Saturday was a night of screaming electric guitars, growling vocalists and plenty of swagger as 11 high school bands competing at Anne Arundel County's 10th annual Battle of the Bands tried to out-rock each other.
Some teenage performers leapt off speakers, slid across the stage on their knees or launched guitar solos, but others stood by awkwardly, unsure of what to do besides wait their turn.
It may have been an amateur night, but the audience of at least 800 screaming fans was the biggest the bands are likely to see until next year's battle.
"This is our Super Bowl," said Joey Peebles, the 17-year-old vocalist of the Honest Life. The hard-core metal band represented Broadneck High School.
With free salon makeovers, scholarships and more prize money, the Battle of the Bands has matured since it started 10 years ago as a community service project for Leadership Anne Arundel.
Nancy Almgren, a former stockbroker and current member of the county Arts Council, conceived the idea because she thought that teens needed more activities to keep out of trouble.
The event pits student bands from each of Anne Arundel County's high schools against each other in front of sell-out crowds at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Musicians and music industry professionals judge the bands on their performance and technical ability. Winners bring home money for their school music departments.
The first year, the competition broke even, but since then it has delivered nearly $50,000 to high school music departments countywide to buy instruments, microphones and recording equipment. The winners also get free studio time, courtesy of one of the sponsors.
Last year, the show's top four bands split $7,500 among their schools. Almgren said she won't know until ticket sales are tallied how much money the winner, Stockyard, will bring to Severna Park High School. She also is not sure how many tickets were sold because after the 800-seat auditorium was filled, concertgoers could turn in their tickets for re-sale to latecomers. Some years, the concert has attracted as many as 1,200 people - teens, pre-teens and parents.
It was clear when Stockyard took the stage that it was the one to beat. With pop-sounding vocals, catchy, ready-for-radio songs and a well-choreographed stage presence, Stockyard instantly elicited a feverish response from the audience.
