Battle of the Bands

Last Friday, Pforzheimer House and the Undergraduate Council showcased Harvard's own in the Springfest Battle of the Bands. The chosen, selected to compete by some mysterious and no doubt complicated process involving a whirl of demos and referrals, were: Putney Swope, usagipop, the Mode Mode and 98%. Despite a few false starts and technical difficulties ranging from a broken guitar string to an impertinent drum machine, the show moved quickly from set to set. Each band played up to a half-hour of selections. With a range that spanned from noise rock to soul classics, it would have been impossible to compare the bands on their relative musical "merit." Instead, it seems that audience response determined the judges' prompt verdict. The Battle's champion was 98%, whose covers of "Soul Man" and "That's the Way I Like It" created a flood of dancing bodies, which ran up the aisles and swept chairs out of the way. Shame on the audience for holding onto their inhibitions until the very last blows of the battle! Perhaps it was the stifling non-ambience of the Pfoho dining hall. Perhaps it was the poor attendence.

In any case, those who missed Battle of the Bands or failed to give it up and get down for all the competitors have a chance to redeem themselves. All four of the battling bands can be seen this weekend as ARTS FIRST takes over. For your stimulation, we offer you profiles on last week's stars. Who?Wha?Huh? It's all here: learn the truth behind the Mode Mode's spastic onstage hijinks! 98%--exactly how funky are they? discover the double life of Putney Swope, folksters by day and thrashing mod-rockers by night! and finally, an interview with usagipop--mp3s included!

Christian Rudder for the Mode Mode

WHO?: The Mode Mode is Justin Rice '99 (guitar, vocals), Christian Rudder '98 (keyboards) and Tim Farrington '01 (drums)

SAY WHAT?: "Well, we started out calling ourselves Depeche Mode. As you can imagine, there was trouble. Mode Mode was the logical improvement."

THE SOUNDS: Last Friday's fast-forward performance could be described as twitch pop with a bit of punk thrust. Rudder says, "We don't like to talk about our music. We believe a band should be seen and not heard."

ON THE WAY TO FAME...: "After a drunken debacle of a first show, in which Christian had to punch Justin in the stomach, we decided we needed drums to hold everything together. Tim, then (and still, really) a hotshot freshman, was pinned down in the Science Center and handed a tape. There was nothing else he could do but join."

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: "Since everyone seemed sort of bored and unhappy, it was many ways an ideal crowd. There was no way we could ruin anyone's night." Mode Mode was second runner-up.

CRIMSON SAYS: MOST FUN!

FAVORITE COLOR JELLO: "As for jello, we prefer pudding. Or putty. Or ointment. Color doesn't matter, we believe it's the person inside that counts."

WHERE?!?: Playing Friday, May 7 at 7:30 at the Holyoke Outside Stage.

Neal Padte and Dorian Ramirez for 98%

WHO?: 98% is Rebeca Salmon (vocals, senior at Boston University), Neal Padte (alto sax, junior at BU), Dorian Ramirez '99 (tenor sax), Jeff Weinshenker '00 (trumpet), Annie Durston '01 (keyboard), Eliot Wadsworth '00 (guitar), Brett Sherman '00 (a.k.a. Sherm, a.k.a. Shermy, bass), Michael Blaugrund '00 (drums, percussion, back-up vocals, turntables, sitar).