By DANICA SILAN
Staff Writer
The Youth Action Team (YAT) of Irvine hosted its annual Battle of the Bands on February 13, featuring different student bands from Irvine, Woodbridge, Beckman, Northwood and University High School. YAT has hosted Battle of the Bands for over 20 years to support local musicians, and the money goes to funding the club and providing more opportunities for teens in Irvine.
According to Sophia Bajak (Jr.), a YAT representative, the bands are judged by talent and the number of people that they bring in. She said, “Battle of the Bands is my favorite event that YAT puts on. Everyone’s energy is fantastic and the bands are so talented.”
Battle of the Bands showcased six different bands, each performing a personalized genre. The most memorable bands were Hard Candy, who won Crowd’s Choice for bringing the most people, and Wirebox, the winner of the competition. All of the bands entertained the audience with their captivating stage presence and well-picked choice of songs. Wirebox performed “Black Skinhead” by Kanye West and five other original songs entitled, “In Cold Blood,” “The Ghost Inside,” “Funky Song,” “Just to Let You Know” and “I Feel.”  Shiva Verma (Jr.), one of the members of Wirebox, said, “We absolutely loved the Battle of the Bands experience. I personally feel that Irvine lacks a real music scene, so it is surreal when hundreds of people come to support local music.” When asked how Wirebox prepared for the event, he said, “We basically jam every Friday and Saturday of every week, regardless of upcoming shows or not.”
The audience hosted a scene of dancing, mosh pits and singing during Battle of the Bands. Tanya Malkani (So.) said, “Battle of the Bands was so much fun! The turnout was pretty great and although I only went to see one band in particular [Wirebox], I ended up thoroughly enjoying all of the performances!”
Battle of the Bands was a great way to spend a Friday night and meet new people. Each band was very unique, well-prepared and had their own style. They performed well and kept the audience excited with each song played, providing an exciting end to a long school week.