Bodog Beat

St. Louis band Copperview won Bodog Battle's regional finals in Chicago. (Bodog File Photo)

Chicago, Ill.—St. Louis band Copperview won last night at Bodog Battle’s Chicago regional finals. The five-piece, alternative-rock group drove hours in an old van that broke down a few times to get to the legendary House of Blues that hosted the event. Lucky for them, the rest of the night was smooth sailing. They played a confident, guitar and vocally driven set and even wrote a new song just days before (appropriately titled “The New Song”) to show off to the judges. It seemed to work.

What also worked was the wide variety of musical styles that were showcased. Good Night Apathy from Mississippi had the audience play the bongos for them, while the rest of the group banged away on a beer keg. Their story gets better, as they got the call just a few days before the finals to get their gear together to prepare for the night, as another band unexpectedly dropped out of the event. Chicago’s Isaac y Dani, the only reggaeton group, had the crowd grooving to their Latin, hip-hop and DJ infused beats, while Texas’ Squarewheel kept it rolling classic-rock style.

After hearing their name announced, Copperview frontman Samuel Baker admitted that they didn’t expect to win at all, but that they were already thinking of ways to prepare for the finals and a chance to win the $1 million recording contract… but not before having a celebratory drink or two.

Stay tuned to The Beat for more Bodog Battle updates.

Victoria Revay is a host for Bodog TV and is currently traveling across the country to interview bands for the Bodog Battle competition.