Funk in the Oven come out victorious at the Last Band Standing finale

/

After a year-long battle of the bands, beginning on Oct. 30, musicians Funk in the Oven were announced as the victors.

A-Teamโ€™s annual Last Band Standing (LBS) came to a close on Thursday, Feb. 4.

The competitionโ€™s 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 โ€œLast Band Standingโ€, Funk in the Oven received $1,000 and an opportunity to perform alongside last yearโ€™s LBS champion, Sound Foundation.

โ€œThere was tight competition,โ€ said judge and Sound Foundation saxophonist, Nate Payne, after the show. โ€œIt wasnโ€™t 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 Wilfโ€™s with their feel-good, high-energy tunes.

Their creativity and originality was dazzling and their set flowed flawlessly. Lead vocalist Mike Vukovichโ€™s charismatic personality captivated the crowd and promoted audience interaction.

Though the bandโ€™s 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.

โ€œAny band can throw down a solid groove,โ€ commented Payne.

โ€œBut these guys could really put it together. They were tight as hell, and funk music isnโ€™t easy to play. There are a lot of intricacies and different chord structures that go into it.โ€

Payne lauded Funk in the Ovenโ€™s saxophonist, David Vukovich โ€“ the lead vocalistโ€™s brother โ€“ explaining that he was a large part of their charm.

โ€œHe doubled on instruments; he played baritone and tenor and knew how to do both. Heโ€™s 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 Ovenโ€™s music as being like โ€œa baby otter vibrating from leaning against a subwooferโ€ and their physical style โ€œlike 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 itโ€™s โ€œin a transitionary period.โ€

โ€œI havenโ€™t really liked the stuff thatโ€™s been going on for the past 10 years but more recently Iโ€™ve been hearing some good stuff happening,โ€ he said. โ€œHopefully that will transition into something even better.โ€

Though obviously happy that their band came out on top, Funk in the Ovenโ€™s members were also impressed with the other performances.

โ€œWe genuinely enjoyed them all,โ€ said Vukovich. โ€œAnd 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, Funkโ€™s keyboardist and vocalist.

The second band to perform was Insignia. Their melodic approach was a nice contrast to Funkโ€™s 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 โ€œearly punk feel.โ€

The nightโ€™s victors Funk in the Oven will perform with Sound Foundation at Wilfโ€™s on Monday, March 8.


Serving the Waterloo campus, The Cord seeks to provide students with relevant, up to date stories. Weโ€™re always interested in having more volunteer writers, photographers and graphic designers.