Our 2025 Battle of the Bands turned out to be a battle of bands vs. nature, as rain persistently threatened each band’s performance and eventually opened up the floodgates to pour silence on the ironically named Sun of Sound.
Sun of Sound was the third of four contestants. Our hearts go out to them, and to the fourth performer, Free Beer, who were literally trying to divine the right moves to an anti-rain dance behind the stage.
The crowd was never deterred, enjoying a light sprinkle and eventually enduring a harsh, but warm, deluge. Most of the 200 – 300 person crowd did not falter until after lightning forced the festival to call off the show. What followed was a ballet of hustling drummers sheltering gear, bassists leaping over puddles, and singers hiding mics under their shirts.
Although there were incredible performances, and hundreds of fans who turned out for early performers Lainey Dionne and Coe St. Co-op, it was not possible to determine a winner. Track 15, the culinary powerhouse located just a block from the PVDFest stage, valiantly offered their space for a redo, and Motif is working with the bands to find a viable date, which will be announced in these pages and online as soon as we find it.