Local Bands Rock the Battle for Shepfest

Last Thursday, some of Shepherdstown's greatest rock acts gathered in the Storer Ballroom, performing for more than 300 jumping and cheering students. The nine bands were competing for two coveted spots on stage at this spring's Shepfest, Shepherd University's annual outdoor music festival.

The bands, however, were not playing for a panel of judges. The audience was the judge. Each student was given a ballot when they arrived at the venue, and after watching at least three of the performances, they voted for their top two bands. The two acts with the most votes were awarded Shepfest gigs, and these bands were the Paul Pfau Trio (first place) and the Goddamn Hills.

One could tell that the Paul Pfau Trio was one of the favorites as they took the stage. The crowd was at its peak as they prepared to perform, and as Mr. Pfau starting belting out the lyrics in a deep, scratchy, and Clapton-esque fashion, the crowd was mesmerized. Phil Wescott and Jeff Birdsall comprised the rest of the band, accompanying Pfau on the bass and drums. The blues was the order of the evening for the Trio, and they performed their soul-busting licks masterfully. Birdsall was happy with the performance as he left the stage and joined the crowd for the remainder of the show. "I think it went well… [considering] our first practice [for this show] was only two nights ago," remarked Birdsall, who then added, "It was a jam!"

The Goddamn Hills mounted the stage next. Named for a hatred of MTV's "The Hills," this group began as an acoustic folk duo. The band has grown, however, now featuring four members: Paul Kessler (guitar/vocals), Brian Scott (guitar/vocals), Ted Lewis, Jr. (drums), and Charles House (bass). They have also traded their acoustic guitars for electrics, but their folk roots remain noticeable in their new, harder songs. Sounding a bit like a cross between southern rock and 90's alt-rock, they had the crowd jumping and screaming.

Winners aside, the other performances kept the crowd going for the remainder of the night. Seven other bands participated: The Resonators, March Till Morning, Bar Talk, Erik Goes to Germany, The Shire Awaits, Bury Us All, and Nine Lives. These acts wowed the crowd with various genres of music, from Bar Talk's piano driven alternative rock to The Shire Awaits' psychedelic grooves, featuring heavily distorted guitars reminiscent of the "shoegazing" bands of the early 1990's.

All of the bands, along with Program Board organizers, worked together to ensure that the 2010 Battle for Shepfest would provide the student body with a rocking distraction. "I think it is awesome," said Konrad Turnbull of the Program Board, referring to the large turnout audience. "It is much better than the past couple of years."