The Winner of Jammin Java’s Band Battle
Posted by Matt Basheda / Monday, February 20th, 2012
The winner is: The Dirty Jacks, of Rockville, Md.
The Dirty Jacks after their big win. Clockwise from top left: Erik Hildebrant, Billy Rommal, Colin Ball, Bobby Scott and Ian Hildebrant.
Their win was deserved, with a frenzied, fast-paced performance and loads of stage presence. Their fans were rowdy, and packed the floor.
Kill the Alarm.
But The Dirty Jacks were just a quarter of the show–three other bands gave it their all and helped make the sell-out band battle raucous and memorable. First up was Kill the Alarm, the New York-based vehicle for songwriter Garen Gueyikian. He belted out soulful, radio-friendly alt-rock, and brought plenty of musical diversity. He shifted from reggae-tinged flavors to anthemic numbers, and led the crowd in an upbeat sing-along.
Second was Brightwork, from Charlottesville, Va. Their set was a bit delayed by technical problems, which unfortunately carried over into their performance. Their passionate, synth-driven songs were in full effect–these guys were clearly laying out their souls. But it’s a shame when uncontrollable tech issues prevent a great young band from being completely heard.
Buster Brown & the Get Down finished up the show, and blew minds all across Vienna. Picture six super-talented guys, spinning unbelievable riffs on their respective instruments into a funky, begging-to-be-danced-to sound. Throw in dual lead vocals–one with an ultra-soulful wail, the other rapping airtight rhymes and emceeing like a champ. Then add a guitarist soloing with his teeth and out of nowhere, the lead singer tap dancing like you’ve never heard: He scratched like a DJ, spattered like a machine gun and stomped like he was going right through the stage.
Buster Brown and the Get Down.
It’s impossible for a band as talented, and with a sound as unique as Buster Brown, to not go places–provided they keep it up. So watch out for these guys. And the best part is, they’re local, so catch one of their shows in town sometime soon. You will not regret it. They play frequently at Arlington favorites like Whitlow’s on Wilson.
But The Dirty Jacks, performing third out of the four sets, took the win. They already have a dedicated fan base. A solid, jam-packed pit sung along to every tune and chanted “Dirty Jacks” at all points of the show. Their lead singer’s shimmying antics defined their stage presence.
Their sound is staccato, but spacey. They play fast and hard but still know how to jam. Their songs are complex, to say the least. Contemporary prog-rock is perhaps as close as I’ll get to categorizing it.
Best of all, even with such newfound fame, they already work with charity to help in any way they can. Proceeds from their merch sales go to Charity: Water, which provides clean drinking water to developing countries.
We caught up with ‘em after the show, and talked about how they write such tightly woven songs and their plans after this big win.
Tags: Brightwork, Buster Brown and the Get Down, Charity Water, culture gurus, Entertainment, Events, game plan, Jammin Java Band Battle, Jammin' Java, Kill the Alarm, Matt Basheda, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, The Dirty Jacks, things to do