Last Thursday, the Harvard College Events Board hosted the annual “Battle for Yardfest.” According to the Dean of Students Office website, Yardfest, a Harvard College tradition, is “a giant cookout and festival-style concert. The two winning student bands from Battle for Yardfest…are granted an amazing opportunity to open for the exciting professional headliner.” This year’s Battle for Yardfest took place on February 29th (Leap Day) in Sanders Theatre. On such a momentous day, it was clear that something even more special would unfold this year.
From the indie-funk band Big Tuesday which ended with guitarist Ryan McCarthy ’24 lying on the floor, to the rapper-DJ duo JAESCHEL (Jaeschel Acheampong ’24) and Hitmaker Hundie (Nathenael Hundie ’24) bringing electrifying rap to the historic Harvard building, 11 talented acts captivated the hall. The crowd found it to be an exceptionally difficult year to vote on a winner. “This was the most competitive Battle for Yardfest yet,” remarked audience member Iris Hennin ’26.
But despite the incredible range of talent, two sensational bands captured the hearts of audience members and won themselves spots as openers for the Yardfest celebrity performer. Beacon Street Band, who also opened for Yardfest last year, and the newly formed band Boom Boom Sauce will surely set the bar high for this year’s headliner.
With Yardfest quickly approaching on April 7th, now is the perfect time to get to know these two student bands. Possessing their own distinct styles, Beacon Street and Boom Boom Sauce are both a testament to the wide-ranging talent at Harvard. In exclusive interviews, the Independent gained special insights into each band’s story and their vision for Yardfest 2024.
Named after the band’s rowing roots, Beacon Street was formed last year. Composed of Felix Kwok ’25 on vocals, Owen Marcovitz ’26 on guitar, Josh Brangan ’26 on drums, Simon Nunayon ’24 on bass, and Emil Droga ’26 on keyboard, all but one are heavyweight rowers for Harvard. Nunayon explained that it is a tradition at the beginning of the year to have “the [rowing] freshmen take a boyband-esque photo in front of 251 Beacon Street.” The name “Beacon Street” was thus perfect for the group of rowers.
Juggling their academic, athletic, and musical lives, being in the Harvard University Boat Club (HUBC) is a huge time commitment. The team typically practices over 20 hours a week. Nunayon, who has released original music on Spotify and is a World Rowing U23 champion, explains that he tries “to keep the two worlds separate where possible.” But Brangan, who also has released his own music and is a World Rowing U19 champion, offers another perspective. “People know us as the crew band…[so] it’s an easy thing to get behind… It’s something completely different that everyone can kind of enjoy,” Brangan remarked. For a group that spends so much time training in the boathouse, they bring a lively vitality to the music scene.
Indeed, Beacon Street’s performance at last year’s Yardfest was an undeniable hit. News of Beacon Street’s musical success even reached other campuses. Kwok shared that a “random friend from Yale came up…and was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve heard your music is going great. Beacon Street’s made it.’’’
With this being their second year gracing the Yardfest stage, Beacon Street is looking to bring a new energy. “This year we will have more fun with it,” Brangan said. “There are so many people who are super hyped to see that we’re back,” Kwok added. Although the band has not decided on a setlist, they hinted that they will be playing more crowd hits. At the end of the day, Beacon Street is a group of passionate student-athletes who love music “without taking ourselves too seriously,” as Nunayon stated.
While Beacon Street will be a familiar name to many Harvard students, Boom Boom Sauce is a fresh group making its debut at Yardfest. Formed this semester, the band’s name was born when the members thought about “what kinds of things at Harvard we love,” said vocalist Elyse Martin-Smith ’25. “The one thing in the d-hall that never disappoints is the Boom Boom sauce. And then we were like that kind of fits with our energy, with our vibe.”
Just like how the iconic Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) sauce is a symphony of different flavors, the band Boom Boom Sauce draws from a diverse group of musically gifted students. In addition to Martin-Smith, Max Allison ’25 on vocals, Jack Meyer ’25 on guitar, Will Cooper ’24 on bass, Justin O’Dwyer ’24 on drums, and Timi Esan ’27 on keyboard make up the rest of the band. “I think part of the cool thing about Boom Boom Sauce being a mix of flavors is that…everyone brings something unique and comes from very different musical traditions… We do some jazz stuff but also there is a lot of rock influence. Max does musical theater and Timi does tons of hip hop piano. I’m excited to blend them all together,” Martin-Smith said.
At their Battle for Yardfest performance, Boom Boom Sauce chose to perform one medley, a remix of Britney Spears’s “Toxic” and Maneskin’s rendition of “Beggin” that Martin-Smith arranged herself. “Everything kind of fell into place instantly, which rarely happens with bands. Elyse knew exactly what she wanted to do with the music and had a vision for everyone in mind,” Meyer commented. Although their setlist is not determined, Boom Boom Sauce is thinking of playing an original song too. “When we think about our setlist…how are we going to transition between songs and genres and create new sounds with old?” Martin-Smith said. “We’ll put some Boom Boom sauce on it,” Meyer added.
With a variety of musical influences ranging from Van Halen to SZA and Kendrick Lamar, Boom Boom Sauce brings a funky and energetic spin to everything they do. Open for bookings, they are excited to grow their presence on campus prior to Yardfest. In terms of sharing the stage with Beacon Street, the band is ready to move away from the competitive side of Battle for Yardfest. “I’m excited to have it be more celebratory for each other because I’m rooting for so many people that were in the Battle for Yardfest that did not make it… I’m excited for that type of energy at Yardfest instead of the competitive nature that Harvard students are constantly trapped in,” stated Martin-Smith.
Beacon Street and Boom Boom Sauce are “stylistically very different” according to Meyer. With each band given 30 minutes to perform, their performances will undoubtedly be a dynamic musical journey for Harvard students to experience. Although Yardfest started out as a “battle,” the success and popularity of both Beacon Street and Boom Boom Sauce highlight the collaborative and welcoming environment among Harvard musicians and students alike. The countdown to April 7th starts now, as both bands look forward to sharing the stage for Yardfest 2024.
Kaitlyn Hou ’27 (kaitlynhou@college.harvard.edu) views guitarist Tom Morello ’86, who won the Ivy League Battle of the Bands with Nobel laureate Carolyn Bertozzi ’88 in the band “Bored of Education”, as the ultimate inspiration.