A Harvard band took on more than 500 groups in the first annual "Energizer Rock-n-Roll Challenge" and this weekend ended their two-month quest to become the best college band on the East Coast.

Along with that title, Harvard's own "Rhythm Method" took home $5000 in cash, a $5000 gift to Harvard, and a contract with Nola Recording Studio in New York.

Members of the band said they are confident that their victory could bring the band some national attention.

"We're now the best college band on the East Coast," said lead vocalist John N. Axelrod '88. "We definitely didn't go into the contest for the money. We wanted as much exposure as we could get, and now maybe we can go national," he added.

Rhythm Method, which appears regularly at clubs in Boston like Jack's and the Channel, were rated one of the top ten bands in Boston earlier this year by Beat Magazine, Axelrod said. In addition, one of their original tunes, Modern Life, climbed to number five on the WFNX-FM Radio Beat Chart, he said.

While the band enjoys much local appreciation, Axelrod said he is upset with Harvard's attitude toward amateur bands performing on campus androck-n-roll in general.

"We hope a victory like this will make Harvardtake us more seriously," Axelrod said.

"We're dying to play for Harvard students andHarvard should do all they can so Rhythm Methodand other Harvard bands can play here all thetime," the native Texan said.

Harvard neglects rock music because itstraditions lie in classical music, Axelrod said.

"Rock music should be recognized for its valueas a universal communicator," Axelrod said. "Maybesomething like our victory can help wake Harvardup to rock music's importance," he added.

To capture the gold at Villanova, the sixmember band defeated the New Buicks fromGeorgetown University, Beat Clinic from theUniversity of Delaware, and Byzon Iz Pyzon fromthe State University of New York at Fredonia.

Other band members include John O. Sousanis'87; Laura Blodgett '89; Warren Hill of Boston;Byron DeLear from Los Angeles; and David Schommerof Berkely, California.

"It was awesome to play in the competition,"said lead guitarist DeLear. "They had a biggersound and light system, for the bands than ElvisCostello is using [at Harvard]," he added.

Wendy Dyroff of National Media Group, whichpromoted the event for Energizer said, "RhythmMethod is a great band, and everyone thinks theyhave a lot of potential."

"I think they won because they have aninteresting new sound. It's really somethingdifferent," Dyroff added. "We [National Media]would really want to work with the band."

The final competition received MTV coverage,said Dyroff. MTV is now editing the tapes fromthat event and will likely air some footage fromthe competition, she said.

The final competition was hosted by comedianSinbad, and scored by a panel of celebrity judgesincluding John Little and David Uosikkinen of theHooters; former Supreme Cindy Birdsong, and EricBloom, lead vocalist of Blue Oyster Cult