Music battle at Valley Stream bandshell

The first annual Battle of the Bands, co-sponsored by Strong Side Studios and Star Potential Inc., brought about 200 people to the Village Green on July 23. Unsigned band This Time Tuesday won electronic and hard copy press kits along with six-hours of recording studio time and bragging rights. Valley Stream favorites Nilo, Dawn of a Daydream and Lost in Forever, which was missing two of its five members, gave impressive performances.

“I must say the Battle of the Bands was awesome, and we had a big turn out,” said Darryl Granum, owner of Strong Side Studios. “I am very proud of what we did.”

The stage shook as rock, indie and alternative music resonated from the bandshell, Granum noted. The record-breaking temperatures could not dampen the crowd’s spirits. It was one of Strong Side’s biggest and best shows, he said.

Two hip hop groups, True Nation and Team Shutdown, also performed between sets, and musicians Michael Allen Grey, Duke Ventra and JD Styles were the night’s judges in lieu of crowd applause.

The bands, consisting of mostly Valley Stream Central High School District students or alumni, have a growing Facebook and YouTube following. This Time Tuesday, an alternative and pop punk group, is working on releasing a demo and members plan to use every minute of studio time they won, said the band’s lead guitarist Eric Kleinertz.

The bands took to Facebook to congratulate one another. This Time Tuesday thanked the audience, and gave shout outs to the other bands for doing a great job. The love was mutual. “The other bands were amazing,” said the members of Lost in Forever, who fuse rock, pop, and punk music. “Every band had their own style and performed differently…we are friends with the amazing musicians from the other bands and hope to see them perform again.”

Members of Dawn of a Daydream, a relatively new group, describe themselves as an “everyday band with a sound that will amaze you,” as stated on their Facebook page. Nilo, a Queens-based band, credits Paramore, Mew and Red Hot Chili Peppers as musical influences for their indie and shoegaze sound — an alternative rock subgenre that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s.

The event celebrated the summer launch of Star Potential Inc., a new village non-profit organization that provides training and opportunities for youngsters to express their talents. They teamed up with Strong Side Studios for a bandshell summer concert series, and their next “teen talent” night is on Aug. 13. Two businesses can “bring great things to the community for the kids of Valley Stream and other surrounding areas,” Granum said.

Organizers promise that next year’s event will be even bigger and better. In fact, if they had access to certain venues that could house large crowds, the shows would run year-round, Granum said. “It really is a blessing to see these talented youths shine,” Granum added, “and witness the energy that they show when they are on that stage.”