The dark rain clouds hovered over the Boca campus all week, but the rock gods showed favor and cleared the skies for the Battle of the Bands concert held at the Housing Lawn on Friday, March 20. Five bands performed to win the $1,000 prize and a spot in a national battle of the bands competition. In the end, Tri Funk Point came out on top.

The posters all over campus for the event boasted that Tom Conrad, from The Academy Is.., is in the band Empires ? who were the judges and headlining act. After seeing that they were being approached by countless girls at their judging table and having non-stop camera flashes during the set, it was clear that this small indie band is a big timer at this college.

Only having done a few shows in the past on a college campus, Conrad and fellow guitarist Max Steger agree that FAU has taken care of them well beyond what they expected. Right outside the stage was a barbecue being catered by Chartwells that was open for everyone, but the band had a Coyote Jack’s menu to order from in their large dressing room.

Conrad and Steger said they never got to have a normal college experience; Conrad took a couple credits at a university in Columbia, Ill., for photography while Steger never went to college at all.

“College is a set path,” says Conrad. “The more you can do on your own, the stronger it will make you.”

Even though the band’s manager is FAU student Zac Rich, a senior in film and video, it is Empires’ first tour through Florida. The band is originally from Illinois and knows the Chicago music scene well. Singer Sean Van Vleet comments with truth that “Florida is paradise” after being reminded of the current temperatures in the Midwest.

For struggling bands on the rise, Steger gives this advice: “Don’t have a fall back, or else you’ll never make it.”

Empires has a new album titled Howl that can be downloaded for free at www.weareempires.com. They will be going on an acoustic tour with The Academy Is… Tour dates are on their myspace page, www.myspace.com/empires.