On Saturday, March 7, the Entertainment Committee held its yearly Battle of the Bands event at 7:30 p.m. in Bissinger. This is a huge event that many members of the Stevens music scene look forward to, and the selected winners are offered the opportunity to open for the Techfest headliner. Any students who showed up before the start time were eligible to vote for their favorite band. There was a lineup of talented student bands this year, featuring Portland Hotel Yard Sale, Desire Lines, Flower Crowns, Angelidis, Eve Godin Band, and Jorts. These bands are all the work of Stevens’ own students, and seeing all the different acts and their styles throughout the night led to a very entertaining show.
The show, being completely student-run and full of student bands, student support made it a very unifying experience. There was support and joy at the show, and it was evident in the crowd. Before doors opened, the bands were bowling in the Howe basement, sharing the achievement of being selected to perform. The bands were given 15 minutes each to perform original material for the audience. It was evident how much hard work each band put into their sets, as they gave their all to the performance.
The show started around 7:30 p.m., with an announcement about the voting process for everyone who signed in prior to the start time. The show concluded around 9:40 p.m. with an audience still dancing around to the music. The bands were made up of members outside of just Music and Technology majors, showcasing the strength of the music and arts community on campus. The diverse backgrounds of each of the talented musicians allowed for a very vibrant showcase of original sound and stage presence. With some members a part of Greek life or leaders of on-campus organizations, the music community is a unifying hub across student life
Battle of the Bands and Techfest are events that stand out at Stevens every year. The Audio Engineering Club (AEC) supported the performance logistics as they set up the stage, lighting, and ran sound. The support given to the bands on campus means everything to the artists involved, as the annual competition was a community effort across disciplines and organizations. The winners of Battle of the Bands 2026 are Jorts, Eve Godin band, and Angelidis! Angelidis will be playing a 20-minute set, Eve Godin 30-minutes, and Jorts, a 40-minute set. Come see them play at Techfest this year on April 18.
