Forty Acres Musicians Compete in Battle of the Bands

By Joseph Sweeney

Reporting Texas

UT Musician Camille Stites sings at the William C. Powers Student Activity Center Auditorium as part of Campus Events + Entertainment’s Battle of the Bands on Tuesday, March 11. Stites and her band will open for rapper A$AP Ferg at E+E’s 40 Acres Fest this Saturday. 

Campus Events + Entertainment’s Headliners Committee hosted a Battle of the Bands between four student groups on March 11. Each band was given 30 minutes to win over the audience, competing not only for the night’s trophy but also for a coveted spot at E+E’s Forty Acres Fest. 

Government and economics sophomore Camille Stites and her band emerged victorious.

“I honestly don’t even know how people were able to vote. Tonight was just so action-packed and full of talent,” said Stites, a cousin to 11-time Grammy winner Linda Ronstadt. 

“This is just such a surreal night for me. It’s making me feel like my music is doing something, and I’m so excited to be able to share that with the world.”

Stites’ band performed covers of popular hits, such as Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” and Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,” in addition to her original music.

Stites, who has been performing on the keyboard since age 8, said this was the first time she and her band performed her original music for a live audience. 

“Music is my lifeline,” said Stites, who is currently producing her first album. “I channel my emotions into the music that I write. Half the time I don’t even realize how vulnerable I’m being until I play a song back and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m pouring my soul into (this).’”

Like Stites, public relations junior Eleanor Bangle said this Battle of the Bands was a new experience for her as well. 

Lead singer for the rock and soul group The Barefoot Preachers, Bangle said her band formed just last semester, and although they have performed a number of live gigs, this four-way competition was something new for them.

“We’re a very laid-back kind of people, and that’s what we like to bring to our performances,” Bangle said. “We want everyone to feel like they are having a good time. I think it is a little nerve-wracking, but we’re excited.” 

Psychedelic rocker Martin Leon said the nerves are a good sign.  

“If you’re not nervous before a gig, it just means you don’t care,” said Leon, whose band will also be performing Saturday. 

Since receiving his first drum set at age 12, public relations sophomore Leon knew his future meant singing and shredding guitars in front of loud crowds. 

Originally from the Rio Grande Valley, Leon said UT and the City of Austin provide great opportunities for up-and-coming artists like himself; aside from performing at the Battle of the Bands and Forty Acres Fest, Leon is also a signed artist with the UT student-run record label UTalent Records and was also voted crowd favorite at the annual campus talent show Texas Revue in early March. 

“Moving to Austin made me realize there’s a whole world of opportunities in terms of the music industry and as an artist,” Leon said. “I never thought that I would be in the position that I’m in today without moving here to Austin.”

Pop artist Brooke Michelle agrees. 

Michelle, whose band will also be performing Saturday, said she initially took a hiatus from her musical career upon moving to Austin. It wasn’t until she began exploring the UT community’s live music scene that Michelle began to make her musical comeback. 

“When I was graduating from high school, I didn’t write a song for about two years. I just kind of lost the passion,” advertising senior Michelle said. “It’s been great to kind of immerse myself in the Austin live music world, because I haven’t been doing that for the majority of my college career. There aren’t a lot of schools that have so many opportunities for musicians, especially for artists, so I think UT is a great place to be.”