UC Battle of the Bands director Harrison Manousos ‘26 promises music lovers “a night of infamy” with the school’s newest event. “Union Catholic has been waiting a long time for a resurgence of music, and what better time than the time of Veil, the time of Spyne!, and the time of Briggs,” said Manousos ’25.
Battle of the Bands, which will take place on Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m., will consist of five student-formed bands competing for the judges’ votes and the love of the audience. The lineup includes Veil, Spyne!, Briggs, Thrash, and Adelaide Dutemple’s band. Veil is an Indie-Rock band formed in 2022. It is the only group composed entirely of UC students, starring Ava Pickering ‘24, Josh Etienne ‘25, Noah Jimenez ‘25, and Rebecca Noll ‘25. Spyne! is a legendary local hard rock group starring senior Toni Manousos. Briggs, which is newly formed for this event, was founded by director Harrison Manousos ‘26. Thrash, another new group, is composed of freshmen Frank Perez ’28 and Wally Ramos ’28. While sophomore Adelaide Dutemple ’27 has yet to name her group, we can expect great things from her. The entire show will be hosted by music director Mr. Frio. Tickets, which will be sold at the door, will allow the buyer to experience a night of music for only $5.
The main goal is to pack the auditorium and get as many people in the door as possible. Etienne ’25 of Veil said that since “it’s the first year it’s happening here and I think that’s pretty exciting in and of itself,” people should come. Toni of Spyne! promised that people are “gonna get their money’s worth.” Music enthusiast and junior Phoebe Mouris ’26 stated, “I can’t wait to see people my age rock the stage and show their amazing musical talent at Battle of the Bands!” The bands intend to drum up hype with upcoming bake sales. There is even talk of the groups putting on a mini-show during lunch, giving an exclusive preview to the student body.
As this is the premiere of the event, many students are unsure of what to expect. When asked, Veil members told us that students should expect “fun songs and probably an original.” Additionally, Spyne! promised “a high-energy show from a band that has a ton of experience, has been in this type of competition before, and is extremely excited to play in front of a new audience.” The group has previously won St. Joseph’s Battle of the Bands. Both of these bands have recently put out music: Veil’s second EP, Call Me After Nine, and Spyne’s debut album, Out of Nowhere, are both available on all streaming platforms.
Battle of the Bands is not only going to be one of the most epic events in school history, but it will also serve as a fundraiser for the music department. Union Catholic is a historic venue, housing Black Sabbath, Cream, and The Who. While none of these bands are quite as legendary, it is nice to have UC re-embracing the music scene, this time supporting small bands with big dreams. Who knows, maybe one day a picture of one of these bands will hang in the hallway, immortalized in fame and glory.
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