As the sun settled and the lights turned on, the quiet of the Mission Lawn at California Baptist University transformed into an outdoor arena on March 25 as student performers competed in the annual Battle of the Bands.
Starting at 7 p.m., the night moved through a range of styles including classic rock, modern alternative and heavy metal with some pop mixed in. The event served as more than just a competition. It was a stage where students showcased their abilities together outside the classroom.
Sandlot opened the show with a set that relied on high energy and raw talent. The group featured a powerhouse vocalist who spent the set shredding on the guitar.
For Belsy Montufar, senior commercial performance major and member of Sandlot, the stage was a long time coming.
“What made me want to perform here was just, like, growing up, my passion for, like, being a musician, I guess,” Montufar said. “I grew up on the worship team at church, and so I wanted to do that as a career if I could.”
Montufar explained that the school’s music program used these events to push students out of their comfort zones.
“Well, it’s kind of required. Like, if you do this major, it’s required to be in the advance,” she said. She also mentioned the audition process for the bands. “Yeah, we had to [audition], so they basically just placed us in a band. We don’t really know what band we’re going to be in. Based on, like, how we performed in the previous years, they place this in.”
Montufar credited the school for the professional connections she made. “CBU has given me so many opportunities that, like, I never would have expected for myself, especially just, like, getting to work with Steve O.”
Synesthesia followed with a more modern approach, covering songs like Sombr and focusing on technical guitar riffs. Their performance included a guest appearance from Aaron that ended with a mic drop moment.
Enya Alcantara, sophomore music major and member the band, said she was drawn to the welcoming nature of the show.
“I see the environment, it just looks really fun and welcoming. It just looked like, I don’t know, something I wanted to be a part of, yeah,” Alcantara said. She added that the program “helps me grow and mature in ways that I would have done outside of here. They’re just very supportive.”
The student body remained engaged throughout the sets, waiting to see which group would take the lead. Maria Velasco, junior pre-radiology major, attended after a friend invited her and said she looked forward to the final acts.
Freshmen studio production majors Mikos Tashjian and Luis Pando Hernandez were also impressed by the level of talent on display.
“I know some people that are in here, and I knew Justin was gonna be crazy good, ’cause they’re always crazy good,” Tashjian said.
Hernandez added that he came to “support my friends and just listen to some really good music.”
The final performance of the night provided a visual and sonic shift that solidified the judges’ decision. Blue and green lights washed over the stage as the band opened with a nostalgic Billy Joel guitar riff. Throughout the performance, the group emphasized musicianship by letting each instrument take a solo, eventually reaching a breaking point during a guest heavy metal performance featuring intense guitar riff-offs.
As the last echoes of the amplifiers faded across the lawn, the verdict was clear. For their ability to blend instrumental precision with strong stage presence, Just Friends walked away as the official winners of the night, leaving the Mission Lawn with an enthusiastic crowd wanting more.
