Three competitors fought for the chance to perform at DiaDelOso last night at Battle of the Bands hosted by Guerrilla Troupe. The winner, Sugar Land senior Alisha Pace, emerged holding a large silver trophy and smiling from ear to ear.

Pace took the stage first with her country act, followed by two competitors. Lagos, Nigeria junior James Okoh took the People’s Choice Award with his piano skills and smooth vocals, and Frisco sophomore Chris Cavalier pleased the crowd with his entertaining rap.

Pace has been singing herself to sleep since the crib, or so her mother says. The former actress’s passion for performing was reignited during her sales internship in Nashville last summer. She intends to pursue her lifelong singing dream for as long as possible after she graduates.

“I believe God puts these passions within people so that they can share them,” Pace said. “We just wanted everyone here to be able to jam out, because we were having so much fun.”

The showdown was held at the SUB Bowl and hosted by Guerrilla Troupe, offering some comic relief in between the three acts to ease the competition’s tension. Each contestant performed a handful of his or her music, giving the audience a taste before the final voting.

“I really enjoyed the whole setting of it all,” Nashville, Tenn., sophomore Savannah Koehn said. “It was really fun to watch because it was outside, there were food trucks and some really great singers.”

As the winner of Battle of the Bands, Pace will perform some of her original music at DiaDelOso later this month.