Battle of the Bands gree, recognition mg anticipated nembers Steve Breman, Tim Bartels and on Saturday's Battle of the Bands. manager. As a result, the bassist learned 30 songs in one exhaustive practice session. The effort was worth it. After four weekends spent rehearsing in a Pittsburgh basement, the group had acclimated to its new members and achieved an impressive group unity. This unity has proven to be an invaluable asset during Third -■ Degree’s live performances. Or*Btage,thegroup members unleash their creative abilities and allow improvisation to replace a structured set list This spontaneous drive was illustrated Saturday when Krupa introduced the opening riffs of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile." As the band's one-hour time limit approached, Krupa dove further into the song, virtually oblivious to the time restraint The band closed the piece with only minutes remaining, and several members of the audience rushed to help clear equipment from the stage before time expired. The action was only one example of the audience's support. Third Degree was clearly a crowd favorite; the band actually generated howls and cheers during its sound check. According to drummer Tim Bartels, the crowd support can be a major inspiration. "The crowd can help turn nerves into a positive adrenaline flow," he explained. The support also helped turn the gig into a profitable performance. Third Degree finished the day with a $3OO prize, which the band wiU soon use to purchase studio time to make a professional demo. s’re a’s an, ner init tan With Saturday's victory, Third Degree has taken a substantial leap toward that long awaited recognition. Maybe now the group will have to find a new reason for singing the blues. )ld idly id's Thursday, October 4,1990 Mark Owens/ The Collegian (continued from page 8) Regina. Playing together for four years, SLR unveiled a surprising amount of talent, technique, and musical prowess. With a sound reminiscent of early Rush, SLR played in odd time meters and had very intense and precise rhythm changes. SLR is Bruce Erikson on guitar, Greg Filer on bass, and Dustin Davis on drums. According to Filer, SLR's music is best described as "progressive rock/fusion." Well, the worst thing that could possibly happen to an outdoors event happened. Yes, it stalled to rain. Third Degree took the stage with a few drops coming down, but after their second number the rain was falling too hard to continue. The equipment was taken down, and the show was moved to the Wintergreen Gorge. After a considerable delay, there was music once again. Third Degree, made up of Gregg Krupa on lead guitar and vocals. Chuck Jones on rhythm guitar, Steve Bremen on bass, and Tim Bartels on drums, gave the audience a set filled with kicking blues numbers. After dedicating their set and the entire day to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, Third Degree started off with "Pride and Joy" and then went right into "Peter Gunn," which showcased Krupa's guitar playing abilities. Other songs included in the set were "Voodoo Chile" and a medley of "Goin' Down" and "Crossroads." To finish off the Battle of the Bands was a classic rock band called Killin' Time. Together for a year, Killin' Time played favorites from the Rolling Stones, Yes, and Billy Joel. Comprised of Bob Baflc on vocals and rhythm guitar, Mike Gonda on lead guitar, Jarad Gomiack on bass. Carmen Romano on keyboards, and Keith Scully on drums, Killin' Time confirmed that the music of the '7o's is still as good as it truly is. The bands were judged on a one to ten scale in the categories of appearance, vocals, instrumental abilities, and unity. After the scores were tabulated by the judges, Third Degree walked away with the $3OO prize. Pounding it out: Sweet Logical Regina drummer Dustin Davis impresses the crowd with his speed and precision. The Collegian / 1 Into the groove: Bassist Greg Filer gets into one of Sweet Logical Regina's original songs. Mark Owen s/The Collegian Mark Owens/ The Collegian Page
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