The battle is on for The Salty Seal to discover a new hot band to earn a one-year residency, with a performance tonight, Sept. 8, between Monterey County band The Scalps and Stockton-based R&B group My Soul To Keep.
Sloan Campi here, ready to rock out.
Since taking over ownership of the former Bear and Flag building that used to house a brothel as documented by John Steinbeck in Cannery Row, The Salty Seal in Monterey is now a hub of activity. That includes the swift restoration of electronic dance music nights on Wednesdays and on the weekends, which have been drawing in plenty of crowds. Owners Ian Karafa and Jade Vucina have kept up with their spirit of trying new things at the bar, with the latest being a Battle of the Bands that’s been ongoing since Tuesday, Aug. 25.
After putting out a call on social media for bands to participate, the owners were quickly met with an obstacle in the form of two fires breaking out in Big Sur, delaying the first round of the battle by one week. The competition got back on track with a showdown in front of judges that included metal band JNX hailing from Mariposa and fellow Monterey County alternative rockers Note To The Void on Aug. 25 alongside the hardcore punk finalists who get to perform tonight, Sept. 8.
Judging of the battle comes down to the opinions of some industry experts. Last week, owner and founder of Kelly Productions John Kelly and managing director/co-founder of New Canon Theatre Co. Justine Stock judged the performances of the Stockton-based R&B group matched up against Santa Cruz surf rockers Strange Season.
The judges are yet to be revealed for tonight’s competition, but one includes local musician and podcaster Kito Rayburn, as the finalists perform starting at 8pm. The Scalps will need to perform two originals and one cover alongside My Soul To Keep as the judges tally up the scores.
Stock says judging is the hardest part, adding that the stage presence of Strange Season included back-to-back guitar shredding and stage jumping while My Soul To Keep somehow managed to blend a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” with Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” But it was My Soul To Keep’s lyrics, “It’s like dying just to live,” in their original heavy grunge song “Breaking Me” that pushed it over the edge for the win.
Tonight’s finalists have one more chance to showcase their talents and win a top prize of a year-long residency plus a $1,000 cash prize in the back patio of The Salty Seal. The Scalps take the stage first at 8pm for their set, followed by My Soul To Keep at 9pm.
“Music is alive and well,” Stock says in response to the performance by Strange Season.