Ledger

Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Husky Happenings

One band rocks hard at the Longshoremen's Hall as part of UWT's annual Battle of the Bands.

The Jury gives their best "rock star" stare.

Winter quarter ended on a high note this year with the University of Washington Tacoma's first annual Battle of the Bands. Local bands performed at the Longshoremen's Hall on March 14, the last day of spring quarter classes, to a crowd of about 50 people. The event was funded by the Student Activities Board.

The lineup consisted of five groups known as: Pretty Ugly, The Syrens, Castles in the Sky, Destruction Island and The Jury.
After the show, audience members submitted their votes for Best Band. Participants were later notified of the results and how the votes were counted. The Jury's lead guitarist, Joel Kady, got the e-mail about a week later.

"We got $500 and we'll be playing at the O.S.C.A.R.S. after-party," Kady said.
The O.S.C.A.R.'s (Outstanding Student Ceremony for Awards and Recognition) are an annual event that awards exceptional students and faculty, all of whom are nominated by their peers.

That's a pretty nice chunk of change for a group of teenagers. At 19, Kady is the oldest of the group. While his other bandmates, Ed Camp on vocals, Mike Welsh on rhythm guitar, Cameron Persian on drums and Jess Kady on bass, are still in high school, Kady is a junior here at UWT.

Playing for the last three years or so, Kady says that the band came together kind of by accident.

"We all lived within a couple blocks of each other. We were 14 and 15, we couldn't drive. What else were we going to do?" Kady said.
While winning the competition is a "self-esteem booster," Kady said the Battle of the Bands was not a new experience for them. The Jury has competed in similar shows in local clubs, like Club Impact, and in local high schools. Kady admitted "battle of the bands" experiences are not his favorite way to play.

He feels that these types of competitions should be more objective with actual judges, rather than votes by the audience.
"It's more like Battle of the Fans," Kady said.

They also perform regularly at Hell's Kitchen. Don't worry about the illegality of minors hanging out in a 21+ venue, though - The Jury might be well-known performers on stage, but they are never allowed in the bar area.

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