ThreeSixty -

By Alexandra Sifferlin

For Sarah Walk and the rest of her band, Friday night was a performance most garage bands only dream about. Flow and the Mingos, a band of Wayzata juniors, and Arts and Crafts, another teen band from Chetek, Wisc., opened a concert to a crowd of 250 people at the new MacPhail Center for White Light Riot, a well-known local band.

The two high school bands won the opening spot by winning a battle of the bands sponsored Jan. 6 by MacPhail as part of the celebration for its new building in downtown Minneapolis and to show that MacPhail offers more than the classics.

Flow and the Mingos was very excited about winning the competition especially since didn’t know we were even in the finals until that day. It was a really hectic day because we had to put a set together within like an hour and then go and perform it, but we have worked really hard and are really excited to get some recognition for it,” said Walk.

Flow and the Mingos have been together since 7th grade. They have also participated in a few previous battle of the bands competitions. “We have a unique pop rock/alternative sound, with bright keyboard riffs and female vocals,” said Walk, the lead singer and keyboardist. The band also includes Kevin Coughenour on bass and guitar and Mike Drasher on drums.

On Jan, 6, the bands played for a visitor audience and a panel of judges, including Barb Abney from 89.3 The Current and Chris Osgood, director of artist service at Springboard for the Arts and a teacher of songwriting at MacPhail. Both judges said they were looking for how well-rehearsed the band seemed, stage presence, interaction with the crowd, original songs, and chemistry among band members.

“And if they get mad if we yell for Freebird [Lynard Skynard],” added Abney.

“Yes, how they handle the heckling,” joked Osgood.

“You will know if we like someone if we start hitting each other like ‘Oh, I like these guys!’ There will be a bit of jostling,” said Osgood.

Arts and Crafts http://www.myspace.com/artsandcraftswi was also was a stand-out. he band consists of Jack Ritchie, 17, on lead guitar and lead vocals, Jake Nelson, 17, on rhythm/lead guitars and back-up vocals, 16-year-old Kelly Damroth on bass guitar, and 14-year-old Derek Westholm on drums.

The band described itself as “unique” since they don’t fall under a given genre.

“We are not a metal head band, or all blues, we are kind of a jam,” said Ritchie.

“We are our own thing,” said Nelson.

The band’s inspiration comes from a mixture of Nelson’s personal interests and Ritchie’s love for Jimmy Hendrix.

“Jack mixes his blues with my harder stuff,” said Nelson.

The audience at the Jan. competition was impressed with Arts and Crafts’ performance, Olivia Grazzini and friend Helen Sarka said Arts and Crafts was one of their favorites. “It was scary because all of a sudden this guitar solo comes out and they were really great,” said Grazzini.

Although they were not chosen as winners at the event, the all girl-band from Southwest Senior High “Apple for a Stranger,” was happy with its performance. The band includes high school juniors Maggie Kane on drums, Claire Eisenberg and Brianna Haugen on guitar and vocals.

This was only the girls’ second performance and they found out just two days before the event that they would be performing.

“We had a lot of intense practicing,” said Eisenberg.

Flow and the Mingos did some publicity to make sure they had fans present at their Friday night performance.

“I know there will be a lot of people there to see White Light Riot, and we made some flyers for people at our school…We’re excited to be able to share the stage with a band like White Light Riot.”

The bands also received a $100 gift card to Best Buy and an invitation to perform at the Richfield Best Buy sometime during 2008.