ShamROCK: PNW’s first battle of the bands
Jeremy Maurizi, bassist of Keep the Fight Alive, performs for the audience in Alumni Hall on March 30.
Came Out Swingin’, a pop punk band from the area, won ShamROCK it Out, PNW’s first battle of the bands held on March 30.
The band’s members consist of Sarina Niewiadomski, Richard Boersma, Javier Gauna, Steve Morris and Brandon King.
“This was our first battle of the bands and we were ecstatic to have won. All the bands on the bill had lots of talent and we were happy we were so well received by the audience,” Boersma, lead guitarist, said.
The band won three hours of recording time from Fragile Music Group, as well as an opportunity to play in the Festival of the Lakes.
“The opportunity to play festival of the lakes is better than any cash prize, gift card or monetary gift. This kind of large scale exposure is something our band has been driving and pushing for so the opportunity to play in front of thousands of people is overwhelming and we’re already prepping for the festival,” Boersma said.
The runners up were Daze Away in second place and Fixed emotion in third place. Keep the Fight Alive and RNBM also competed. All the bands were from the Northwest Indiana area.
Cody Dallas, student life coordinator, said PNW wanted to create a unique event and give students the opportunity to showcase their talent, but it was also open to the public.
Dallas expressed that he felt the event was successful, as the audience enjoyed the performances, and that the school plans to make the event a tradition.