After a year-long battle of the bands, beginning on Oct. 30, musicians Funk in the Oven were announced as the victors.
A-Teamโs annual Last Band Standing (LBS) came to a close on Thursday, Feb. 4.
The competitionโs champions were announced after beating out 11 other bands, including two preliminary winners, The Dirty Nil and Insignia, and wildcard Third District.
Along with the title of being the โLast Band Standingโ, Funk in the Oven received $1,000 and an opportunity to perform alongside last yearโs LBS champion, Sound Foundation.
โThere was tight competition,โ said judge and Sound Foundation saxophonist, Nate Payne, after the show. โIt wasnโt like Funk in the Oven was just miles above the rest, but it was pretty clear who the winner should be.โ
Funk in the Oven was the first band to hit the stage that night, filling Wilfโs with their feel-good, high-energy tunes.
Their creativity and originality was dazzling and their set flowed flawlessly. Lead vocalist Mike Vukovichโs charismatic personality captivated the crowd and promoted audience interaction.
Though the bandโs eccentric yet professional demeanor set them apart in more ways than one, judge Payne was particularly impressed with their genuine musicality and the way they used their composition.
โAny band can throw down a solid groove,โ commented Payne.
โBut these guys could really put it together. They were tight as hell, and funk music isnโt easy to play. There are a lot of intricacies and different chord structures that go into it.โ
Payne lauded Funk in the Ovenโs saxophonist, David Vukovich โ the lead vocalistโs brother โ explaining that he was a large part of their charm.
โHe doubled on instruments; he played baritone and tenor and knew how to do both. Heโs only been playing for two years and is already at the stage he is at which is pretty impressive.โ
Sharing a taste of their unique flare, vocalist Mike Vukovich metaphorically interpreted Funk in the Ovenโs music as being like โa baby otter vibrating from leaning against a subwooferโ and their physical style โlike looking through a kaleidoscope with beer goggles.โ
When speaking with The Cord after the show, Vukovich said of music in general that he thinks itโs โin a transitionary period.โ
โI havenโt really liked the stuff thatโs been going on for the past 10 years but more recently Iโve been hearing some good stuff happening,โ he said. โHopefully that will transition into something even better.โ
Though obviously happy that their band came out on top, Funk in the Ovenโs members were also impressed with the other performances.
โWe genuinely enjoyed them all,โ said Vukovich. โAnd Third District [the final band of the night who also had performed with Funk during the preliminaries] has really improved since the last time we saw them,โ added Kim Manning, Funkโs keyboardist and vocalist.
The second band to perform was Insignia. Their melodic approach was a nice contrast to Funkโs buoyancy.
Their style, which was borderline hardcore-grunge, provoked a brief mini mosh-pit.
Next to hit the stage was The Dirty Nil. Payne noted after the show that he was impressed with their โearly punk feel.โ
The nightโs victors Funk in the Oven will perform with Sound Foundation at Wilfโs on Monday, March 8.