The UA Student Government Association’s annual fundraiser, Battle of the Bands, brought together another stellar collection of student musical acts to help ramp up the coffers of the Joe Espy Needs-Based Scholarship.
Elbow Joint, who describe themselves as a bluesy classic rock jam band, took home the grand prize of $2,000 during the final night of competition Nov. 14 at Druid City Music Hall.
Who is Elbow Joint?
Grant Alderman (piano, lead vocals), Gil Armstrong (rhythm guitar), Ira Cherniak (bass), Nate Fulmer (drums, backup vocals) and Richard Reynolds (lead guitar, lead vocals) make up the band. But only three of them were playing together initially.
The musicians were sort of “gifted” their name.
“Before playing in front of people, we knew we needed a name, Ira’s dad has been in bands since he was a teenager and at some point came up with the name Elbow Joint. He was kind enough to let us take it off his hands,” Armstrong said.
“The band originally started as just Richard, Ira and myself jamming every Thursday afternoon at Richard and I’s house on Reed Street in the fall of 2023,” he said.
“We really didn’t think much about starting a band but were asked if we would play at a birthday party to which we agreed and booked our first ever gig. After that we knew we needed to find a drummer, Ira and Nate were in the same fraternity and Ira knew Nate could drum so we asked if he would play this one gig with us.”
The group found the final piece they didn’t even know they needed.
“Shortly after our first two gigs and an extremely busy weekend we were booked for another philanthropy event by a guy named Grant Alderman who was a piano player in another band,” added Armstrong. “I guess we played pretty well and we ended up asking him to sit in on a gig we were playing to end the semester. It was a massive success and Grant officially joined the band the next day.”
An Amazing Opportunity
The group said this type of competition was an unmatched experience for them.
“Battle of the Bands was an amazing and unforgettable experience,” said Reynold. “Getting the opportunity to play in such a large musical venue and for such a great cause is truly something I will treasure forever.”
Cherniak agreed. “It was super cool getting to play using professional sound, lighting and production. I feel like because of the high-quality equipment it is one of the best-sounding performances we have ever had.”
The band has played mostly in Tuscaloosa but has an upcoming gig in Auburn.
“Twenty-plus gigs later and we are still rolling strong,” said Armstrong. “Our band goals as of now are to keep this thing rolling until we graduate and maybe pump out an original or two.”
Needs-Based Scholarship Wins, Too
Elbow Joint wasn’t the only winner that night as the event brought in approximately $6,090 for the Joe Espy Needs-Based Scholarship through pre-sale and tickets purchased at the door.
“This year’s Battle of the Bands was a huge success not only in celebrating our students’ musical talents but also in giving back to our university community,” said Walker Parsons, SGA vice president for external affairs. “We are grateful for the strong turnout and the generous contributions of those who attended to make this a memorable night for all.”
Listen to Elbow Joint on their Instagram and learn more about the Joe Espy Needs-Based Scholarship by visiting the SGA website.
Contact
Jennifer Brady, UA Strategic Communications, jennifer.brady@ua.edu