for Tagle, two bands that performed exceptionally in the first four rounds had the opportunity to be “saved.” These groups were part of the semi-finals and Trevor Tagle made the cut. To ensure they showed their dedication, the band took the criticism they received from the judges seriously. They worked on improving for their performance in the semi-finals. By focusing on putting on a fun, crowd-engaging show, their efforts were rewarded! They won the second round of the semi-finals. This secured their spot in the finale.
Midnight Highway performing at the finale.
During the finale they faced some stiff competition. The Pride of the North Bank, who defeated them in round 4 were back, along with Midnight Highway, a Southern rock and blues band and crowd favorite were the two friendly rivals.
The judges at the finale, from left: Tom Van Riper, Tommy Tutone, Kurt Van Meter and Todd Hoffman.
Ultimately, Trevor Tagle’s country rock sound and stage presence won over the audience and the panel of judges.
“It was a humbling moment to have people who were originally there for the other bands in the past weeks come back just to see us. They rooted for us and even became fans,” said Tagle. “That’s what it’s all about! We are just happy to be a part of it and thankful for everyone who came out to support everyone who participated. We need things like this to keep local music alive and thriving!”
The bands, judges and organizers of the event at the finale.
The Ponderosa Lounge & Grill is Portland’s biggest and best country western bar. We have been doing Portland nightlife “Pondo Style” since 1969! Live music hits the stage every weekend featuring local, regional and national talent. Battle of the Bands is an annual competition at the Ponderosa that happens every spring where the area’s top bands compete over seven weeks of live, head to head music. We look forward to the next one and hope you do too. Don’t forget, you can host your event at the Ponderosa too by renting out the space. Learn more here.
Battle of the Bands XI at Ponderosa Lounge & GrillBattle of the Bands XI Round 1 was on Tuesday at the Ponderosa. It was a blast! We hosted three fantastic bands, three esteemed judges and everyone had a whole lotta fun.
The judges’ panel will change each week, but this week’s judges were Brady Goss, Autumn Everland and Donovan Raschdorf.
Robert Henry Band. This traditional country band, led by the 25-year old Robert Henry, blew the audience and the judges away! The judges were particularly impressed that their cover of “Folsom Prison” was spot-on because taking on Johnny Cash can be quite the challenge. Brady Goss even called them the best country band he’s seen in the Northwest.
Magnolia Waters performed high-energy country and Southern rock. Their cover of “Sweet Child of Mine” was impressive—it’s no surprise that they refer to their lead guitarist Christian Pond as “Baby Slash.” The judges were impressed too, particularly with lead singer Brandy Anderson’s vocals and how tight the group was overall.
The last band of the night was Matt Hopper and the Roman Candles. This American rock n roll band has been around since 1999. While they were a little less country, the judges still loved them and the audience still loved line dancing to their music!
In the end, the audience voted for Robert Henry Band, so they will be going on to the semi-finals! If you loved Magnolia Waters or Matt Hopper and the Roman Candles, never fear. You have a chance to vote for them to perform during the “Save Round” on May 29. The winner will get $1000 and an opening slot for a national act at the Ponderosa.
Battle of the Bands XI is an eight-week event, so come to the Ponderosa every Tuesday until the finale on June 19. Shows start at 8 PM, and there’s no cover. RSVP to the Facebook event to get updates on which bands are playing each night and who is moving on in the competition!
8 PM Nate Botsford
9 PM Rob Larkin and The Wayward Ones
10 PM Hawkeye Pierce
Katie Lou Ellen of Rekless Kompany, last year’s winners
We will see you there!