Photo courtesy of University of Alabama
From Left: Richard Reynolds, Nate Fulmer, Ira Cherniak, SGA VP of External Affairs Walker Parsons, Gil Armstrong and Grant Alderman.
Mountain Brook High School graduate Nate Fulmer is a member of Elbow Joint, a band made up of University of Alabama students. The group won UA's 2024 Battle of the Bands competition in November.
The band, who describe themselves as a bluesy classic rock jam band, took home the grand prize of $2,000 during the final night of competition at Druid City Music Hall.
Fulmer graduated from MBHS in 2020 before making the move to Tuscaloosa, where his drumming skills became known among his fraternity brothers. He joined the band after Ira Cherniak, a member of his fraternity, asked him to play a gig.
The Band
The band originally started in 2023 with just Gil Armstrong (rhythm guitar), Cherniak (bass) and Richard Reynolds (lead guitar, lead vocals).
“We really didn’t think much about starting a band but were asked if we would play at a birthday party, to which we agreed, and booked our first ever gig," said Armstrong. "After that we knew we needed to find a drummer. Ira and Nate were in the same fraternity and Ira knew Nate could drum so we asked if he would play this one gig with us.”
Obviously, Fulmer stuck around, and the group found their final member soon after.
“Shortly after our first two gigs and an extremely busy weekend, we were booked for another philanthropy event by a guy named Grant Alderman who was a piano player in another band,” added Armstrong. “I guess we played pretty well and we ended up asking him to sit in on a gig we were playing to end the semester. It was a massive success and Grant officially joined the band the next day.”
Grant Alderman plays the piano and is one of the lead vocalists for the band.
As for the name, the group can thank Cherniak’s father. Fulmer and the band sat down with Zoe Bernstein, a staff writer for The Crimson White—UA's student-run newspaper, in October to explain.
"My dad's in a band. He's been playing music since he was, like, 12," said Cherniak. "He heard about mine—well, we weren't even a band yet—and he told us, 'Y'all really need a band name,' and my dad just spam texted, like, 30 band names. I think I opened my phone and the first one I saw was 'Elbow Joint,' and I told the guys, and they said all right."
Cherniak’s father is also part of his inspiration for making music and performing.
"For me, it's definitely two things," he said. "It's the longest I can go without getting on my phone, I go like six hours playing music and not get on my phone. I also remember seeing my dad play growing up, and I remember telling him 'I want to do that.'"
For Fulmer, music is all about the human connection.
“When you have awesome moments of music, it's the best thing,” he said, “because that music is bringing people together.”
The Competition
The group said this type of competition was an unmatched experience for them.
“Battle of the Bands was an amazing and unforgettable experience,” said Reynolds. “Getting the opportunity to play in such a large musical venue and for such a great cause is truly something I will treasure forever.”
Cherniak agreed. “It was super cool getting to play using professional sound, lighting and production. I feel like because of the high-quality equipment, it is one of the best-sounding performances we have ever had.”
Elbow Joint wasn’t the only winner that night as the event brought in approximately $6,090 for the Joe Espy Needs-Based Scholarship through pre-sale and tickets purchased at the door.
“This year’s Battle of the Bands was a huge success, not only in celebrating our students’ musical talents, but also in giving back to our university community,” said Walker Parsons, SGA vice president for external affairs. “We are grateful for the strong turnout and the generous contributions of those who attended to make this a memorable night for all.”
The band has played mostly in Tuscaloosa but also had a gig in Auburn in November.
“Twenty-plus gigs later and we are still rolling strong,” said Armstrong. “Our band goals as of now are to keep this thing rolling until we graduate and maybe pump out an original or two.”
Listen to Elbow Joint on their Instagram.
