Basement funk group Hot Fudge Yacht Club climbed to the top of Movin’ On’s Battle of the Bands on Tuesday night, winning the spot to headline the annual end-of-semester music festival on Friday, April 26.

Hot Fudge Yacht Club won over the judges in Schwab Auditorium with a slate of original songs from its first EP “Vol. 1.” Before the group was announced as the winner, seven other bands and artists had the opportunity to battle for a spot on Movin’ On’s coveted stage.

Solo rapper and hip-hop artist Honess opened the event with a collection of original songs and samples of some more popular tracks off of his EP entitled “Calm Under Pressure.” He continued by enlisting help from the audience to sing parts of the song’s chorus, too.

Following significant technical difficulties with the guitar, the indie and alternative rock band Just Say When switched up the genre and rocked the Battle stage with its performance of “Black Dress.” The indie rock group was an unstoppable force of energy on the Schawb stage, closing with “I hope you’re doing well” with cheers and chanting “Just Say When” from the crowd.

Next up was rock group Outrun Infinity who opened with “Midnight Ride,” filling the space with even more high-energy rock. The group played a few other originals, titled “Live, Bitch” and “Wasting My Time” from its EP “Make This Hell a Home.”

Curbhead then took the Battle stage and brought a break from the rock bands with a screamo performance, which was immediately appreciated by the audience. The group opened with an original song, delighting the crowd gathered in Schwab Auditorium with unfiltered, intense metal music.

Next up on the Battle stage was solo hip-hop artist Swervo Staacks. He then brought the audience into the performance, inviting them to turn their flashlights and kept them moving with addictive rhythms to his repertoire.

Alternative rock group Anaphylaxis then took control of the Battle of the Bands stage. Featuring songs like “Turn Off The Lights,” the group kept things interesting for the audience with a slate of originals that filled the space with a delightful and unique sound not yet heard during Battle.

Up next was Battle of the Bands winner Hot Fudge Yacht Club. Its arrival was met with cheers erupting from the crowd as it took to the stage. The group brought the rhythm and opened with “Colossus” to the excitement of the crowd with the help of a cheerleading megaphone.

The trio continued with “Mr. Mayor” as some members of the audience took to their feet to clap and dance. After shouting out members of the Battle of the Bands lineup, last up was “Sukuma Wiki,” packed with funk and repetition, the group took the audience’s vote for a key change mid-song. The group exited the stage to applause and “Hot Fudge” chants from the crowd.

Last up was R&B singer Golden Achumba, better known as Penn State football offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba, who opened with an original song, “Time For Me,” about making time to talk with an important person in your life who always seems to be busy. Up next was a slower, romantic song titled “Handle Me.” Finally, Achumba closed with a more upbeat track, “Its Hit or Miss,” about settling down and finding the love of your life and kept the audience deep in their feels throughout his time on the Battle stage.

As the winner of the head-to-head event, Hot Fudge Yacht Club will open Penn State’s annual music festival, Movin’ On on Friday, April 26, at Penn State’s Intramural Fields. Hot Fudge Yacht Club will join the event’s headliners Dayglow and Sexyy Red during the end-of-semester concert.