Velour caps off 2022 with Battle of the Bands competition; ‘alt pop’ artist Beeson takes home title
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- Beeson stands on stage after winning the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. From left are Mitch Romney, Carson Ripley, Heather Cutler, Jane Beeson and Spencer Felix.
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- Jane Beeson performs during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
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- The crowd cheers for Poolhouse during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
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- Jordan Moyes sings during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
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- Carson Ripley, guitarist for Beeson, performs with bass player Spencer Felix, left, during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
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- No Such Animal performs during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
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- Jake Buckner, guitarist and lead singer of Poolhouse, performs during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
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- Jane Beeson performs during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
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- Finn Morrison, frontman of No Such Animal, sings during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
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- Lucas Oliver, bass player for Poolhouse, performs during the Battle of the Bands at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.
Imagine Dragons. Neon Trees. The Aces. The Backseat Lovers. Beeson.
On Saturday, a capacity crowd piled into Velour Live Music Gallery for the conclusion of the venue’s biannual Battle of the Bands competition. After a full week of performances, each night’s winner, as voted on by judges and the crowd, gathered Saturday for the final competition.
“It’s the most exhausting week of my year and the most exhilarating and energizing,” said Corey Fox, Velour’s owner.
One by one, the night’s four performers — Jordan Moyes, Poolhouse, No Such Animal and Beeson — took the stage for 25 minutes apiece to showcase their skills and win over the professional judges and the crowd.
In the end, it was Beeson, led by singer Jane Beeson, taking home the crown.
“I feel like this is honestly coming as a direct result of, like, a lot of time and effort we put into the band,” she said. “I feel like it was well deserved. And I also feel really lucky at the same time.”
Of the five members taking part in the competition, only three are in the band full time — Beeson, drummer Mitch Romney and guitar player Carson Ripley. Joining them for the Battle of the Bands were Heather Cutler, on keys, and bassist Spencer Felix.
“I felt like I jumped on a train that was already heading up to success,” Cutler joked.
The group practiced around five or six times for the competition, they estimated, more than their normal two per show, but still only as much as they could fit into their schedules.
Romney is a Brigham Young University graduate and now teaches music, Felix is a student at Utah State University and the other three are all currently attending BYU.
The Battle of the Bands was scored on five criteria: musicianship, songwriting, stage presence, crowd response and vocal performance. In addition to the listed rubric, judges were waiting to see something else, whatever that game-changer may be.
“A lot of people call it the ‘it factor.’ I don’t like that term just becuse I feel like it gets overused,” said Joel Pack, owner of Rigby Road Studios and one of the night’s judges. “However, there is definitely a thing where you can sense that an artist is tapping into something else, like they were also an artist in a past life.”
When it came to the actual competition, Beeson was the fourth to perform. First up was Jordan Moyes, a former American Idol contestant who describes his music on Spotify as “indie-folk.”
Next came Poolhouse, a rock trio who drew nonstop cheers and energy from the packed crowd. Third on the docket was No Such Animal, an “alternative rock” group out of Orem who, at one point, brought one attendee on stage to play the cowbell while others were encouraged to form a mosh pit.
Finally then, it was time for Beeson to take the stage. Having watched group after group shine under the red and white lights, the band’s namesake was no longer focused on winning — more on making the most of the opportunity.
“I kind of let go of, like, being scared of losing,” Jane Beeson said. She added that she’s competitive, but in “healthy ways,” rather than focusing her energy entirely on winning. It also helped that this was the second Battle of the Bands competition for the group.
The band’s growth and development, between last year to this and even from their first performance on Thursday to Saturday’s finals, was a factor in their win.
“Every band brought their A-game,” said John Lucchetti, founder of the music development company Green Room Strategy and one of the judges. “But I was very impressed to see Beeson and the band’s transformation in a few short days. They really locked in and listened to each other, which translated to an infectious, soulful energy.”
A fifth group, The What-Nots, pulled out of the competition after a sudden death in the family of one of the band’s members.
As one of Provo’s most iconic music venues, and boasting a list of alums traveling the world today playing music, Velour’s Battle of the Bands holds a special place in the city’s music scene.
“Our battle of the bands are the most important part of the Velour structure,” Fox said.
The Battle of the Bands also ends a high-paced year for Fox and Velour. In addition to their continued recovery from 16 months closed down due to COVID-19, the venue’s mortgage was “paid in full” after a fundraising campaign led by Dan Reynolds, lead singer of Imagine Dragons.
Fox talked about the importance of nurturing the local music community, bringing together musicians at the beginning of their careers and allowing them a place to perform, particularly with bands that burst onto the scene after the first wave of the pandemic.
“It feels a lot like the very beginning of Velour. Those first couple years of Velour (were) just an incubating process where all these new bands were feeding off each other,” Fox said.
Judges all came into the night with a connection to Fox, Velour and Provo’s music scene. Pack and Lucchetti both mentioned knowing Fox for decades through the music world. With their experience, and that of every judge, artists knew they were being watched with seasoned eyes and ears.
Lucchetti told the Daily Herald he was looking for “sportsmanship” — namely, how the artists interacted with one another. “Yes it’s a competition, but the music industry is all based on building lasting relationships and community,” he said.
And still, the night was a success for all of the bands performing. They all walked away with prizes, as well as lessons to bring forward and new fans eager for what comes next. Pack encouraged all of the artists to continue playing music if that’s what they want to do and build on this momentum.
It wasn’t easy to bring those fans into the door, though. Part of the judging process was the crowd response — meaning artists had extra incentive to get their fans in the door.
“I probably promoted this show more than I promoted a show in, like, a year — probably since the last Battle of the Bands, honestly,” Beeson said. She mentioned texting at least 200 people, encouraging them to come to the show.
No matter how many of those text recipients actually showed up on Saturday, Beeson came out on top, winning a prize package that included Velour passes, gift cards to local eateries and stores, the famed “Stocking-o-cash” and, most importantly, a series of rewards to help take the group into the next level of their careers.
As winners, Beeson will receive 10 hours of studio recording time at Rigby Road, 12 masters from Black Fox Mastering and a professional band photoshoot. While the prizes will be put to use, Beeson hopes first to put out more music — and, officially, their third song.
“I plan on releasing music really, really soon. I’ve said that for a long time. But this time, I really mean it. It’s coming soon. As soon as I get my homework done,” Beeson said. “I want to be a touring artist so bad. That’s the end goal, honestly.”
Sitting in the venue’s green room, still wearing the Christmas light necklaces draped around their necks as they were named winners, Beeson asked her bandmates if they also had dreams of touring.
“I’d want to tour with Beeson,” each answered.
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