The Texas Gate Bar & Grill saw its first two performances for its battle of the bands competition on May 15. Winners from the competition will go on to open for Blake Mathews at the upcoming Cochrane Boots for Roots Barn Dance on June 25.
First to take the stage was Runs with Scissors, a trio from Cochrane who play great tunes from the ‘60s to the present.
While it was unique to see a drummer perform as the lead singer, the vocals came across flat at times. I thought it made for a more well-rounded sound when the lead guitarist harmonized with the drummer.
As for song choice, the band preferred to play pop genre and provided a mix between classics and more recent hits. While they held a good rhythm and chose songs with an upbeat tempo, it’s not the type of music that would make a good fit for a country-style barn dance.
That being said, the band had some of the crowd on their feet and dancing for a few of the songs. They also didn’t interact with the crowd too often so overall I don’t believe the crowd was very receptive to the performance.
After a brief intermission, Why Martin? took to the stage. The Calgary area band is comprised of five members and plays classic rock songs with nods to reggae, soul, funk, country, and blues.
Though it looked a little tight up there with five musicians, the band had a great stage presence and made an effort to interact and engage with the crowd.
Excellent use of harmonizing between the vocalists made for an entertaining performance to watch. It was very clear to see the band was having fun throughout their gig.
As for song choice, their selection of country rock songs seemed the perfect fit for a barn dance that intends to have the crowd up and dancing.
While the two bands won’t compete solely against each other, in my mind there was a clear winner – Why Martin?. Their music genre and attitude during the show would make for a great opening act to get the crowd pumped up.
As it stands, four more bands will compete – though more can still enter – and, from all six entries, three will be selected to move forward to the second round. The next battle will take place at the Texas Gate Bar & Grill on May 22 at 2 p.m.
