Three hundred and four listeners were packed into the Student Center Theater on Friday, March 7, for the Battle for Music Fest. The event, hosted by Hofstra Concerts, featured four bands – Haug Haus, married, knot, Dylan Taganas & the Suitepaler and freak magnet – battling for the opportunity to open for the headliner of Hofstra’s Music Fest 2025.
The event consisted of two rounds of music, voting and pure energy. In the first round, all four bands performed one song, and audience members were given paper ballots to vote for their favorite artist to move forward in round two. Dylan Taganas & the Suitepaler and freak magnet advanced to the second round.
Starting round two, one representative from each band played rock-paper-scissors to determine who would get to choose when they would play. Ultimately, the representative from Dylan Taganas & the Suitepaler won, and they chose to go last. Both bands played another song, and another round of voting ensued where Dylan Taganas & the Suitepaler were declared the winner of the battle.
Dylan Taganas & the Suitepaler’s members are Dylan Taganas on vocals and guitar, Mat Gomez on the bass, Devan Saez on the drums and Michael Castelli on the guitar.
“We’re so excited to play at Music Fest,” Taganas said. “We’re just astonished that we actually made it.”
The group’s performance in both rounds was nothing short of electric. The band used audience participation, a double-necked guitar and a grand finale gong to create an unforgettable performance.
The group cited vintage rock bands as a large inspiration for their performance.
“I think like two days before [Battle for Music Fest], I remembered Live Aid,” Taganas said. “I remembered the Queen show at Live Aid. And then Freddie Mercury did the audience thing like ‘ay-yo,’ so that came to mind. And the double-necked guitar: that thing was laying around in my basement … and it didn’t even play well, but at least I wanted to bring it out because [in] battle, everyone is gonna go all out, so [you] gotta keep that for one of the surprises.”
As for the grand finale gong, the group was inspired by a 1960s band called Blood, Sweat & Tears whose lead singer used a gong in one of their performances as well as Pink Floyd’s use of a gong in their song “Pompeii.”
The band was ecstatic to have won the battle. They were so ecstatic that they could not choose just one moment in their performance they were proudest of.
“The dueling guitar part in Rolling Heavy Thunder is the most fun thing to play,” Castelli said. “When [Taganas] showed me that … I was like ‘I get to play that? Let’s go!’ I learned it; it packed a punch, and just to do it with him is incredible.”
At the end of the group’s performance, Taganas, Gomez and Castelli threw their guitar and bass picks into the crowd. Those who have been to other shows where Taganas has played may be familiar with this tradition, as Taganas throws a pick to the audience at every show he plays.
Dylan Taganas & the Suitepaler are thrilled to play for the Hofstra community at Music Fest 2025, and the Hofstra community should get excited for any audience engagement, double-necked guitar, grand-finale-gong-level surprises the group has in store for their opening act.
The band left with this message for their fans: “We’re excited to play for you again at Music Fest. Thank you so much for voting! We really appreciate everything, and everything was for you.”
