www.maxthecat.com
Local band Max the Cat is scratching at the gates of the mainstream
music world. They will compete in a Battle of the Bands
tonight.
By Kenny Chang
Daily Bruin Reporter
Max the Cat has been playing around in the Westwood and UCLA
area for quite a while. If things go well, the band, which has two
UCLA alums, will blow up into the mainstream becoming icebreakers
and topics of conversation for UCLA students who knew them.
Consisting of UCLA alumni lead singer Adam Wolfson and guitarist
Jason Miller, in addition to drummer Daren Pheifer and bassist Aron
Halil, Max the Cat is a self-proclaimed musically diverse band.
Though their instrumentational setup is oriented towards a rock
preference, they play several different types of music.
“It’s rock, but there’s blues in it,
there’s folk, there’s funk. We all have different types
of interests, so it all kind of comes together,” said
Miller.
Notably established in the Westwood and West Los Angeles area,
Max the Cat has just recently won a Battle of the Bands showcase in
Manhattan Beach, and is now on a quest to make a stake for fame by
competing at another Battle of the Bands, to be held at the Hard
Rock Café in Los Angeles.
The competition will be held tonight and begins at 9 p.m. It
will be an all-ages event with a cover charge of $5 per person.
The competition for Max the Cat will be Evenrude, who has a song
featured on the extremely popular video game “Tony Hawk Pro
Skater,” and Gendeson. There will also be an additional band,
as of yet not confirmed.
Each band will be allowed a half-hour set and the victor will
move on to the finals on Oct. 30. The winner of the competition
will win an A&R (Artist & Repertoire) showcase, which is
basically an audition to be recruited onto a record label.
Max the Cat is hopeful and excited about the upcoming
competition. The winner will be decided using a ballot system in
which the audience votes for their favorite band.
Therefore, it is very likely that most bands will bring a large
gathering of their friends and fans in order to support them and
help them move onto the next round. Max the Cat must then attempt
to bring followers of their own, drum up support from fellow
Bruins, or win over the hearts of the other bands’ fans, in
addition to the viewers that are simply present at Hard Rock to
check out the battle.
Regardless, Max the Cat is not counting on a record deal in the
future, but would surely enjoy it. All the members have college
degrees or are in progress of obtaining them, and are not dependent
on becoming rock stars to provide for a living.
“We’re not counting on anything. If we can keep
playing, we’re stoked,” said Miller. “We all get
along and that is probably the most important thing so that we can
stand being with each other. But if something happens where we can
make a living out of it, that would be totally awesome. We all will
have college degrees and if something turns up, that’ll be
great. No one’s counting on it ““ we expect nothing and
hope for everything.”
Check out Max the Cat online at www.maxthecat.org.