And then there were six. One of the acts below will be crowned the winner of the 2011 Arizona Daily Star Battle of the Bands.
Our panel of judges selected these finalists after listening online to all 19 acts that entered the competition.
The bands were judged on sound quality; technical skills and competence; entertainment value; originality and creativity; and songwriting.
The finalists will play a warm-up show at Club Congress on Jan. 16 and at the Battle of the Bands showdown at the Rialto Theatre on Feb. 18. You can listen to songs submitted by all of the qualifying bands and learn more about the groups at aznightbuzz.com/botb
The finalists also have been invited to perform in the Great Cover-Up, taking place at the Rialto Theatre and Club Congress Dec. 9 through 11.
People are also reading…
Alisha Peru
Cienega High School.
411: Peru plays piano and guitar and recorded her first pop-rock CD in June.
And the judges said: "Excellent voice and songwriting ability. I would like to hear more."
Dark Aeturnis
Flowing Wells, Santa Rita and Sky Islands high schools.
411: A metal band two years in the making, according to its Facebook page. The band has been through many lineup, name and even genre changes. Today it's black metal with melodic death-metal influences.
Members: Austin Kruger, Cheyenne VanAlst, Dalton Spencer, Patrick Wilson and Josiah Cooper.
And the judges said: "Accomplished effort. Good overall effect. Looking forward to hearing live."
Manic After Hours
Catalina Foothills High School.
411: This alternative-rock band was formed in April 2008. "We tend to take music very seriously," the band says. "We are influenced by rock, rap, jazz and other types of music to create our interesting style."
Members: Daniel Olitzky, Forrest Reiland, Jake Morris and Raymond Sanchez.
And the judges said: "These guys were fun to listen to." Also: "Taking some chances, and it pays off."
The Opposables
Catalina Foothills and University high schools.
411: Everybody in this alternative-rock band has been playing music since before each member was a teenager. The vocalist has been singing since age 5.
Members: Josh Every, Zack Briefer, Derek Salois and Collin D'Aloisio.
And the judges said: "Really good band vibe. Good vocals. . . . Very entertaining."
Tyler Scruggs
Tucson High Magnet School.
411: Scruggs, a pop-electronic artist, has been writing since 2006 and performing since 2008. On his Facebook page, he says he's a member of "The Rent Is Too Damn High" political party.
And the judges said: "Complete, professional and really fun to listen to. Loved the first song."
Wrest
Douglas High School.
411: This alt-metal band describes itself as "five guys from different musical backgrounds." Members point out that "wrest" is a verb meaning "to pull, jerk or force by a violent twist."
Members: Victor Lugo, Andre Olivas, Joseph Morales and Carlos Olivas.
And the judges said: "Righteous screaming. Sounds like a very tight-knit group. Great recording - chops galore!"
Meet the judges
Dan Twelker hosts "Locals Only" on 91.3-FM KXCI at 8 p.m. on Mondays. It features interviews and in-studio performances with Tucson bands and artists. He has also released his first solo album of singer-songwriter folk, titled "Recycled Love." Twelker is an optometrist at University Physicians Healthcare.
Marianne Dissard, Tucson's French-born chanteuse and filmmaker, has a new CD coming out early next year called "L'Abandon." She will perform a CD- and DVD-release party Jan. 22 at Club Congress, and there'll be a retrospective of her films Jan. 21 at the Screening Room. She will then take off for Europe, backed by a band that includes Sergio Mendoza, Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan.
Acorn Bcorn is a rock duo consisting of two sisters: Marina Cornelius on vocals and guitar, and Leann Cornelius on bass. (They also share drumming duties.) They were formerly two-thirds of the Beta Sweat. You can catch them opening up for White Fang and the Thermals tonight at 7 at Club Congress. The show is for all ages; it's $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
Andrew Cox has managed bands for more than five years and co-owns DesertCore Management and Consulting. He was also the director of retail promotions for Century Media and Nuclear Blast Records, and he worked as a producer and engineer for Rose Studios in Clearwater, Fla. He is also an employee of Tucson Newspapers.
Mark Martinez is the operations manager for the Rialto Theatre. For the last eight years, he has run his own business as a photographer specializing in music, mostly concerts. The Chicago native is an avid music fan, and he also worked in retail music as a store manager for more than 12 years.
The Opposables end second appearance in Battle of the Bands on winning note
Band members of The Opposables, from left, Zach Briefer, Collin D'Aloisio, Derek Salois and Josh Every celebrate as they hear they have won the Battle of the Bands at the Rialto Theatre. The Opposables beat out six other finalists Friday to take the grand prize, which includes an eight-hour recording session among other music-related items. (David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star)
The Opposables, a four-piece rock band from Catalina Foothills and University high schools, won the eighth annual Arizona Daily Star Battle of the Bands on Friday night at the Rialto Theatre.
The group, the only band in the finals to have been in the contest before, was the pick of both the contest's judges and a crowd text poll.
There was a tie for second place between Manic After Hours, a ska-influenced rock band from Catalina High School, and Dark Aeturnis, a black-metal/melodic-death-metal band with members from Flowing Wells, Santa Rita and Sky Islands high schools.
There were also two solo acts - Alisha Peru of Cienega High School, and Tyler Scruggs of Tucson High School - and a four-piece hard-rock/metal band from Douglas, Wrest, in this year's finals. Listen to them and all the other bands who entered below. Also, follow the link at the bottom of this page for full coverage of the 2011 Battle of the Bands.
• 29 Lines
• Cynosure
• Exosense
• Savanah
• Wrest
