Spectators settle onto the grass in anticipation, awaiting the evening’s events—each strum of a guitar, each beat of a drum. The campus and its students prepare to welcome its first Battle of the Bands.
Sponsored by the Student Government Association, members of the Jam-Out Club and spectators will gather to witness and participate in the first Battle of the Bands event. This event hosted by the club will allow independent artists and groups, known and unknown, to showcase their talents and different styles of music.
Jam-Out Club’s mission is to “bring musical artists together, motivate them, and publish their works.” The idea for the battle first came from the mind of Samuel Espinoza (‘26), club president and founder.
“When I got here, I saw how big the independent music scene was in Orlando,” said Espinoza. “I thought it’d be a nice celebration of the scene, not only in Orlando, but also here on campus because we have so many talented musicians and passionate people.”
The night will start with band performances and then segue into judging. Partnering with the Local Roots Club, a sustainability-centered campus club, the event will have a system in which spectators will be able to throw flowers for their favorite group/soloist. The flower throwing serves as a popular vote system, and the flowers will be counted later in the evening. The musicians are not only participating for the experience and exposure but the prize of a $350 gift card and an award plaque, as advertised on the promotional flyers.
“I hope for our performers they get that kind of exposure; they get their name out there and they can express themselves creatively as well,” said Espinoza. Currently, the lineup consists of independent bands and artists including Walking Blue, Jimi Lives, WAVE, and Nora VanDerMeid, to name a few. As of now, the event will only be open to Rollins students for participation. However, with hopes to expand and reach out, the roster for this kind of event will optimistically grow.
“The idea for this eventually is to make it city-wide between all the colleges,” said Espinoza. “I want to invite UCF and Valencia and Full Sail to come compete on the lawn with us; it’s like a school spirit thing that ‘we have the best bands in the city.’”
Being a musician himself, Espinoza finds value in events like Battle of the Bands, such as creative and emotional expression. “It’s a good outlet emotionally, psychologically, and mentally because if there’s anything that you have trouble expressing verbally, you can put into a song and write it out.”
The event will take place February 6 on Mills Lawn at 4:30 p.m. Additional information regarding the event can be viewed on the Jam-Out Club Instagram page or on promotional flyers on campus.
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