Four bands battled it out at the WRBB x Tastemakers Battle of the Bands in AfterHours Feb. 20, with prizes including recording time in WRBB’s studio and a feature in the next edition of Tastemakers Magazine.

The night included most of the alternative Northeastern event mainstays and lots of head-bopping, as well a classic Justin Bieber doll, which serves as Tastemakers’ makeshift mascot.

Jam Jar, a duo which describes its music as “freak-folk-pussy-rock-slam-poetry,” was up first. The band’s sound was reminiscent of boygenius, whereas its songs had a spoken word, angsty, slam-poetry feel.

Jill Frank, a fourth-year music industry major, and her bandmate Andi Larez Velasquez, a fourth-year music industry major, played bass and acoustic guitar while singing together. They harmonized throughout their set and shared stories from when the band first formed during their time on co-op in New York.

Some of Jam Jar’s songs were slower and reflective, but the band picked up the pace for its last song, “Agent of Chaos,” crying out lyrics like, “We’re going to burn this house down and start a garden instead.”

Jam Jar warmed up the crowd, and BOGO, the next band, got everyone dancing. The four band members confessed that this was their first time playing together on a stage. 

BOGO’s sound was a bit folksy, a bit indie and almost Beatles-esque at times, with creative lyrics and catchy choruses like “love, what is it good for?” Across several musical interludes, the guitarists, of which there were three, exchanged grins as they traded riffs. 

BOGO’s songs were stylistically diverse, from folk rock to heartfelt ballads, but the high level of musicianship remained consistent throughout. 

The next band in the rotation was Fisheye, which asked the crowd if anyone had a pet fish. An audience member replied they had a fish named Swimmy, prompting Fisheye to dedicate its set to the pet fish. 

Fisheye’s style was hard to categorize, but the saxophone mixed in with the bright, upbeat drums and guitar gave it a jazzy sound. Kellan McCarthy, a fourth-year computer engineering and computer science combined major and the lead singer and guitarist of Fisheye, danced around the stage, twisting his legs into all sorts of unique formations and making it clear how much fun the band was having. 

Jess Montgomery, a third-year architecture major, said their favorite band of the night was Fisheye because she “really vibes with the saxophone.”

Last but not least was Sweetums, which had eight members onstage and resembled an indie orchestra. The band featured two singers with other members playing the drums, keyboard, guitar, saxophone, trombone and even a triangle and bongos for some songs.

Sweetums also had a rig on the mic to make the vocals sound like a telephone conversation for funny and witty lyrics like, “There’s a boy, and he’s so tall, and he can’t go under bridges!”

Toward the end of its performance, one of the band members called his mother to the stage from the audience. She came onstage to play the bongos, wearing an “I heart nerds” shirt, which got the crowd going.

After a night of indie and alternative sounds, it was time for the winner to be announced. Following a foot shuffle drum roll, the emcees called out that Fisheye had won. The band ran to the stage to claim its Bieber doll, took a photo with it and then unfortunately had to turn it back over to the judges. 

After the win, Fisheye was ecstatic. For McCarthy, this was a really rewarding moment.

“I’ve played in so many Battle of the Bands with so many different bands, but this is the first time I won, and it’s my last semester, so it’s full circle,” McCarthy said.

The band’s saxophonist, Ben Gardner, a fourth-year computer science major, said he was extremely proud of his fellow bandmates, especially McCarthy. 

“He came in as an okay guitar player, and now he’s a great guitar player,” Gardner said. “And before he didn’t really sing, and now he’s up there singing.”

The band is planning to continue playing together throughout the spring and will play several upcoming shows at the State Park Bar and the Cantab Lounge, which it’ll be sharing on social media. 

Jam Jar expressed similar sentiments: As fourth-years, this felt like a finale to the band’s Northeastern legacy. 

“It’s a full circle, having seen so many shows at AfterHours and having all our work pay off,” Frank said.

Luca Williams, a second-year political science and economics combined major and one of BOGO’s guitarists, said the band was “super impressed by all the other performers” and is hoping to release its debut single soon. 

The crowd expressed its support for each band by whooping and cheering throughout. Alisha Werry, a third-year environmental studies and political science combined major and director of operations for WRBB, has been to the Battle of the Bands in past years and keeps “coming back for more because it’s a great way to find new small bands and get inspiration,” she said.

It was a night filled with alternative music, indie spectators and glowing reviews from concert-goers and performers alike. It’s safe to say this Battle of the Bands was a success, and the Bieber doll will rest peacefully in the hands of Tastemakers and WRBB administration until next time.