FREEHOLD – It was a perfect setting for a battle in Freehold Borough, according to Steven Le Vine. This battle, however, did not involve lethal weapons. Instead, the participants dueled with guitars, drums and powerful voices.
The event was Freehold Borough’s first Battle of the Bands, held Sept. 8 at the Monmouth County Hall of Records parking lot, East Main Street. According to Le Vine, who serves on the borough’s recreation committee, the event was very successful.
In the end the grand-prize winner was a Freehold Township band, Off 537, which won three hours of studio time at the Blue Room recording studio, West Main Street.
Off 537 is comprised of Joe Nulty, 17, guitarist and singer; his brother, Kevin Nulty, 16, on drums; Charlie Schoch, 16, bass guitar and singer; and Mike Behan, 17, guitarist and singer. Members of the winning group credit bands such as Nirvana, Green Day and The Beatles as influences on their musical style.
Kevin Nulty said the band was very happy to have won the contest. He said it was “really nice to have someone acknowledge our music.”
Le Vine said in a previous interview that his idea to hold a battle of bands in the borough came from his love of music and his experiences working in the entertainment industry.
The event was a joint effort hosted by the Freehold Borough Recreation Committee and the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation. The competition featured Off 537, The Creetons, the Glass Bombs, Throw the Heat, Robots and Race Cars, Belafonte, and Runway Orange.
According to Le Vine, all of the proceeds from the event, about $500, were donated to the foundation to support enhanced music education for students in the Freehold Borough School District.
The event drew about 300 people, Le Vine said, adding that was a good turnout for a first-time event.
“It was a perfect sunny day and a great setting for a battle,” Le Vine said, adding that members of the recreation committee are considering making the battle of the bands an annual event.
Le Vine said the owners of the Blue Room recording studio, Kerry and Joe Pompeo, also participated in and helped to facilitate the event. He noted that the studio, which made its home in the borough just over a year ago, also hosts wine and cheese parties, as well as art shows featuring work by local artists.
Resident Brian Sullivan, who serves on the borough’s community information committee, said he and his wife enjoyed the event.
“These young people were very talented,” he said. “It was good to see them perform. The event was very family-oriented.”
Sullivan thanked Le Vine and his fellow recreation committee members Lynn Reich and Sheryl Mott for their efforts in bringing the project to fruition.
Reich is also the secretary of the educational foundation and said she believes the battle of the bands was successful.
“There is always a certain amount of nervousness when you run anything new, but we have received a great deal of positive feedback from the event,” she said. “The young people who participated in the contest said they were grateful to have a venue to perform their music. Our whole effort was to provide something good for young people, and we did that. The kids were well-behaved and everyone had a delightful time. We are leaning toward doing this again.”
Reich said because of her participation on the recreation committee and with the educational foundation, she considers herself a “bridge” in this project.
“These are two different ways to support the youth of our town,” she said.