So Far Good

Members of the local band So Far Good: From left, Daniel Weaver, Brandon Dale, Joe White, Patrick Eldridge and Matt Eldridge. The local band has made it to the semi-final round of the “A Fight for Fame” statewide battle of the bands in the Bricktown Ballroom. PHOTO PROVIDED/3 girls photography / The Edmond Sun Order photo reprints

Local band battling for fame in OKC

Alice Collinsworth
The Edmond Sun

EDMOND — A statewide battle of the bands has been raging since December, and five young musicians are hoping to come out victors in the next round of “A Fight for Fame.”

So Far Good made up of five local high school students, was one of 50 original groups competing at Bricktown Ballroom in downtown Oklahoma City, and they’re one of only six to make it to the semi-final round.

They hope their local fans will support them in Friday night’s bout, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. The winner will be chosen both by the judges’ rankings and by audience vote.

Members of So Far Good are preparing a 30-minute extravaganza.

“We try to put on a really good show,” said rhythm guitarist Matt Eldridge, a junior at Edmond Memorial High School. “We interact with the audience a lot.”

Other band members are Daniel Weaver, lead guitarist, a junior at Edmond North High School; Brandon Dale, bass guitarist, and Joe White, vocalist, both juniors at Edmond Memorial High School; and Patrick Eldridge, percussionist, a sophomore at Edmond Memorial High School.

“So Far Good” is the youngest band left in the competition; others are college-age performers or professional musicians.

The band’s first song was written and recorded for a horror movie filmed in Dallas called “The Lyconthrope.”

Since then, the five have continued their success with a college battle of the bands at the University of Central Oklahoma last summer, which they won.

They competed in “Northstock” at Edmond North High School, where they took the STUCO choice and people’s choice awards, and at “Swinal Tap” at Edmond Memorial High School, where they won the STUCO award.

They also were invited to play at Deer Creek High School’s battle of the bands, where they won the “best vocals” prize and took first place in the competition.

They have recorded three songs with Trent Bell at Bell Labs in Norman, and they’re working on more.

The band members spent four days of their Christmas vacation building a rehearsal studio in a storage unit belonging to Brian Rich, owner of Rich Lawns in Edmond. Rich donated the materials and allows the young musicians to use the space for their practices.

“People should go (to the semi-finals on Friday) for the music,” White said. “All the bands there are obviously going to be very good.”

Matt Eldridge said the venue is high quality, too.

“The show is really fun — they have professional lights and all that,” he said.

The final round of the “A Fight for Fame” contest is scheduled for April 13 at the Bricktown Ballroom. The winner will be awarded $50,000 in prizes and a trip to the House of Blues in Las Vegas, where they will headline their own show.

“So Far Good” will appear locally at “Lights, Camera, Fashion,” a style show for high schoolers presented by 3 girls photography on May 3 at Will Rogers Theater in Oklahoma City.

After high school, all five young men hope to pursue some type of music career. Their first choice would be signing with a record label, but if that doesn’t work out, they’re planning to further their music education and performance.

In the meantime, they’re enjoying their experience and local notoriety. They joke about their girlfriends and groupies, but they’re taking their musical battle seriously, and they encourage their Edmond fans to support their cause.