A local band performs at last year’s Battle of the Bands in the Ohio Union. Credit: Courtesy of Gabby Taphorn
Students will rock out for a cause this week. The Ohio State chapter of Operation Smile will host a battle of the bands at the Ohio Union Performance Hall on Thursday.
Operation Smile is an international organization that provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries for children in developing countries. There are more than 600 affiliated student associations in the United States that hold events to raise money for the charity.
OSU’s campus chapter has held other fundraising events recently, including a doughnut sale and a dog show. Dena Pierog, the vice president of marketing for the chapter and a fourth-year in marketing, said that the inaugural Battle of the Bands is the biggest success.
“Last year we raised $1,000, which was the most from one event,” she said.
Each surgery costs $240, and last year’s event provided four, and Typewriter John and the Blue Strings won the battle.
Admission to the event is free, but the organization raises money with donations, which attendees use to vote for their favorite band. The band that raises the most money will take home a $100 Buffalo Wild Wings gift card.
This year’s event features seven local bands, who each fall somewhere between rock and pop.
Aidan Hall, singer for alternative rock band Something Else, said even though the event suggests competition between the bands, his group is going into the gig with the same attitude as any other gig.
“It’s a little different than usual, just in that it’s something more than a music event,” Hall said. “But we’re looking at it the same way; we want to get in there, play hard and hope people dig us.”
Something Else came together about a year ago and has since played more than a dozen gigs at local venues such as Skully’s Music-Diner, Ace of Cups and Scarlet and Grey Cafe. The group will be traveling to Kentucky on Black Friday to play their first out-of-state show.
Twinzsz, a group made up of twin brothers Joe and Nate Majka, is playing its third show ever on Thursday, only a month after becoming a band.
“It would be cool to win, but we’re so new to this that we don’t expect it,” said Joe Majka, a fourth-year in speech and hearing science. “I’m just excited to perform because I think it will help get the word out about our duo.”
Both Joe Majka and Nate Majka, a fourth-year in marketing, sing with pre-recorded instrumentals. Joe Majka said they will be playing covers at Battle of the Bands, as originals are still a work in progress.
“We’ve been writing for a while, working on our own songs,” Majka said. “It’s mostly synthesizer stuff and production, but we haven’t had much practice with them.”
The duo plans to continue recording, and said they hope to put out a single, an EP and an album in the future.
Other bands appearing are rock acts The Week Knights, Mighty Kites, Tight Castle and Birds of the Sun, and pop act Three Maybe Four.
Battle of the Bands begins at 7 p.m. on Friday and will run until 10 p.m.
