West Michigan’s Whorled uncorks world music flair to win The Stray’s ‘Battle of the Bands’

With the venue packed to capacity, The Stray Café’s month-long competition involving 15 Michigan acts wrapped up Friday with fan-pleasing finalists Whorled, Epitones & Daisybox. Recap, photos, video.

 

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In the end, the West Michigan world music trio Whorled channeled its instrumental magic to win first place in The Stray Cafe’s month-long “Battle of the Bands.”

With a packed house on hand to cheer lengthy and musically diverse performances by three finalists on Friday, the trio’s multi-instrumental prowess — violin, accordion, guitar, didgeridoo and more — wowed fans at the Grand Rapids venue on S. Division Avenue, pushing Whorled to the top spot.

The trio nudged ahead of Gobles singer-songwriter Daisybox (Taylor Hottenstein) and eclectic Grand Rapids rock trio Epitones to win the $300 grand prize, plus a Dogtown Studio gift package. The finals wrapped up a month of performances by 15 different artists entered in the contest.

“This competition really pushed me as a musician. I didn’t expect to win, especially going up against such great musicians,” said Keala Venema of Whorled, which topped other competitors based on judge scoring and audience voting. “It’s such a pleasure just to be here and an honor to have won.”

The world folk band stole the stage with a set that was less of a performance and more of an experience. Many of its songs weaved through various genres — starting as an Irish highland tune, then transitioning to a traditional Japanese song and ending with a bluegrass swing.

“I saw Whorled perform a couple months ago at The Stray and they were just so talented with these instruments that you don’t normally hear. So, when I heard that they were competing in the ‘Battle of the Bands,’ I had to come out and support them,” said audience member Jeremiah Schlater.

Daisybox — who won the opening round of the battle in early March — kicked off the night in solo fashion, accompanying himself on guitar and keyboard. With a smooth delivery and an uplifting yet somber tone, the singer-songwriter enhanced his set of originals with a couple of covers, including “That Funny Feeling” by Bo Burnham.

Epitones — the Round 2 winners — unfurled psychedelic, bluesy and rhythmically impressive selections during its set. Exuding great chemistry, Epitones laid down groovy drum beats behind funky bass lines, with the lead guitarist and singer even pulling off a crowd-pleasing Led Zeppelin cover at one point.

Attendee Chad Wedeven may have put it best: “Listening to these three wildly different, but equally impressive acts is a testament to the talent in West Michigan.”

Whorled follows up its win with a performance at “Jump into Summer” at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts on June 17. Epitones, meanwhile, are slated to play Cowpie Music Festival near Caledonia in early August.

PHOTO GALLERY: Whorled, Epitones, Daisybox
Photos by Anna Sink

 

VIDEO: The Stray ‘Battle of the Bands’ Finale

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