Set of Marshall amplifiers: $300-$2,000. A new Fender Stratocaster: $2,500. Winning the 2007 Battle of the Bands at FAU and the chance to open up for Silverstein: priceless.

The Program Board and Owl Radio presented the 2007 Battle of the Bands last Thursday night at the Carole & Barry Kaye Auditorium on FAU’s Boca Raton campus, showcasing seven local bands all vying for the chance to open up for national recording artists Silverstein on April 19th. Pop-punk quintet Upper Class Trash kicked off BOTB as frontman J.M. Chapman quickly set the all killer/no filler tone for the night, screaming, “Alright, I want everyone on their feet…get up!”

Following their frontman’s battle cry UCT proceeded to kick out the jams with the first of three songs from their setlist, “Love Drives Nightly” – a raucous rouser that immediately takes off but ends flat. The band’s next song, “But Nick Lives Next Door” is a wily-titled track that parades drummer Greg Kaufman, the wickedly-insane, human-percussion-machine. ‘UCT‘ finished up their set with “We Add Like Crazy Wizards.”

The second band on the bill was screamo quartet A Lesson Lost, a group whose name is perhaps a reference to their music prowess. The aptly-named vocalist Nick Lost was unable to grab any audience attention, notwithstanding the many canines in range heard barking outside the auditorium.

Cricket chirpings and muffled applause followed as A Lesson Lost walked offstage, but the dampened mood gave way to roaring approval for pop prodigies The Rival Year. Hailing from Boynton Beach, Rival Year‘s infectious, sugary-sweet pop sensibility is more radio-friendly than Fall Out Boy, presenting tracks such as “Scalpel Please”, “In Case of Fire” or “Shadow of The Rose”. They ended their set with “Shadow of The Rose,” by far the best song of the night.

West Palm Beach indie band Never Surrender surprised everyone in attendance with their sound – a fusion of Modest Mouse melodies and John Mayer blues guitar. Never Surrender was one of the more tight bands of the night but easily slipped into jam-band mode from time to time. Never Surrender guitarist Mike riffed his way to heaven and made his Fender Stratocaster do more than gently weep, so much so that you almost forgot the other three guys on stage. “Lie To Me” was the group’s last and best track.

The explosively powerful and dangerously multifaceted Crimson Vera is a band that claims all they want to do is “write kick-butt rock music that shares the message of Christ,” citing musical influences Jesus Christ and a bimonthly Christian magazine called Relevant. Amidst perfectly-executed back flips off amplifiers and impromptu drum battles between the drummer and a do-it-all DJ (who looks like Wolfmother singer Andrew Stockdale), Crimson Vera was more an experience than a band. Their set featured “Trial by Fire”, “Less Than Content” and “Smoke and Mirrors”. Apparently JC was a major fan of alternative rock, since Crimson Vera not only snatched the BOTB top prize but kicked copious amounts of ass, made jaws drop, and lifted the crowd from their seats.

Not many bands could follow Crimson Vera‘s killer set but testosterone-laden alt-rock band Copasetic did it very well. Copasetic‘s vocalist Rino Cerbone looks and sounds like the lovechild of former Fuel member Brett Scallions and 3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold. That’s not an insult but rather an abstract compliment. The combo of Alex Plesher’s crunching guitar and Cerbone’s voice benefited the group’s heartbeat (drummer David Klein and bassist Dan Uricoli) quite nicely. After ripping through a solid set Copasetic clinched their performance with a bit of dramatic stage presence that felt…well, a little too staged.

Shaking the sweat from his brow Cerbone heavily asked the crowd, “who here is brutally honest?” Looking to his guitarist he said, “should we play one more?” Aggressive females and zealous fans belted out a resounding “Yeah!” as Copasetic rocked the house with “Brutal Honesty”.

Five easy pieces is not only the title of a Jack Nicholson film but it’s also the best way to describe the members of Orlando pseudo-emo band Westview. The only thing of note during Westview’s performance was when they covered Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”; one could actually hear Vincent Price stirring in his grave. Apparently due to being mistaken for an Alien Ant Farm cover band, Westview was signed to Fire Kid Records, selling over 10,000 records. The poster children for trying too hard, Westview is also a major league talent on the rise…just ask them.

Official Results for the 2007 Battle of the Bands

1st Place – Crimson Vera2nd Place – Copasetic (alternate)3rd Place – The Rival Year4th Place – Westview

Unofficial “Best of Show” for the 2007 BOTB

Vocals – C.J. & Mike (The Rival Year)Drums – Greg Kaufman (Upper Class Trash)Guitar – Mike (Never Surrender)Song – “Shadow of The Rose” (The Rival Year)Band – Crimson Vera

Check out Crimson Vera opening up for Silverstein on April 19th at 8 pm in the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium.