Penn State’s Movin’ On festival will host its annual Battle of the Bands competition on Thursday, April 15.

The event, concisely titled “Battle” this year, will pit six musical acts against each other. The winner will open Movin’ On’s virtual festival on Friday, April 30,

The event will be livestreamed via a Zoom link that will be posted on Movin’ On’s Instagram page Thursday. Following each act’s 10-minute set, viewers can vote for their favorite through a Google Form until Sunday, April 18.

Without further ado, let’s meet this year’s competitors.

The Acts

Joey Valence

Valence boasts an impressive resume. He has signed with three labels since 2018 and released 15 singles with more than 550,000 streams on multiple platforms. Movin’ On said he brings “an unlikely synergism of mature topics and forward-thinking production to his music.”

The Former Cult

The Former Cult was founded last year to make music that “makes them feel a certain way.”

The group’s inspirations include The Strokes, The Beatles, and Surf Curse. The Former Cult has new music slated for 2021, too.

Queen Blue

Queen Blue was formed out of a high school rock ensemble program. It pulls musical inspiration from King Krule, Tame Impala, and Pink Floyd.

Queen Blue told Movin’ On that “during a cover of ‘Bulls on Parade’ at a house party, the crowd almost caved in the floor!” The band is looking forward to playing a show again, even if it’s virtual.

Willard

Willard’s name is one we all know, and it’s inspired by the group’s beginnings in empty Willard Building rooms.

Willard is comprised of two friends, Eugene and Ryan, who met during their freshman year summer session. Their style is similar to the Strokes. Plus, they’re currently looking for a bassist and keyboard player.

FlooringCo.

FlooringCo. is a band made up of best friends, Marty, Jon, Sam, and Karsen.

Beginning in high school with Marty, Jon, and Sam, FlooringCo. spent a year together before meeting Karsen, completing their band. Karsen is the band’s drummer, and the band told Movin’ On that Karsen “introduced them to new shows and rosters.”

Despite some time working out a name, they finally settled on FlooringCo.

Canary

Canary is described by Movin’ On as “a musical melting pot.”

With members Kat, Zach, Mario, Sam, and Tom, the band is inspired by artists like The Black Keys, Sheryl Crow, Dolly Parton, and Led Zeppelin.

Canary has spent years evolving from “simply” a band to an entire recording studio. They aim to help independent artists in State College and are excited to perform locally once it’s safe again.