Fusion Beat Is Crowned St. Timothy's 2011 Battle of the Bands Champ

Fusion Beat was the winner of this year's Battle of the Bands at 's third annual Spring Fling.

The church was the site of  the showdown Saturday as some of the area’s top teen performing bands competed.

"We're going to have a nice week reflecting on this great experience and everyone we've met along the way in our 15-month history," the band said in an e-mail. "The excitement was exhausting and exhilarating, and unfortunately we had to have a seven-hour practice the day after to prepare for a double gig. Our dream is to fuse our talents together and create a sound that inspires people with a positive message of well-being, thoughtfulness, spirituality and social responsibility."

Members of Fusion Beat include Mary Desmond, Jason Campbell, Robert Guzman, Mark Desmond, Zack Olshan, Tyler Kong, Michael Gall and Sean Walsh.

Who Judges

Four church members from St. Timothy’s judged the battle. Clare Einsman—the Simon Cowell of the group, as many called her–was the lead judge. Also judging was Ashley Meyers, a singer in the St. Timothy’s choir, and Robby Clark and Dave Graves, both guitarists. Each band was judged on planning and preparation, originality, interaction with the audience and overall presentation. Each category was worth 45 points, for a grand total of 180 points.

Major F & Dealio

Major F & Dealio was the first band to perform. The band is composed of Madi Vogt, who plays drums; Raffia Caro on guitar; Joe Allegretto on bass; and Leo Moneymaker, lead singer. They've performed at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano and the Roxy in Los Angeles. During the performance, the rock band played its first original song, “What Now.” Band members range in age from 14 to 16. After performing, the band received 107 points out of 180. 

Un D Vided

The second band to take the stage was Un D Vided. This is a newly formed group that has been together for five months. The rock 'n’ roll band ranges from 12 to 16, and a previous performance includes the Coach House. Klarissa Bacheco is the group’s lead singer, Harlee Winter plays drums, and Hunter Craig strokes the bass. Logan Dumont is the lead guitarist, and Andrew Nieto provides support as the rhythm guitarist. The band's final score was 93.

Ugly Paint

Ugly Paint, the third band to perform, has been together for six years and is composed of six teens. Adam Cease is the lead vocal, Jacob Sloan is on lead guitar, Jake Bernstein plays bass, Hayden Kallanov plays guitar, Matt Swedo rocks out on drums, and Laehun Chung is on keyboard. The judges awarded the band 103 points.

Fusion Beat

Fusion Beat has a collection of the some of youngest members who performed in Battle of the Bands. The eight-person teen band has been together for one year and plays classic '80s rock. The band was the winner  of the 2010 Taste of Ladera and previously played at Disneyland. The group earned the highest score of the day, 125, and clearly blew the judges away.

Sweet Mojo

Sweet Mojo has been together for two years and has played at the O.C. Fair. This five-person band plays rock and alternative music. The lead singer is Robbie Crebar, on keyboard is Chris Doering, Chris Saint Clair plays drums, and Andrew Wilson and Patrick Antonioues jam on guitars.  The group received a final score of 106.

The Dreams

The last band to perform was the five-person band the Dreams. This teen band has been together for four years and has performed at the Orange County and San Diego Fair, as well as Irvine Spectrum. The band  performed three original songs, “On the Edge,” “I Saw You Walking” and  “Teenage Rush.” Kristina Slezacek plays drums and sings, Ava Nicole plays the keyboard and sings, Dominic Slezacek and Tyler Rolstad play  guitar, and Andrew Crager is on bass.  The band received a final score of 105.

To listen to Fusion Beat's music, or to learn more about the band, visit its MySpace page, myspace.com/fusionbeat.