After winning the Battle of the Bands semifinals last year in Oakland, Antioch's own Ben Benkert and the Burnouts put their talents to the test against the Bay Area's best and came out on top.

The recent showdown at The Metro included eight bands playing all original music. The first group started at 6 p.m. and Benkert and the boys, playing last, took the stage at midnight. Although they were a little nervous, the Burnouts opened up with mics, guitars and drums blazing.

"It was awesome," said bassist Tom Davis, a 2002 Deer Valley grad. "It was the best interaction of a crowd yet. We were supposed to play 30 minutes, but we played longer. They let us play an encore, a total of eight songs, together."

As the winners, the band received $500, 20 hours of studio time and a submission to Epic, Maverick, Metal Blade and Warner Bros. Records.

Antioch residents Benkert, 24, and Davis, 22, created the band in fall of 2005. The ensemble includes conga player and percussionist Moeketsi Gibe from South Africa (who has been in the states for less than a year), saxophonist Jeremy Underwood of Pittsburg and drummer Rob Kindt, a 2001 Antioch High grad.

Photos courtesy of Stacy Mcormick

www.myspace.com/benandtheburnouts.

- Contributed by Allen Payton