A selection of local bands will battle it out for victory at the annual Fight for Fiestas on Tuesday night in the SUB Ballroom for the honor of playing live at Fiestas in April.
The battle features bands spanning multiple genres such as rock, hip-hop, metal, electronic dance music, jazz and more. Fight for Fiestas is organized by ASUNM, specifically by Student Special Events and spearheaded by SSE Cultural Director Tatiana Solis.
“In preparation for our big music festival, we have a battle of the bands, Fight For Fiestas, where UNM students who play music can audition to compete," she said. “In this competition, the crowd, along with the SSE directors, votes for who they think is the best. The winner gets a slot in playing during Fiestas.”
As with every year, audience participation is a major factor in deciding a winner. Though the judges will be grading each act on basic criteria, such as charisma and originality, those who attend will able to cast their votes to ultimately choose the best performance of the night.
Last year brought forth a variety of acts, from the garage rock duo Willo to fast-flowing hip-hop artist Mellow Malone. In the end, it was the Latin jazz-fusion group Sol de la Noche who beat out the competition as the final act of the night.
Over 10,000 people
attended Fiestas 2015, and Sol de la Noche shared the stage with an ensemble
cast of headliners. Post-punk revival band Sphynx, alternative synth-pop act
Slow Magic, EDM powerhouse Carnage and hip-hop’s infamous
“It's cool to keep in mind that it's five undergraduate students who plan and put together [Fiestas].” Tatiana said. “We spend months getting everything ready, and training our volunteers so that we are all prepared for the day of. We want UNM students to have a great and safe experience, so we do everything necessary to make sure that happens.”
As for tonight, with only fifteen minutes to showcase their sound, all five artists are sure to put up a fight for Fiestas. In keeping with previous years, performances will feature a broad selection of music styles, from indie rock four-piece Treehouse Basement to electronic dance artist PVLSE.
Indie hip-hop/EDM label Out of this World Ent., comprised of rappers Bayse, Lazarus and Breezy, will also be performing; debuting live new music for the Fight.
“We’re excited for Fight for Fiestas because it will be the first time we perform these songs," Bayse said. “Some tracks we’ll be preforming are ‘Odell Beckham,' ‘Martians’ and ‘Life of a Hustla.' Our act will set us apart from the rest because we have a different style that stands out.”
The 2016 Fight for Fiestas is a free event and will be held Tuesday in the SUB Ballroom from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
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Audrin Baghaie is a culture reporter for Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @dailylobo.
