Bo knows how to battle

Photo by Monique Headley

Number One fan Brittany Stone congratulates Bo Phillips on winning the Oklahoma State University Student Foundation Battle of the Bands.

Bo knows how to battle

By Monique Headley

Stillwater NewsPress

Oklahoma State University students

proved philanthropy can be creative,

fun, raise a lot of money and happen in a

bar and pool hall under the light of a glittering

disco ball.

Friday night was the second annual

Battle of The Bands competition sponsored

by the Student Foundation. The

student endowed scholarship fundraiser

took place from 8 p.m. to midnight at the

Tumbleweed Ballroom on West Lakeview

Road.

StuFu Vice President Omar Hossain

said the event raised $7,500, which was

almost double what was raised last year.

“I am very pleased with tonight’s

event,” said Hossain.

The hands-down winner and crowd

favorite was Bo Phillips.

Phillips won a grand prize that included

$500, the opportunity to play an

hourlong post-event set and play at the

Tumbleweed College Fest in August.

“I always walk in with low expectations

so winning tonight feels great,”

said Phillips. “I pulled the band together

in two weeks to make it happen. They

are great guys and very good musicians.

I am so glad it worked out.”

His next gig will be back at Tumbleweed

for the world’s largest testical festival,

Calffry, on April 30. After that, he

said, he is booked for various acoustic

sets until August.

“It will be September before I can get

back on the road with a band and hit it

real hard,” he said.

Calffry takes place April 29 through

May 2. In addition to Phillips, it will feature

the musical entertainment of Miranda

Lambert, Pat Green, Jason Boland,

Cross Canadian Ragweed and other notable

performers.

A bit of a renaissance cowboy, in addition

to being a master musician,

Phillips has a master’s degree in agriculture

from OSU and taught agriculture to

high school students for six years, he

said.

Talent runs in the family.

Phillips is the older brother of fellow

Red Dirt artist, the Billboard-charting

Stoney LaRue. LaRue is perhaps best

known for songs, “Oklahoma Breakdown”

and “Forever Young.”

“I taught Stoney everything he

knows,” Phillips said with a laugh. “We

grew up together playing music.”

Both brothers have diehard fans.

“Ask me anything, the answer is

‘Bo’,” said a Phillips fan who identified

himself only as Damon. “He’s going to

be playing at my wedding. The guy is

just awesome - awesome singer, awesome

writer. Bo knows music.”

Some came to support Phillips, some

came for other bands.

Competing bands included Another

Round, Mitch Hull Band, My Solstice,

the Nightlife and Two Steps Back.

“Overall, all the bands were great,”

said Josh Blett, who has class with the

lead singer of the Nightime. “I had a lot

of fun.”

To learn more about the event or to

donate, visit www.osustudentfoundation.

com.