Uptown pulsed with energy on Saturday, March 29th, as Bucknell hosted its first-ever Battle of the Bands, a packed, student-run showcase organized by Band Club President Stella Stephens ’26. With over 350 attendees, the event featured six bands that each performed a 15- to 20-minute set. The night highlighted not only fierce competition, but the depth of musical talent on campus. Among the standout performers were three groups—Flow State, The Priorities and Keeping Company—each bringing a distinct sound and story to the stage.
Flow State
If you’re attuned to Bucknell’s music scene, chances are you’ve caught the infectious energy of Flow State, one of Bucknell’s newest student bands made up entirely of first-years. With members Lili Wakenshaw ’28 (bass, vocals), Alex Kiefer ’28 (lead guitar), Michael Caruso ’28 (drums), Gabriel Rottet ’28 (keys, vocals) and Raphael Streitberger ’28 (rhythm guitar), Flow State has quickly become a crowd favorite.
The band formed right after Orientation week, when Caruso met several of his future bandmates at a Band Club speed-dating event.
Each member brings a unique background to the table. Rottet has been playing piano for a decade and played in a rock band in high school. Caruso has years of jazz drumming experience, while Kiefer and Wakenshaw both had been playing guitar before transitioning to the rock scene. “This is my first time in a band,” Wakenshaw said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but never thought I could.”
Flow State’s sound blends modern and ’90s rock with a fresh approach to their setlists. “We play songs where everybody in the crowd is gonna turn to somebody and go, ‘Oh, I know this one,’” said Caruso. “That’s why I love the songs we pick— because everything we play is somebody’s favorite.”
They’ve played several shows at Uptown, First-Year Fest and Battle of the Bands. Rehearsals take place in the “band cage” under the stadium bleachers, where the group meets twice a week when prepping for gigs. “It’s nothing short of miraculous what we’ve accomplished,” said Caruso.
You can catch Flow State performing next at Bison Sound on Saturday, May 3rd at 6:30 p.m. on Sojka Lawn. Their motto? “Go with the flow,” Kiefer said. And for these five first-years, that rhythm is only just beginning.
The Priorities
What started as a three-person group in 2022 has since grown into one of Bucknell’s most dynamic student bands: The Priorities. The group, founded by Anushka Parab ’25, Nick Wiebke ’25 and Matt Brennan ’24, emerged from a new campus band scene and has become a staple at Uptown shows, Fall Fest and Bison Sound.
“Back [when we started] there was practically no music scene here,” said bassist and founding member Parab. “We had to figure out a lot of logistics like where to practice, buying equipment and finding more members for our band. Since then we’ve had lineup changes, but we’ve grown so much.”
Today, The Priorities include Parab on bass, Madison Smith ’27 on vocals, Colin Bennett ’27 and Jake Rosen ’28 on guitar, and Logan Orschel ’27 on drums. Despite the changes in membership, the name stuck, and it has a humerous origin.
“In our practice space, we had a chalkboard where we wrote down our setlist for Bison Sound,” Parab explained. “The board said ‘priorities’ followed by a list of songs we needed to focus on the most. We were in a time crunch for a name and thought it would be funny if we just called ourselves The Priorities.”
The band performs a mix of genres, with a special emphasis on classic rock and pop music from the 70s. “Our sound is expressive, and full of energy and emotion,” Smith said. The band’s eclectic musical backgrounds, ranging from jazz and classical training to international touring, contribute to their dynamic performances.
The band practices frequently—up to six times a week when prepping for gigs—and balances productivity with fun. “We love to joke around with one another, always take short breaks when needed and sometimes even jam in between songs to let off some steam,” said Smith.
With upcoming performances at Uptown on May 2nd and Bison Sound the next day, the band has an exciting agenda ahead.
For these students, The Priorities has been extremely meaningful for their Bucknell experiences. “Being a part of this band has been an integral part of my time at this school,” Parab shared. “I’ll be very sad to let it go.”
Keeping Company
Keeping Company, a five-member student rock band, has been steadily making a name for itself in Bucknell’s live music scene since its formation in Fall 2024.
Led by junior Stella Stephens (bass), the band includes Michael Caruso ’28 (drums), Marlee Olsson ’27 (vocals, piano, guitar), Dylan Lange ’26 (rhythm guitar) and Reed Nester ’27 (lead guitar). Though the band’s journey was challenging at first, members worked hard to establish themselves as a successful musical group.
“We couldn’t find a drum set for the longest time… my guitarist didn’t have a guitar and my lead singer didn’t have a mic,” Stephens recalled. “But we finally did it.” Caruso joined after the original drummer went abroad, initially hesitant but quickly hooked: “I was nervous to be in two different bands but it ended up going really well… the rhythm section played really well together.”
The group’s name, Keeping Company, came from a brainstormed list Stephens kept before the band even formed. “Now we have our slogan that we say at performances: ‘We’re Keeping Company, we’re gonna keep you company.’”
Lange described his unique musical training before joining the group. “My mom made me learn an instrument so I didn’t have time to cause chaos… Now I’m pretty fluent in about five instruments.” Olsson, meanwhile, fell in love with performing through open mic gigs back home.
The band’s sound reflects their diverse influences. “We do a lot of Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead… very chill, laid back rock,” said Olsson. Stephens added that this semester’s lineup allowed them to experiment more. “We’ve had great ideas and have really been able to jam out and rock out on songs, and I really like it.” Caruso highlighted their spontaneous spirit, sharing, “what really sets us apart is that a lot of what we play is improv.”
Fans can catch Keeping Company at Bison Sound on Saturday, May 3rd at 6 p.m., their final performance of the year. To stay updated, follow them on Instagram @wearekeepingcompany.
As Caruso put it, “Everything would get a lot better for everybody on campus if they listened to some more music.” Keeping Company is doing its part to make that happen.
