By Racheli Jian, Senior Arts and Culture Editor and Layout Editor
Created in the fall 2022 semester, the Music Club is the “new kid on the block,” when it comes to clubs at Yeshiva University. Now, most people who were first time on campus (FTOC) students when the club started are current seniors or graduates.In April, a wide range of students took advantage of the unique chance to perform in one of the Music Club’s biggest events of the year: Battle of the Bands. From old-time bands like Norville to bands that made their debut this year, like Daughters of Lot, 2025’s Battle of the Bands offered a chance for veterans to say goodbye and fresh faces to enter the stage.
“We have amazing underclassmen to fill the shoes of those that are graduating, so it feels like we’re passing the torch down to some pretty awesome people who will do incredible things for the club next year,” Leora Benson (SCW ‘25), Co-President of the Music Club, told the YU Observer.
The night began with Groovy Tuesday’s rendition of “Right Place Wrong Time” by Dr. John. The R&B-inspired track set the night off to a good start, incorporating various components on the guitar, keys, bass and drums into a cohesive, lively tune. “Being part of multiple bands allowed me to play both keyboard and guitar and work with very different styles of music,” Yishai Klapper (YC ‘27), the keyboard player for Groovy Tuesday who was also a part of Help?’s rock heavy performance, told the YU Observer.
Klapper wasn’t the only participant who performed in multiple bands. Brooke Kohl (SCW ‘26), Vice President of the Music Club on the Beren campus, performed in three of the ten bands. She started off playing bass in ADHB, who performed “Hey Jude” by the Beatles and “High and Dry” by Radiohead, as well as in After Rehearsal and Daughters of Lot.
After Rehearsal was the only fully instrumental band and only all-women’s performance, and that did not stop them from getting a standing ovation for their beautiful rendition of music from Beauty and the Beast, and ultimately tying for the “Best Overall” category.
“Each band had a different vibe and mostly different people, so I got to play a variety of pieces with a variety of great people,” Kohl told the YU Observer.
As vice president of the club, Kohl wasn’t only involved with performing, but also with backstage efforts. “There’s a lot of work that goes into running Battle of the Bands,” she said, from “being in touch with various bands and performers” to the “logistical aspects, including creating the set list and setting up the theater.”
Kohl will be taking over as co-president of the Music Club next year; to emphasize the shift in “generations” and leadership, she honored each of the seniors involved in the Music Club with a rose, including Benson and Danny Kutin (YC ‘25), one of the founders of the club, who both stood with their roses in hand.
Benson wasn’t only involved with the leadership of the club, but also performed this semester. She played the pivotal instrument, the cowbell, in ColdCuts’ performance of “You May be Right” by Billy Joel. “While I was performing on stage with my cowbell, I felt more apart of the exhilarating experience of Battle of the Bands,” she told the YU Observer. The Music Club in general “has made me become more appreciative of the music in my life and the people that create and perform the music that I love.”
While the board and president of the club have been the primary “behind the scenes” team in Battle of the Bands, there were other students involved as well. Meir Hass (YC ‘27) got involved at the last minute and offered his expertise, taking charge of lighting for the event.
“I was technical director for the recent YCDS production and installed the new lighting system,” Hass told the YU Observer. “As it’s so new, I’m the only one that really knows the ins and outs of the system, so I volunteered.” Hass made sure that each band’s lighting had its own theme by varying small things like the color, intensity and strobe.
The band Pajamas made use of this lighting, and was the only band to get the audience out of their seats. “We wanted to do something that was fun and interactive,” Moshe Epstein (YC ‘25), the guitarist for Pajamas, told the YU Observer. This is exactly what they accomplished, getting the crowd to perform the iconic Hot to Go dance and winning the category “Which Band would you pick to represent this country in the 2028 elections?” and placing second in “Most Original Performance.”
Following in originality, Birds of Pray added some flair to their performance of “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult and “Stay Together for the Kids” by Blink-182. Eliyahu Zylberberg (SSSB ‘26), the lead singer for the band, combined his musical skills with his skateboarding talents, rolling across the stage as he sang a verse. “The skateboard tricks on stage were a last minute idea that has always been a running gag since I’ve joined the Music Club,” Zylberberg told the YU Observer.
Battle of the Bands and the Music Club have given students the opportunity to express their personality and talents. “In my first year I didn’t get involved because deep down I was anxious that I wasn’t as good as I thought I was,” Zylberberg said. However, after being part of the club, Zylberberg’s attitude changed. “My experience has been amazing. I was able to meet new people and even win Battle of the Bands last year.”
Both Zylberberg and Epstein are seniors who will soon be saying goodbye to the Music Club. Reflecting on how the club has evolved over the years, Epstein told the YU Observer, “The club has changed in ways that we have bigger crowds, we are encouraging more people to perform.”
The club has grown massively since 2022, and Epstein largely attributes this to Kutin, who he said did a great job keeping the club running and training students to take the mantle and lead.
Zylberberg also added that the club began gaining traction by testing out different events to build an audience. “Now it’s one of the biggest clubs at YU,” he said.
Eitan Leitner (YC ‘26) will also be leading the club as co-president next year. Leitner is one third of the iconic Norville band, which has been part of the Music Club since its inception. Norville tied with After Rehearsal for “Best Overall,” won “Most Original Performance” and placed second for “Best Costumes,” with their famous “third eye” being covered by eye patches, their costumes matching their performance of “Wellerman” by Nathan Evans.
“The most important events, of course, were the Norville Chanukah concert and the Norville slichos concert, which I think mark a significant improvement in music club programming,” Leitner said.
The success of Battle of the Bands showed the amount of talent, expertise and effort each band put into their artistry. With every performance, it was also evident that the people who created the event put in a lot of hard work and technique. While the seniors exiting the club leave big shoes to fill, it is clear there are stellar students who will continue to rock the show.
Photo Caption: Students performing at Battle of the Bands
Photo Credit: Racheli Jian