Northeastern’s Tastemakers Magazine hosted their first annual Battle of the Bands Oct. 5 in AfterHours. 

“The event showcases an eclectic mix of artists highlighting Northeastern’s unique student talent,” said Tastemakers president Kristie Wong.

First up on the roster of artists performing was new artist 2LATE, who premiered his bass-heavy trap vocals. Although this was his performance debut, he had the stage presence of a pro, running across the stage and high-fiving audience members. 

Second-year business administration and communications major Aidan Fox, or 2LATE, started making beats in high school for other artists, but eventually decided to write a couple songs for himself so he could get more comfortable with his own music. In February, he made his first song called “21 vs ICE,” and 2LATE was born. He became more comfortable with singing on the mic and eventually released his first EP a few months later. Though Saturday was his first performance, he clearly loved being on stage, and the crowd seemed to vibe with his emotional R&B lyrics.

Next up was Murray WOW, who arrived on stage with sunglasses and fake blood dripping under his eyes, a look accentuated by his use of an inflatable guitar and giant phone. 

Murray Sandmeyer, a fifth-year computer science and music technology major, has produced for local artists for a few years now. In 2017, he was in a band called

NEW WOW, which focused on “campy, humorous music,” and joined Northeastern’s songwriting club around that time. The club

encouraged him to grow out of his comfort zone and write expressive songs that told stories about his life. Sandmeyer soon became Murray WOW, with a universal pop style reminiscent of current pop radio. 

Sandmeyer has an album coming out later this year. At the show, he premiered one of his new singles, titled “Enemy.” 

“These new songs are about me and my experiences. I think I’m finally ready to be vulnerable and put myself and my voice out there,” Sandmeyer said. “My album is shaping up to be very emblematic of myself as a person. I have some songs that are really sad and some songs that are energetic and positive.”

Next up was Ethan Porter, a third-year business administration and music recording major who gave a hypnotic performance using loop pedals with his guitar to complement his soothing vocals. Two minutes into his performance, Porter asked the audience to snap along, and they continued to do so through the end of his set — almost as if in a trance. Porter played everything from the piano to the tuba in high school, getting more interested in writing his own music as he entered college. He focuses on creating introspective music that backs his personal vocals with emotional tunes.

After an intermission, Jason Ebbs took the stage. He and his band absolutely “Spinal Tapped” the audience by turning up the energy to an 11. Ebbs brought a liveliness that made the crowd go wild. 

Ebbs started playing guitar when he was 10 years old but never wrote anything original until high school. In his freshman year of college, he met Johnny Dalton, who soon became his friend, producer and bassist in the band. The two got to a recording studio despite Ebbs’ initial shyness, and his first single, “Stone in the Road,” was born. 

“I felt a sudden energy, like I was able to say whatever I wanted after being the ‘quiet kid’ for 20 years,” Ebbs said. 

To Ebbs, music is liberation. He loves the beach and makes sure to incorporate the aesthetic he gets there into his music. 

“It felt natural for me to take this mood of happiness I have associated with summer and the beach and combine it with

themes

like the struggles of growing up, the dark side of relationships, love, social anxiety and moving away from home,” Ebbs said.

“That’s why my music typically has a warm beachy sound with slightly darker lyrics under it.”

Next up was The Flam Flams. Originally from Albany, New York, this indie-pop band started playing during high school in 2012.

In the seven years they’ve been together, they’ve released two albums and have been featured on several alternative radio stations. Though they went apart for college, they came together during breaks in Albany to record another EP.  

Finally, the night closed out with Midnight Channel. The band describes themselves as “fun,” blending loud riffs and energetic drums with punk rock vocals. 

“Since everyone loves dancing at shows, we try to write songs that let people have a good time doing just that,” said band member Liam Numrich.

In the end, Ebbs took home first place with a whopping 45 percent of the votes.