Battle of Bands winner "Loaner" in good company

They came. They saw. They rocked Main Street.

Thirteen bands took the stage Saturday during the 2010 Yuma Sun Battle of the Bands, and in the end, there could be only one first-place winner.

Local rock band Loaner took top honors this year, but lead singer Doug Feasel said they didn't expect a win; there was so much talent in the competition.

When they won, it came as a surprise, Feasel said. "All our jaws were kind of just opened."

And with all that talent, Feasel said it was a great environment.

"All the bands that I did see were great and everyone was cordial with everybody," he said. "It was definitely a friendly event."

The band has been around for about two years, but they've never entered Battle of the Bands. Feasel said they're usually busy working or playing gigs.

That's when Band Member Jeremy Dillman's wife stepped in and signed them up.

They practice frequently, Feasel said, but for this competition, they worked extra hard.

"The last couple weeks we just knuckled down and tried to get those super tight."

Bandmate Jeremy Dillman said they had a great time competing. And he agreed there was a lot of great talent in the competition.

"I think it's cool — it is a competition — (but) it's fun to do that kind of stuff," Dillman said. "This year it seemed like there was a whole bunch of good bands."

Dillman also said it was great to see the younger competitors.

"It's good to see that coming up in Yuma like that, because for the longest time, there weren't very many bands at all in Yuma," he said. "Nowadays it seems like there's a whole bunch of young bands out there. It's cool."

One of the younger bands, Golden Child & The Good Guys, took second place at the competition this year. And they're no strangers to placing high: this is the second year in a row the band took home second-place honors during Battle of the Bands.

Bandmember Erick Macias said all of the band members are longtime friends who grew up together. Now, they're rocking the Yuma music scene with their reggae/ska sounds.

Macias said it's positive music with positive lyrics, but their music is different than traditional reggae. That's because all of the band members bring their own individual influences in, he said. There's punk, rap, reggae, and rock 'n' roll.

"Everyone's different. It's all there," he said.

And when the band was on stage at the show Saturday, Macias said they all had a great feeling about it.

"I just had a good vibe," he said.

Dillman said everyone in Loaner had a great time playing in front of the crowd, an opportunity made possible because of the diligence of Adrianne Wagner, event organizer and Sun Media marketing manager.

After the original venue, Yuma Fun Factory closed, Wagner was on the hunt to find a home for the 2010 Yuma Sun Battle of the Bands. But the show went on, even with several other obstacles.

Dillman said he and the others appreciated that the date stayed the same — and everyone was happy to still have a chance to compete.

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First Place: Loaner
Style: Alternative Rock
Members:
Doug Feasel - lead vocals/guitar
Jeremy Dillman - bass/back-up vocals
Steve Poradek - drums
Bob Doten - guitar

Second Place: Golden Child & The Good Guys
Style: Reggae/Ska
Members:
Erick Macias - guitar/vocals
Chase Rosas - bass
David Benitez - guitar
Eddie Mester - drums

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Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.