Hard Rock Cafe - Battle of the Bands, Week 2 Summary
March 18, 2015 - As tomorrow marks the third week of the Hard Rock Cafe’s Battle of the Bands, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect back on the previous two weeks of winners. The first week featured local Buffalo-area artists Blueshift, So Far So Good, Lost Elysium, and Ten Cent Howl. While each band put forth their best efforts, So Far So Good bested their rivals to advance to the Final Battle.
The second week boiled down to yet another showdown on stage between Twin Lions, Nerds in Denial, Grace of Faults and Dollar Diplomacy. Twin Lions took the stage first and was welcomed by a seasoned crowd of fans, many sporting Twin Lion tshirts. Their 90’s fueled guitar rock with strong lead vocals intrigued many of the listeners but failed to capture the judge’s points. Fans of Rage Against the Machine in the Niagara Falls area should really check them out at an upcoming show as they will keep the party going.
Following Twin Lions, the fresh faces of Nerds in Denial gave their all in an attempt to win the battle. While Nerds in Denial were by far the youngest band in attendance, their sound channeled earlier genres such as big band percussion, Beatles-esque vocals and surf rock rhythms. Their inexperience performing to the crowd showed in their earlier selections but they did become more comfortable as their set progresses. Their talent wasn't enough to win the battle but with their upcoming first CD release, titled “For Whom it May Concern,” good things are expected as they get more comfortable with gigs in the years to come.
Grace of Faults followed Nerds in Denial with an about face in genre to heavier rock and spoken word vocals. Their polished stage presence and well composed songs were clearly making a lasting impression with the crowd. Fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers should be sure to follow up with Grace of Faults at their April 3rd show at the Mohawk Place. While fantastic, Grace of Faults still didn't come up with enough points to win
Last up and eventual winners, Dollar Diplomacy took the stage and melted it with their hot 70’s jams and female-fronted vocals. Channeling Janis Joplin and The Black Keys, Dollar Diplomacy used every single inch of the stage to wow everyone in attendance and the judges. They’ll surely put up one heck of a fight with So Far So Good and the To Be Determined Winner from this week’s battle. Stay tuned and stop in to the Hard Rock Cafe, Niagara Falls USA on March 26th (7PM) for the final showdown of the Buffalo-Area bands!