Music boomed from the gym as West High held the 11^th Annual Battle of the Bands. Licensed Fools, Farewell Amber West Swell, Short Temper!, Infinite Sun, and Russian Bleu all performed for an excited audience.

   Emcees, Amy Romano (12) and Garrett Miller (11), kept the crowd pumped up as each band performed their songs. When Short Temper! played, the crowd supported the loud bass and vocals as each song was thrilling. However, the band started to play an extra song which caused an uproar in the audience. Coordinator Mrs. Jensen came down to the stage and unplugged the speakers, causing the band to stop playing and sit down. This ultimately cost Short Temper! the chance to win as they were automatically disqualified. Inifinite Sun picked up the excitement as they performed their original songs “Morning” and “Golden Haze”. Infinite Sun performs each month at Bomball Open Mic Night, so none of them were new to the stage. Bass guitarist and vocalist Ariana Evans (12) commented, “I really enjoy being in the band because we all love to sing for fun. Even though it takes up time, I don’t mind because we are all committed to sounding good.”

   Each band tried their best in hopes to win first place After intermission, the emcees announced the awards which were received with cheers and smiles. Third place was Licensed Fools, second place was Russian Bleu, and first place was West Swell. West Swell continued their legacy as they racked up their third consecutive win. Although Raquel DeJesus (12) believes that “West Swell is really good,” she is “[getting] kind of tired seeing them win all the time. It’s hard to judge bands, because all of them are so good.

  Battle of the Bands was not a night to forget. Family and friends were gathered around each band as they showed love and support for all those who participated.