On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, six local solo artists competed in the highly anticipated annual “Thunderground Throwdown” competition, hosted by Thunder 91.1 KSUU-FM. Grace Parke and Mickell Leavitt won the titles of “judge’s choice” and “audience choice.”
Thunder 91, Southern Utah University’s student-run radio station, provides commercial-free music for campus events and the Cedar City community. Managed by Professor Ryan Steineckert, the station holds major events such as “Battle of the Bands,” “Sips n’ Spins” and the “Thunderground Throwdown.”
This year’s event kicked off at 6 p.m. in the Living Room, welcoming all guests to enjoy performances and vote for their favorite act. The event was free and provided snacks, including popcorn, soda and themed cookies.
The competition featured six solo artists: Hayden Mortensen, Mickell Leavitt, Kairo Arce, Grace Parke, Malaina Dunford and Kate. Each contestant brought a unique style to the stage with a mix of original songs and covers. While many performances had a singer-songwriter vibe, unexpected acts such as rapping, hand-boning and a sample of the theme song to children’s show “Strawberry Shortcake” kept the audience engaged.
“I enjoyed the variety. I expected a lot of singer-songwriter people playing guitar, but there were some West Coast GNX-type beats, and I was like, ‘OK!’” said judge Ben Sagers.
At the end of the performances, audience members were encouraged to vote for their favorite artist by scanning a QR code, to determine the “Audience Choice” winner. Meanwhile, Cedar City’s own Black Cat Parade — winners of Thunder 91’s most recent “Battle of the Bands” — served as judges to choose the overall winner.
After much deliberation, winners were announced: Grace Parke won the judges’ top pick, and Mickell Leavitt won the audience vote. Both received a variety of music tools and instruments and a well-deserved round of applause. Parke was awarded a framed “Thunderground Throwdown” vinyl.
“I think it was more than just music — stage presence had a big part in it as well because there were so many talented musicians,” said judge Porter Burt. “I think Grace told a story, and it was really cool.”
Parke has competed in numerous Thunder 91 events for over three years with many close calls.
“After gigging so much over the last four years, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable moving around on stage and interacting with people while singing, and that’s something that I’m really proud of,” Parke exclaimed.
Thunder 91 regularly hosts events showcasing local artists and student talent. To stay updated on future events, follow Thunder 91 on Instagram or on SUU News. The event live-stream can be viewed here.
Author: Katelyn Bonnett
Photographer: Anna Mower
Editor: Anna Mower
life@suunews.net
