Fans of Midwest emo, indie and hyperpop music brush shoulders as a line forms inside DePaul’s Lincoln Park Student Center. The sound of mic checks flows out of Room 120 AB. Members of DePaul’s Music Business Organization whiz by, ironing out last-minute kinks and making conversation with concertgoers.

DePaul musicians and bands Tollbooth, Anna Rose Baker, Zercher, Helltwo and Jane Aubrey gather in the greenroom as nerves mount and the beginning of the opening act approaches.

Sophomore Robert Oboza, lead vocalist and guitarist in Zercher, said the band’s novelty caused some jitters before their performance.

“I was nervous,” Oboza said. “We’ve been pushing this show really hard because we’re pretty new. We had our first show on April 3.”

Chicago-based band Tollbooth, which opened Battle of the Bands, set the scene for a responsive show when fans opened up a mosh pit on the floor.

Zercher vocalist and bass player Tyson Keller said speculation from the crowd early in the night encouraged him to play his best. Many crowd members were already fans of the band, so there was a lot of hype surrounding their set.

“Right after Tollbooth played, my friend came up to me and said ‘Tyson, people are saying that you’re going to win.’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about? We haven’t even played yet?’ After that, I was kind of pushed.”

When Zercher took the stage, Oboza said he was excited for his “little gag at the beginning” where he ripped his DePaul shirt to reveal yet another DePaul shirt underneath. He said the crowd took a liking to the band’s antics.

“It was cool when everyone pressed up against the stage and the pit started opening up,” Oboza said.

Synth player Amarin Wexler of Zercher said the reception from the crowd gave the band a good idea of the verdict to come.

“I knew there was so much love and support around us,” Wexler said. “Seeing the crowd, I had a feeling that we had a good shot.”

Sophomore Austin Martinez, Zercher’s drummer, said he encouraged his friends at the show to stage dive.

“My hope and dream for any band that I ever play in is to be known as ‘the stage-diving band,’” Martinez said. “When I saw them doing it, I was overcome with joy. I loved that people were stage diving in the Student Center. We might be the first band that ever made that happen.”

Keller said despite the adrenaline he felt during the show, he thought the performance was solid.

“Sometimes when I’m in the moment, I get too excited and I’m like, ‘I can’t play my instrument anymore,’” Keller said. “But it was one of our best performances, there weren’t many mess-ups.”

Fans in the crowd showed their support by singing along to Zercher’s “Twilight Sparkle.” Wexler said that sing-alongs happen sometimes at their shows, “but this time it happened so naturally.”

After the final act, students lined up and grabbed markers to vote for their favorite performer. Excitement from the crowd mounted as members from the DePaul Activities Board gathered on stage to announce the winner.

When Zercher was announced as the winner, the crowd cheered and the band members came together, jumping with joy at the news.

“I was relieved,” Keller said. “We were all jumping when we were up on stage after they announced it.”

The prize package for the winner of Battle of the Bands includes an opening spot at FEST, DePaul’s annual music festival, and free studio time at Classick Studios in Humboldt Park.

Although Zercher has had some studio sessions before through a friend’s internship, Oboza said the opportunity to record at Classick will be an important upgrade.

“We did three weeks in a row of one or two recording sessions each week, all going past 2 a.m.,” Oboza said. “So, having actual studio time at Classick where we don’t have to do it in the quiet of the night is going to be awesome.”

Oboza said after finding out they won, he mostly felt excitement to play at FEST.

“We want to play outside,” Oboza said. “Maybe we’ll play in jorts.”

Martinez gave the following advice to FEST-goers: “If there is an opportunity to stage dive at our shows, take it. Hopefully there’s no barricades at FEST. Be yourself, we’re not here to judge you.”

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