While winter storm Harper was covering Cleveland with plenty of snow and wind on January 19th, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was being rocked by a different storm: Category Five. That’s truly the only way to describe the show they put on: a storm so powerful they gathered the largest crowd along the barrier I’d seen all night.
With the help of powerful vocals, guitar and bass features, and unique violin spotlights, Category Five produced a sound entirely distinct from the competition.
The band’s members hail from three different schools: North Royalton, Walsh Jesuit, and Saint Ignatius High School.
Julie Blechschmid, the band’s drummer, is a senior at North Royalton High School.
Jackie Ward, vocalist, and Katrina Jurczyk, who is the violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist, are seniors at Walsh Jesuit High School.
Rounding out the band’s members are Saint Ignatius High School students Bill Wolf ’19, guitarist, and Greg Kondas ’19, bassist.
Bands from all over performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on the 19th, including advancing bands Kacie Grenon from the New England area, Charm The Guard from Akron, and First to Eleven from Erie, PA.
If you couldn’t make it out to the Rock Hall for the performance, don’t worry! Adam Benevento ’19 was able to record Category Five’s performance of Decode.
Category Five, as well as advancing bands from rounds 1-3, will be performing in the Final Exams at the Rock Hall on February 16th.
