On: July 21 at 09:17 AM
Above, Suzie from We Set Fire. At Front, Dylan from La Circa.
Stockton screamo band We're Not Friends Anymore took home the $1,000 first prize July 19 in the OneEightyMusic/209Vibe Battle of the Bands, held at Hutchins Street Square in Lodi. The show drew 400 teens for music, fun and a look at who's next in the local music scene.
It was preceded by the 209's first online battle, sponsored by 209Vibe. Stockton rockers We Set Fire won that event, earning them eight hours of studio time at Mad Lab Productions.
Fans poured into Hutchins Street Square on July 19 to see the bands perform on stage. Unfortunately, Eyes Like Wolves kicked off the event with a sloppy set that left the crowd silent.
Thankfully, the talent and skill of the bands increased as the night went on.
We Set Fire gave a particularly kick-ass performance, thanks in part to lead singer Suzie, who drew cheers for her vocal range. The band showed great potential.
The Glorious Fall also played an excellent show. Guitarist Vinson Cheung an awesome solo that made fans believe he had classical guitar training. He doesn't; Cheung's a self-taught musician who discovered the instrument three years ago.
Other bands who gave strong performances included La Circa and With Grace We Fall, who earned second and third place in the battle, respectively.
But it was We're Not Friends Anymore that carried the show. The pop-like, high-pitched good-boys-gone screamo set had the audience chanting "One more song!"













