Music could be heard blasting down Alpha Drive Thursday night as Alpha Epsilon Pi, a Jewish Arizona State University fraternity, held a "Battle of the Bands" charity event as part of their philanthropy weekend to raise money for military hospitals overseas. Surrounded by lights on a wooden deck in the fraternity's courtyard, local bands Fayuca, Idyllistic, Faucet and Zoom performed for clusters of cheering ASU students.
Alpha Epsilon Pi's Vice President David Friedberg, said the $5 admission fees collected would be donated to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center for supplies. The Shaare Zedek Medical Center is located in Israel and will receive these funds for hospitalized U.S. and Israeli soldiers. Friedberg said they hope to collect around $3,000 this year.
Although not directly connected with the Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Friedberg said he supports what they do.
"I have family in the military, and this organization basically supports our troops, as well as the Israeli troops," Friedberg said. "I have cousins who are marines, who are all in Iraq right now, so this to me means a lot."
Idyllistic won the Battle of the Bands and will receive free recording time at The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. Band members and music fans at the event did not find out the winner of the contest that night. The fraternity announced the winner early Friday.
The Battle of the Bands' judges consisted of Alpha Epsilon Pi's seniors who based their votes on enjoyability, loudness and audience participation. The fraternity raised $600 Thursday night and received $500 from participating sororities. They plan on hosting another Battle of the Bands in the future with sponsors who will donate money for every person that attends the event.
Alpha Epsilon Pi's fraternity members were not the only people that made up Thursday night's crowd. The fraternity publicized the event with flyers around campus and in dorms.
"We wanted to create more of an entire ASU atmosphere so it's not just secluded to Greek life," Friedberg said.
ASU freshman Kyle Murphy was one of the students that heard about the concert through friends.
"My suitemate told me some great bands were going to be playing [at the Battle of the Bands] tonight, and I mean, it was for charity, so I came out," Murphy said. "I'm having a good time hanging out with my friends and meeting new people—that's what college is all about."
