Marx said his band, which currently uses long sampled interludes in between instrumental segments, is still searching for its own unique sound.

"We don't have a real drummer," he said, adding that the band prefers the artificial drum sound. "We're trying to fit somewhere in between that DJ sound and the rock sound."

The two winning bands boasted the largest and most active audiences of the evening. However, the prizes were not awarded by popular vote. A panel of three musically-inclined graduate students gave each band numerical points in four categories: originality, quality of composition, stage presence and audience participation.

FinkFankFunk performed last and featured the largest musical arsenal of the evening: five horns, drums, keyboards, guitar, bass and a feather-boa clad lead singer, who spent most of the set on the floor crooning and strutting amidst the audience.

The Humming, a Vermont band that has evolved from a funkier sound into something more akin to pop, went on second in front of a contingent of loyal fans. Humming member John Thomasson, who is a member of the class of 1999 and plays the trombone, the flute and the didgeridoo, a long pipe that emits low sustained sounds, said he was glad to have the chance to perform again at Harvard.

"It's so hard to have live music at Harvard. Everything is set against you," he said. "It's great that the Dudley House Committee went through all the hurdles to put this event on."

The concert featured a professional sound and lighting system. The event attracted an energetic crowd of around 100, although organizers said they had hoped to attract more.