Four bands. One night. Music Matters’ Battle of the Bands is an annual event bringing together four student bands to compete for a $750 grand prize. Hosted at LIVE nightclub, the annual event is a celebration of the immense talent the University of Michigan brings in. The Michigan Daily sat down with three of the bands before the big night to see what they have in store for the competition.
— Music Beat Editor Nickolas Holcomb can be reached at nickholc@umich.edu.
998,805 Beers
Genre(s): Indie, folk and rock.
The lineup: Nick Merritt on guitar, bass and vocals; Jack Michalak on rhythm guitar, bass and vocals; Will Haley on lead guitar and vocals; Logan Vance on bass and guitar; Maryam Khan on keyboard; Igor Trifunov on fiddle; and Mio Crilley on drums.
Musical influences: Briston Maroney, Shakey Graves, The Backseat Lovers and ON TAP (a fellow U-M band).
Dream band addition: Prince, for his “raw showmanship” and command of the stage, something they aim to channel.
What they’d do with prize money: “Take it straight to the studio,” Nick said. They’re mainly a cover band but have several originals and big plans to record. Fans will have a hand in choosing their debut release via Instagram.
Why they should win: “Our energy is so infectious — you’ll be dancing and singing and forgetting that there are other bands on the bill,” Nick said. “Don’t forget drinking,” Jack added.
This is 998,805 Beers, the U-M student band whose name is constantly counting down. They started at one million, subtracting beers after each show based on bartender tallies, co-op counts and whatever they can dig out of the trash. They’re committed to their music, their fans and the bit. “We’re having fun up there, and we push you as cheerleaders,” which they are. Many of them met while trying out for U-M’s cheer team. “We want people to be a part of what we’re doing — actively,” Jack said.
998,805 bottles of beer on the wall, 998,805 bottles of beer. Take one down and pass it around … we’ll spare you the rest. Catch them at Battle of the Bands.
Daily Arts Writer Esha Nair can be reached at eshanair@umich.edu.
Wisdom Drive
Genre(s): Pop-rock, but with some funk and indie rock thrown in.
The lineup: Connor Lyman on guitar and vocals; Sydney Law on guitar; Jack Langford on bass; Sophia Fuentes on vocals; Jimmy Neimann on drums; Jake Nellman on keyboard.
Musical influence: The Strokes, Paramore, early Maroon 5 and Olivia Dean.
Album to capture their set: Paramore — Paramore
What they’d do with prize money: Not sure, but maybe get a Lego set.
Hailing from a jam room Google Maps misnamed as “We Wisdom Drive” — the “we” dropped from their final name — everything about Wisdom Drive carries a sense of unity. Whether it’s their song choice, playing to the strengths of each of its six members, or their emphasis on harmony in their vocals, each band member thrives off of each other’s talent.
“It’s not a cut-and-dry cover, it’s our own style. We can just jump on the song, it’s like a jam you know? We were founded off of jamming, that’s what we do,” Langford said. This collaborative approach shined through in my conversation with the band as members bounced off each other’s answers to each question.
“I feel like it’s a lot of listening and just hearing where your part kind of falls into place, listening to each other as one band to find our sound,” Law said about their songselection process.
“We’ve been blessed to have some great musicians to play with,” Lyman added. “Everyone kind of naturally assumes their role pretty well already, and when we have ideas we can make them work for the song.”
Wisdom Drive plans to bring this jam-heavy energy to Battle of the Bands, with plans to play a few songs that are yet to leave Wisdom Drive.
Music Beat Editor Nickolas Holcomb can be reached at nickholc@umich.edu.
Grenadine
Genre(s): Funk, R&B and funkified pop
The lineup: Sawyer Englund on trumpet Jamie Hackett on saxophone; Nick Langford on bass; Connor Caplis on guitar; Luke Pisani on piano; Bradley Rich on drums; Sage Taylor on vocals.
Musical influences: Couch, Roy Hargrove and Olivia Dean.
Favorite Venue: Sage’s backyard, the Beta Upsilon Chi backyard and anywhere outside.
What’s next for Grenadine: “We’re just kind of taking it as it comes, honestly. We’ve got more originals soon and are branching out from being a very fun cover band,” Taylor told The Daily.
When their cover of Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl” went viral on Tiktok, a ragtag group of U-M music students decided to make their one-time party band into something real. In the year since, Grenadine’s turned up venues across campus with their heady mix of “funkified” pop bangers and R&B classics. Armed with a setlist of “anything to get people dancing,” the band makes a point of venturing outside of the usual Ann Arbor circuit, even breaking into the frat party scene. Their belief in the power of live music runs deep — they’ve worked with Michigan Performance Outreach Workshop, a music workshop serving local public school students — and that belief is palpable in the crowd-moving energy at their sets. Expect new songs and old favorites from Grenadine at the 2026 Battle of the Bands. Catch them on the way up!
Daily Arts Writer Amina Cattaui can be reached at aminacat@umich.edu.
