Battle 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!