In the first of what producer Michael Halem hopes to make an annual event, the Sonoma Battle of the Bands took over Grinstead Amphitheater for seven hours yesterday to the delight of the hundreds of people that moved through Sonoma Plaza.
The competition was open to all players, but all band members had to be under the age of 19. Nine bands, some from as far away as Sebastopol, converged on the square to see who would walk away with bragging rights and a variety of prizes. The bands covered a number of genres of music – classic rock covers being the most popular, with some songs 30 years older than the players.
When the dust settled, three bands rose to the top. The third place prize went to a band out of Santa Rosa. Magicians Use Twins laid down an enthusiastic set of indie rock and “screamo” containing all original tunes. Second place went to the band Last Minute. Two female vocalists doing harmony and some melodic original songs, they sounded almost pro with that “Radio Alice” kind of vibe.
Stealing the show was the band Jhana out of Novato. Guitarist James Harman laid down a clinic of jazz-fusion guitar reminiscent of Jeff Beck or Larry Carlton, with a Joe Satriani feel that had the judge’s jaws hanging wide open. The set was tight and if you didn’t know it, you’d have thought these guys were already pros. For their efforts, they walked away with a $300 gift certificate from Zone Music in Cotati and three hours of recording time at Atlas Studios in Santa Rosa. No one left empty handed – all participants received a spiffy “Award of Merit” trophy.
