Listen to this story here and on Spotify. | By Riley Sullivan
Margot Sinclair, a local band of five Cal Poly students, won Shabang’s annual “Battle of the Bands” competition on Thursday evening at the Fremont Theatre. The winning group earned a spot to play in this year’s Shabang Live Music & Arts Festival and a cash prize of $1,000.
All 900 tickets were sold out prior to the event.
“This is a testament to just how much work we’ve put in and it’s super rewarding to have it pay off,” Margot Sinclair guitarist Carson Baer said.
The five members of Margot Sinclair established the indie-rock band in San Luis Obispo in September of 2022. With industrial technology and packaging senior Baer and construction management junior Luke Sutherland on guitar, interdisciplinary studies sophomore Owen Rice on bass, civil engineering junior Phillip Way on drums and interdisciplinary studies senior Kyle Mix on vocals, they have performed throughout California at various house and bar shows.
“Coming back from spring break, we really started grinding a set list that was really true to our sound and really exemplified our art and our music,” Baer said.
Other competitors included Krooks, Suburban Dropout, Plywood Love and Juniper Honey. With only 15 minutes to wow the crowd, each band had to bring their best.
“When we’re up there it really feels like we’re all just hanging out,” Baer said. “We’re just bringing the jam that we usually do in the garage to a louder sound system and more ears.”
A panel of judges (40%) and the crowd attendees (60%) voted for the winners of the event. At the end of the competition, the audience could text their votes to a provided phone number.
Shabang, the Central Coast’s biggest music festival, is from May 3-4 at Dairy Creek Golf Course in San Luis Obispo.
“This will be my third year going to Shabang,” Cal Poly student Ellie Blach said. “It’s really fun to kind of pick who we’re going to be able to see.”
With an attendance count of more than 10,000 in 2023, Shabang has an upcoming lineup full of well-known local and national artists.
“Over the years as we’ve grown, we’ve brought in people from the community and different aspects like bands, vendors and artists to try and develop the Central Coast community,” co-creator of Shabang Carson Stone said.
Margot Sinclair is set to perform next on May 3 and 4 in San Luis Obispo at Shabang. Tickets are still on sale and can be purchased here.
This story was originally published on KCPR.org, Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo’s hub for the music, arts and culture of the Central Coast.