Roy High School group takes the top title at the Battle of the Bands

SLIDESHOW: Battle of the Bands at Union Station

OGDEN -- "SkaFace! SkaFace! SkaFace!"

A mob began to circle around the stage as the final band of 14 took to the stage in the 7th annual Battle of the Bands, sponsored by the Standard-Examiner.

Not only was SkaFace the last to perform, but the band was also the only one with a female member.

Nonconformity made SkaFace a crowd favorite. As the seven band members from Roy High School twirled their instruments to the beat, the audience could be seen twirling in circles. When the band had played their last number, the reaction from the crowd was deafening.

The judges were impressed, too, as SkaFace won the competition and the ultimate prize, being able to record on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, an audio and HD video recording and production palace on wheels.

Kellie Kennedy, the band's singer and a senior at Roy, was dazed by the results.

"I'm going to go home and look in the mirror and say, 'You're really sweaty. Oh! You won Battle of the Bands, that's great! It's going to take awhile to sink in, I think."

Another band member, Garrett Jones, a junior at Roy High said, "This is the coolest experience ever, I've wanted this for a long time." He planned a trip to Farr's Ice Cream to celebrate.

The members of SkaFace were pulled aside after to take numerous photos and to talk to both, media representatives and friends. When the excitement was over, they just wanted to hang out.

Dallon Weekes, one of the judges, was enthusiastic about both the competition and the final results,

"SkaFace was really fun. I liked the dance moves; I'm a fan of that. I don't usually listen to Ska, but they were great."

Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica. It is a predecessor to reggae, thus the brass instruments and tie-dyed shirts sported by three of the SkaFace band members.

Weekes also commented on the real meaning of the event, the chance to participate,

"I loved seeing these kids put on a show like this, it really made me jealous, not being able to do something like that. When I was in high school, they didn't have Battle of the Bands because it wasn't cool to be in a band. There wouldn't have been anyone to battle with. I really wish that I would've had this opportunity."

James McEvoy, a member of the band Cedars from Bonneville High School, added,"It gives all the local bands a chance to show themselves, maybe get out there, get a record deal."

Cami Roberts, from the Standard-Examiner marketing staff and a co-organizer of the show, said Ogden is the only Utah stop for the John Lennon bus.

"We usually have a band from every school, and this is a great avenue for the kids to have another 'out,' I've heard that there are over 200 hundred bands in the top of Utah to Salt Lake City and this is a great way for them to have fun."

It's not only a way for the musicians to have fun, but the spectators get in on the action too.

"I've been here every year for the last four years. I find it amazing the talent that some people have. "The atmosphere is fun. It gives everyone their few minutes of fame," Dallas Davies, a senior from Syracuse High School, said,

Besides the music, there were other activities such as a rock band tournament and a hair extension gallery. Many people were walking around throughout the night with multicolored faux hair.

Underlying all of the entertainment, there was a message,

"It's a community event where the Standard- Examiner can reach the teens that we normally can't get to interact with. We get to work with kids that are involved in the music scene. Football players get recognition through the paper, but this is really the activity where we get to spotlight musicians. The kids root for each other and have a lot of fun," said Jennifer Thorpe, a co-organizer of the event.

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