Battle of the Bands: Student music scene thrives at Carleton

On the night of April 18, 2025, The Cave was filled with Carleton students from all class years to watch their peers compete in Battle of the Bands — and this term, we’re back again!

Hosted every year in the spring, Battle of the Bands is an opportunity for student bands on campus to play for a significant audience and compete for the opportunity to open Spring Concert (aka Sproncert) later in the term, judged by a panel of students and guest faculty. In 2025, a record-breaking 15 bands signed up to participate, beating 2024’s previous record of 12 bands. The names of the artists competing were: Emperor Tamarin, Spinach Farm, Montana Rides, MINUS ELEVEN, Caballeros sin Nombre, Tractor Beam, Gold Rush (my band!), Burn with Purpose, The First People to Ever Sell Cars, LOUD ROOM, Farm House House Band, JUNIXR & MXDchild, Cambia, Cowboy Killers, and The Passion.

Battle of the Bands is a standout event each spring because the bands are all student-run and coordinated, as is The Cave itself. The event stood out even more last year because of a new rule: originals only. Bands had to fill 12 minutes with all-original music, save for one optional cover song. Spanning genres like indie pop, folk, metal, jazz and jazz fusion, rap, and rock, Battle of the Bands 2025 was a fantastic night across the board for the Carleton student music scene.

In the green room of The Cave, while waiting for my own band to play, I interviewed two 2025 seniors about their experiences with the event and music at Carleton in general.

First up was Owen Roth ’25, a music major with minors in English creative writing, Japanese, and theater arts. Roth was the lead singer and keyboardist for Montana Rides, competed in Battle of the Bands every year since arriving at Carleton, played in a winning band at Sproncert all four years (spoilers for the results of the 2025 Battle!), and spoke passionately about the resurrection of the Carleton music scene post-COVID, having arrived at the College in 2021 amid related restrictions.

“When I was a first year, Battle of the Bands had six bands because COVID kind of killed the live music scene at Carleton,” Roth said, “but then the next year there were eight, then 12 [the following year], and this year there are 15 and that’s incredible.”

Roth also highlighted how the resurgence of Battle of the Bands has revitalized Carleton’s student-created music scene, especially since participating bands must now put together an all-original set, including only one cover of an existing band if they desire. 

“Tonight is legitimately the greatest night for original music at Carleton that I’ve ever ever seen. It’s awesome,” Roth said.

I also spoke with Gabe Tarini ’25, cinema and media studies (CAMS) major and then-general manager of The Cave, about the space’s revival and student-led music on campus. Tarini echoed Roth’s excitement about the explosion of original music at Carleton that he started seeing.

“I’ve been organizing Battle of the Bands for the past three years that I’ve been [working] here, and I also helped judge it as a freshman,” he said. “Mathematically, there has not been this much original student music in one place at one time in all four of the years that I have been here. As much as this night is crazy—because Cave staff have to manage 15 bands in five hours and it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare—it’s also insanely cool that it has happened with this level of enthusiasm and interest.”

Tarini also shared his thoughts on The Cave and Carleton’s student bands going forward after he graduates, especially since he would be staying on campus as this year’s CAMS educational associate. 

“I am really optimistic and hopeful for future years of Battle of the Bands and future Cave events,” he said.

This year, the Battle of the Bands semifinals were held on Friday, April 17 and featured An Angel Discards Its Rotting Flesh, Mucket, No Red Skies, Emperor Tamarin, Spinach Farm, Foaly, LOUD ROOM, Scorpion That’s Addicted to Sports Betting, MXDchild & Junixr, and Loose Leaf.

Finals will be Saturday, April 25!