Talented Teens Rock Out at Battle of the Bands

They have the talent and they’re not afraid to show it. Eleven local teen bands faced off Jan. 29 at the Calavera Hills Community Center in the "Battle of the Bands" contest, part of Carlsbad's annual Teen Scene.

“Teen Scene is all about fostering creativity for the youth in our community through music, art and technology,” said Mike Bodman, supervisor of Carlsbad’s Youth  Services.

In addition to the band contest, hundreds of teens were treated to a video game contest, film festival and even dance lessons.

The local bands that performed had to audition for a coveted spot in the lineup.  Creative Conspiracy, from Oceanside, was first on stage.

“You get a little nervous,” said lead vocalist Jordan Janowiak, 16. “But after the first song, you’re fine.”

Breakdown is one of the younger bands but came ready to rock.

“Our best two songs are "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath and "Little Sister" by Queens of the Stone Age,” said lead vocalist Jacob Mobley, 13. “We play more classic rock; that’s just how we roll.”

The nine other bands competing were: AudioFishTank, Pandemonium, The Urban Outcast, Finding Autumn, Titanium Rocks, The Review, Angry Dragon, Emergency Shut Off and FOOM.

Each band played a 15-minute set and three local music industry experts handled the judging duties.

At the end of the night, Finding Autumn was crowned top teen band. The group won a host of prizes including recording time in a professional music studio, a $200 paid gig at Carlsbad’s Rock the Library Concert and lift tickets from Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort.

Emergency Shut Off took second place and Breakdown, one of the bands featured in our CarlsbadPatch video, took third place.

Past winners of Battle of the Bands have gone on to open for major rock acts and have gotten airplay on local commercial radio stations.

To hear Finding Autumn’s music, click here.

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