The rules were simple. Each band had to perform a few covers as well as a completely original song. At the end of the show, the winner would be decided by a text message poll.
This was the format when VHS hosted the second annual Cops & Rockers event on Firday, February 3. The event was created last year by Verona police officer Dan Greco in order to give Verona bands a chance to showcase their talents as well as to raise money for the VMPA and the Verona PBA Local 72. The event was also sponsored by the Verona music store Rocktec, who supplied a majority of the equipment that was used.
Before the competing bands hit the stage, a few non-competing acts started the night off. First was The Incredible Folk, a bluegrass band consisting of sophomore Lucas Freschi on guitar with two older friends on the banjo and violin. Next, senior Wes Ostrander performed a drum cover of Dream Theater’s “Panic Attack.” Finally professional drummer Segdrick Marsh attempted to perform a drum solo but unfortunately was forced to stop midway through because of one of the night’s many technical problems.
After the opening acts, fans were eager to get to the competing bands but instead had to endure a 45-minute delay caused by a faulty sound system which prevented the microphones from working. Luckily, just before the event was cancelled, the problem was resolved and the show soldiered on.
The first competing band was Fusion, the winner of last year’s Cops & Rockers. The band came out strong and tried to defend their title by performing Monkey Wrench by Foo Fighters.
Next was a band named NaH which was not from Verona but from Little Falls. NaH performed a Gun N’ Roses inspired original called “The Best of You.”
The next band called The Loop had the most diverse age group out of any band that performed. Comprised of middle school through college aged students, the band took a new approach to rock n’ roll by covering Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”
After taking the crowd by storm last year with their extreme genre of music and over the top presence, Angmar returned once again to make their mark on the competition. Instead of performing just one original like the rules required, Angmar’s whole set was made up of original songs.
After playing with his band Feedback last year, junior Giancarlo Cordasco returned this year with a new band called Faux Johnny made up of him and two students from Cedar Grove. Faux Johnny’s style is inspired by the Red Hot Chili Peppers leading the band to perform two songs by them.
Another band returning from last year was Where Eagles Dare. The only change was sophomore Nick Celfo taking the vacant bass position. After the success of their original instrumental from last year called “Bathroom Break”, the band decided to write a follow up to it this year called “Lunch Break.”
The final competing band of the night was Leo’s Arrow. As the closers of the show, the band wasted no time in giving the crowd one last run for their money. Despite having a sore throat, singer Evan Yee kept the crowd entertained by jumping off the stage and giving his all during the band’s cover of Blink 182’s Dammit.
As usual, after the “rockers” finished up, the “cops” took the stage. This year, a band made up of current and retired police officers from Verona and Montclair along with a few “honorary deputies” took the stage to perform songs like Van Halen’s “You Really Got Me” and Kiss’s “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
In the end after the text message poll, Faux Johnny came out on top and won the competition. Like last year, their prize was a free recording session courtesy of Cat EyeZ Studios in Verona. Although the show was plagued by technical problems, all of the bands had a great time performing and are looking forward to next year’s show.