The Battle of the Bands took place in Vaquero Plaza March 25, and when the musical smoke cleared, only Faith In Chaos, Soseh and Zare were left standing.
Faith In Chaos, a four-piece ensemble with 25 combined years of musical experience, walked away with the first prize of $100 cash.
The band featured John Wayne on drums, Vanand Sinanian on guitar, Garen Sinaii on bass and Narbeh Avanesian handling the vocals.
Soseh and Zare, a dynamic musical duo, took the $50 cash second prize.
Soseh Keshishyan sang “Prove Me Wrong,” an original song. Zare, her accompanist, said, “I began playing guitar about six years ago on a classical guitar that my mom had in the closet.” Zare graduated from GCC and is now at USC, majoring in theater stage management.
Impressed with Soseh’s performance was Danny Arechiga, a competing musician, who said, “They would have won it all if they had had a drummer.”
Three bands and the duo competed in the ASGCC-sponsored event. Hala Shamas, mistress of ceremonies, said the concert was “for student entertainment.” Shamas also serves as vice president of campus activities.
“The prize money came from student activities fees,” said Alan Andriassian, student activities coordinator. “We decided that instead of hiring someone to perform for the students, we would use some of the funds for some of our own students.”
More than 150 students dotted the grassy knolls in the noonday sun, as the battle of the bands-all heavy metal- except Soseh and Zare-raged on.
Brake Fluid, a trio featuring Gabriel Izmirlian on guitar, Martin Aslanian on drums and Guillermo Medina, opened the show with one of its own songs, titled, “Misery of Pain.”
Izmirlian said the song was written “based on personal experience.” He was a GCC student from 1997 to 1999.
Medina, a GCC media production major who has been with Brake Fluid for two years, said, “We wanted to play in front of some people.” He also said his style of play had been influenced somewhat by South-American guitar maestro Ricardo Uris.
Advent, with Angel A. Huezo on guitar, Eduardo Camacho on drums and Guillermo Medina doubling on bass, was the second band to take the stage and present one of its original songs, “Vengeance.”
“We play for friends, parties, festivals and other events and activities,” said Medina.
Juan Delgado, a GCC video production major, fronted Confusion Organizada. The band has been together for two years. Gibran Jiminez, a senior at Franklin High School said, “I liked the setting.” The band spokesman said, “We play at clubs, bars, back yards.wherever we can get a place to play.”
And play they did.