Battle Of The Bands August 2008, Clinical Outcomes Group, Inc.

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Bands Battle at Selinsgrove Park

By Rick Dandes
The Daily Item
August 23, 2008 07:46 am

- SELINSGROVE -- Four highly energized youth bands turned their amps up to high and competed for a $200 first prize in a raucous Battle of the Bands before a small but enthusiastic crowd on Friday night in Kidsgrove Park. It was the first of what organizers hope will become an annual rock concert event.

The winning band, announced at 10 p.m., was Neon Soul Session, of Bloomsburg. In second place was Abandoned in the Aftermath, a band from Sayre. The other two competing bands were Lynched, from Milton, and Carpe Noctem, from Bloomsburg.

The concert was sponsored by the Action for Community Transformation coalition, an anti-drug and anti-alcohol group. The $200 top prize came from cash contributions made by Playworld Systems and CMSU (Columbia, Montour, Snyder and Union counties) Service Systems
"We wanted the kids who live in this area to be able to enjoy a concert that is completely drug and alcohol free," said organizer Meg Will. "I grew up in Snyder County, in Mount Pleasant Mills, and I know there often isn´t much to do in your free time, except go to the mall, and even that gets old after a while. The idea for the battle of the bands was to provide an alternative, fun full-night event."

Will said that besides providing a good time for kids, organizers wanted to repeat the message that the best lifestyle choice is always a substance-free choice.
"Choose to live," she said.

The four bands competing for the top prize were chosen from popular youth Web sites Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. Organizers at ACT and the Clinical Outcomes Group, Inc., a private, nonprofit organization that provides health and social services throughout Pennsylvania, also had a hand in choosing the bands.
The criteria for selection of the performers were the band had to be drug and alcohol free, their lyrics couldn´t contain any positive reference to drugs or alcohol and they had to be youth bands, meaning they could be no older than in their mid-20s.

The music was loud and sometimes melodic, but it connected with the youthful crowd.

Lee Nelson, 22, came from Shamokin with his girlfriend, Jerri Gold, 17, of Coal Township, to check out the bands. "I heard about the show from a friend, and we wanted to see Neon Soul Session, so we came for the night. The music was great, and I hope they´ll do this again."

Karen Dobbler, 18, of Sunbury, didn´t know any of the bands, "but it´s a good night to sit outside and take in some music. I don´t drink and I don´t believe in drugs, so I am happy to help spread the message."

Two brothers, Jeffrey and John Carter, of Selinsgrove, were visiting friends at Susquehanna University when they all heard about the concert. "It´s been fun. The bands are loud, which is pretty much how I like my music," said Jeffrey Carter.