Pneuma takes top spot in Battle of the Bands
Marshall band now slated to record music for national competition
By Richard Greene
Staff Writer
The teenage-band Pneuma, from Marshall, took home first place in the Hyundai - Entertainment Weekly Battle of the Bands held at Kerr Beach outside Kerr Hall Monday afternoon.
"This is very big for us," said Pneuma guitarist Cameron Spencer. "We're looking for publicity and hopefully, we'll get a record contract."
Pneuma beat out the Denton's Riddle Me This and Dallas' Frognot to advance to the national competition. Pneuma will join the other 12 winners from competitions across the nation on a compact disc to be given to various recording companies.
The winner of the national competition will receive $5,000 in equipment from Fender and a chance to open for a major concert.
Cameron said the band got its tape in at the last minute and was called the next day to be notified they were selected to compete in the local contest.
"This is coming at a great time for us," he said. "It's now or never for the band. This Battle of the Bands has really brought the band together again."
Jeremy Midon, Pneuma bassist, said, "We've been waiting a long time - about three years. We're ready to move on to the next level."
The Battle of the Bands came to NT through All-Campus Media and Marketing. Donna Beard, a representative of All-Campus, said NT was chosen to hold the event because of the talent that the school has produced.
"This is a big opportunity for these bands," Beard said. "They're gonna be heard by record companies. We hope to get some bands discovered through this."
Valorie Deore of KEGL-FM 97.1 (The Eagle) played host of the concert.
"This is an incredible opportunity for these bands," Deore said. "Bands tend to go in cycles and there is a need for stations to get out bands. Especially in the Dallas area. Word needs to get out - Austin is getting a lot of the credit for the new music in Texas. We're glad to be part of what is going on in Dallas."
Harlingen junior Raul Hinojosa, mainstage coordinator of the University Program Council, said NT is glad to have been host of the event and said he hopes that it give the bands a break.
"There are a lot of good bands around," Hinojosa said. "This is a real cut-throat industry that is hard to break through in. This gives them an opportunity to compete on a national level and be heard."
Each band was given a 20-minute set to perform with the crowd voting by applause on the winner after all three bands performed. Frognot opened the show followed by Riddle Me This.
Frognot drummer April Samuels said after their set that everything in life depends on getting that record deal.
"We've been working really hard pushing ourselves," Samuels said. "We're working on getting some big shows. It's kind of a bummer, but we have some other avenues to try. It'll happen for us sooner or later."
Denton's Riddle Me This played the middle set. The band played four songs off its current album "Trademark."
Riddle Me This drummer Dave Berkson said the band will move on and play Saturday at Cool Beans.
"We had fun," Berkson said. "We would have liked to have won. They have a loyal crowd which led them to victory. It's discouraging to lose here on our home turf."