Each band took the stage Saturday night with the objective of winning over the crowd and — more importantly — the judges. In the end however, the Battle of the Bands could choose only three for the Movin' On side stage. On The Brink, Slick Olde Bishops and Bare Soles will all be performing at the event on April 21.

In addition to announcing the winners for the local stage, some of the main stage acts were announced: American Hi-Fi, Our Lady Peace and Run DMC. These acts were not revealed until contracts had been finalized.

The concert Saturday night featured a wide variety of music. From punk to ska, from metal to blues — the audience got a taste of everything. The more energetic performances came from the ska groups of the night, specifically 8 oz. Joe and winners Slick Olde Bishops.

Slick Olde Bishops was the first band to get the crowd on its feet and dancing in their seats. The band truly enjoyed performing, with a set highlighted by onstage fighting, brandishing instruments and even synchronized jumps. The band was equally pleased when it was announced one of the winners.

"Movin' On is such a big thing with so many students," said bassist Clinton Van Gemert (sophomore-graphic design). "To get to play for that is a big bonus."

The other ska act, 8 oz. Joe, all dressed in shirts and ties, enticed the crowd's involvement by offering free CDs.

Metal also had a strong showing, with bands such as Metox, Mordeccai and Uncle Traveling Matt unleashing loud guitars and aggressive vocals. Uncle Traveling Matt showed a lively performance, with dedications to friends No Offense and Slick Olde Bishops, and the guitarist adorning a gas mask.

On The Brink provided the pop-punk music for the evening with quick, powerful songs. The set finished with a slower, more emotional tune that was received well by the audience.

Bare Soles had the strongest effect on the crowd, with about 50 people standing at the stage front enjoying the mix of acoustic jamming and rock. So pleased with the audience response, singer and guitarist Adam Meyer (junior-mechanical engineering) invited the crowd back to his house after the show. Later in the evening, he was thankful for the positive response and was just pleased to be given the opportunity to perform.

"We just like to play," Meyer said. "We'll play for two people or 2,000 -- we really don't care."

Even after receiving the esteem of winning the contest, trombone player Matt Weirauch (junior-computer science) of Slick Olde Bishops was still in awe of Movin' On and the big performers.

"This is like the greatest moment of my life, knowing that Run DMC will be in the same 10 miles as me," Weirauch said.

The local stage will also feature three other bands from the area: Midnight Special, Figures of Speech and Axum. More updates about Movin' On can be found its Web site, www.movinon.org.