On Friday night, musicians rocked down the house in the auditorium for the 17th annual Battle of the Bands. Many were unsure whether it was going to occur as a result of the events that preceded it during the day. The event had previously been rescheduled from its original date, Feb. 12, when the fire at Veterans Industrial park caused school to be cancelled for the day as well as all after school activities.  The audience was thrilled that the night had finally arrived as they were captivated by the intense amount of talent that could be found on stage.

“There’s a pretty broad range of music played by enthusiastic, talented players,” social studies teacher and event coordinator Bob Fenster said.

Fenster couldn’t be more right as all bands gave extraordinary performances that had the audience cheering and left with extreme pleasure. The night started off when Fenster himself got up on the stage along with fellow staff member Wayne Szabo, alumnus Jon Loree, and senior Matt Bardon. The band gave a lovely performance playing a variety of covers, along with an original song written by Fenster. 

“I love the fact that sometimes I get to play in the shows,” Fenster said. “And I also like giving our students the chance to shine on stage.”

The Battle of the Bands definitely provides a showcase for musically gifted students but that isn’t the only reason why it takes place. It also serves as a major fundraiser for the debate team. Every school year, the team hosts several events to raise money for all things debate which includes the trips that they take. In addition to Battle of the Bands, they also host the Variety Show and Unplugged, which is later in the year.

As much fun as it is to play in Battle of the Bands, it isn’t easy to make it that far. In order to perform on the stage Friday night, each of the bands had to audition.

“We used to do it in person, but with modern technology I can let the bands record themselves playing in their rehearsal spaces,” Fenster explained. “They submit a video and then we review them and pick the best four bands.”

One band worth mentioning was the “all senior” band which gave an electrifying performance that absolutely captivated the audience. The band consisted of seniors Tyler Bryk, Joe Caponegro, Brendan Szabo, along with two HHS alumni who created a great ending for the night. Overall, this function has shown us that there is a strong passion for music here at HHS.