Three bands kicked off Loan Depot’s first ever Battle of the Bands competition at the Slippery Pig Brewery Saturday, July 13.

First up on stage was East Blue, an alternative rock/ reggae/ hip hop band out of Port Orchard.

The band is made up of a husband and wife team Jumaane (guitar/ vocals) and Jennifer (bass/ vocals) Cabrera with their good friend Karl Ponton (drums).

According to their Facebook page, the band has been performing all over Kitsap County as well as in several festivals in western Washington. They released their first EP in 2012 called “Hello to Happiness,” and released their first album of the same name in 2018.

Jumaane Cabrera said he viewed the Battle of the Bands as less of a competition and more like playing a show with friends.

“Were friends with a lot of the other bands that are playing, so for us it’s more like we’re playing a show with them,” Cabrera said.

East Blue was a last minute entry to the competition and Saturday was their first time in a “Battle of the Bands” style competition.

When asked to describe their sound, the band points to the likes of Jason Mraz and Death Cab for Cutie as influences.

“Sort of an Indie-Rock/ Island Pop vibe,” said Jennifer Cabrera.

Each band played four songs which were pre-screened by the judges of the competition.

East Blue played three of their songs: “Wake Up O’Dreamer,” “I Will” and a new song, “Icarus.” They also played a cover of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire.

All of the band members in East Blue have “day jobs” but hope that by next year music will be a full time gig.

Next up was Cityscapes, an Alternative Jazz/ Funk band also out of Port Orchard.

The band is made up of Jason Boehme (drums), Tristan Gerbing (bass), Bre Huie (vocals) and Sage Montemayor (guitar).

Cityscapes formed in 2012 and released its first album, “Full Disclosure” in 2018.

The band has described its participation in this Battle of the Bands as being a lot more fun than other competitions.

“We have been in other competitions and so far this is the most fun because we know a lot of the bands and its local,” Huie said.

Artists like Amy Winehouse, Steely Dan and The Smiths are major influences for Cityscapes sound.

“She (Huie) is a huge Amy Winehouse fan, so a lot of our sound is influenced by her,” Boehme said.

The band played all original songs: “Green Room,” “Song Spot for You,” “What Makes You Happy” and the title track from their album, “Full Disclosure.”

Closing out the first round of the Battle of the Bands playoffs was Skinny Blue, a Blues-Rock band from Poulsbo.

Skinny Blue is made up of Thys Wallwork (vocals/guitar), Collin Ray (bass) and Kevin Blackwood (drums) however, for the show at the Slippery Pig, Harley Trotland stepped in on the drums.

Skinny Blue, centers around singer/songwriter, Thys Wallwork, who has over 20 years of performance experience and has played over 300 shows around the world. This includes various forms of “Battle of the Bands” competitions.

“These experiences can be hit or miss. I really liked this show, because we just give the audience a taste of what we do,” Wallwork said.

Skinny Blue describes its sound as influenced by blues and rock greats like Gary Clarke Jr. and Bruce Springsteen. These influences can be heard in the songs they played such as “Where You Been,” “Hit the Gas,” “Moving On” and “Tennessee.”

Despite his notable performance experience, music is just a hobby for Wallwork and the Skinny Blue band.

“This is just a fun hobby,” said Wallwork,

All of the bands music can be found on music streaming sites as well as their social media platforms.

The Loan Depot “Battle of the Bands” will return to the stage at Slippery Pig Brewery on Aug. 10 with The Zoe Moreton Band and Magnacarta.

The “Battle of the Bands” finale is Sept. 28 at Olympic College in the William D. Harvey Theater from 6–10 P.M.