It was a spectacular off-island debut for Orcas Island band Blue Tarp.

During the group’s first performance on the mainland, they won Seattle University’s Battle of the Bands.

“We had a great reaction from the judges and the crowd – it was awesome,” bass guitar player Ian Sides said.

The winning prize is a gift certificate to Guitar Center and a gig at Seattle club Neumos. The band hopes that performance will get their foot in the door of the Seattle music scene.

In addition to Sides, Blue Tarp is comprised of Walter O’Toole, who is lead vocals, harmonica and percussion, Justin Rorbaugh on guitar and vocals, Peter Vinson on guitar and harmonica, and Sidney Hayworth on drums. Their sound is heavily influenced by the Seattle grunge scene, with a flavor that is reminiscent of Pearl Jam.

The current line up in Blue Tarp has been together for two years. They play shows on Orcas frequently, where all the band members reside, except for Sides. He comes home every few weekends to practice with the guys, and they spend all summer honing their craft as well. Each member has been involved with music for around eight years.

“It’s our collective passion to play music,” Sides says.

Sides, who is a student at SU, entered the band in the competition and was thrilled when they made it to the final round. The eight competing groups were selected from demo CDs. Most of them were from the Seattle area.

Blue Tarp was last to take the stage on Feb. 27, and rocked the crowd of cheering fans, some of whom were from Orcas.

“It was very different to be on stage in front of an audience we didn’t know. It was exciting,” Hayworth said. “It was great to see everyone cheering, not just those who came from Orcas to see us.”

When Blue Tarp won the competition, the group’s Orcas fans rushed the stage.

“Thank you to everyone from Orcas who came,” Sides said.

The Neumos performance date has not yet been set, but the band’s Facebook and MySpace pages will have the information up as soon as possible.

Blue Tarp’s first CD is available at Darvill’s Book Store. Their second CD will be released in the spring.

To listen to a clip from their CD, click on the audio file at the top of this story.