So there is a great movie called "Almost Famous" that if you've never seen I would suggest you watch, especially if you're a musician or a journalist. It's about this 15 year old kid named William Miller who is an aspiring music mag writer that, through a series of events, ends up on tour with an up and coming band called Stillwater to write a feature article about them for Rolling Stone magazine.
I love this movie and have probably seen it at least 100 times. Since I started this blog and especially in the past few weeks once I got my official press credentials, I've continuously referred to myself as "The Enemy" which is actually a reference to this movie. It's a very tough and spiritually draining position to be in because a lot of people forget to watch what they say around journalists and don't realize that there is really no such thing ever as "off the record."
Let me repeat that for benefit and edification of every musician who ever reads this... WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING TO A JOURNALIST, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "OFF THE RECORD" EVER. Everything you say to a member of the press can and probably will get printed unless you yourself tell that journalist that what you're saying is "off the record"... But even then you still run the risk of them printing it if it's juicy enough because some journalists don't abide by a strict ethical code.
"The Enemy" tends to be privy to a great deal of random information that people let slip during conversations when they aren't on their guard and then find themselves torn between printing the truth even though it will probably piss off the people it's about and keeping it out of the press to protect them because you feel bad about painting whomever the subject of your article is in a less than ideal light once you've gotten to know them and even like them. But journalistic integrity is of paramount importance because that's what builds your reputation. People may not always like hearing the truth about themselves. But you can't let that hold you back from telling it like it is.
William finds himself in this position while he's trying to write the Stillwater piece because he knows the band will probably hate him if he tells the whole truth. So he seeks guidance from William Seymour Hoffman's character, his mentor Lester Bangs, in this scene which is the most memorable of the entire movie for me...
In writing this article, I encountered a similar situation... To print or not to print? That is the question. I've decided to go with the former option because, for me, MSG2L has always been about brutal, constructive honesty and I think by now ya'll know me well enough to tell if I'm watering anything down. I never hold back.. so to start now as I really begin to build this blog would be a disservice to myself, my publication, and my readers. But, you also know by now that nothing I ever say in my reviews is typically all bad. It's usually a mixture of slamming and praising because, to me, constructive criticism should be about telling people what they're doing right and what they need to work on to get better.
That being said... Let's get into the review of the show...
Which overall was awesomely kick ass good times! Shit was sold the fuck out and packed...
If you'll recall from last Friday's post Warmup to Mr. Dreamy's Show & Miss Slik and Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant, my friends Cindy and William and I were gearing up for the big show at Empire held this past Sunday, 4/26/15, with Dance Gavin Dance, Hail the Sun, Polyphia, Stolas, Burn the Ballroom, Louder Than Quiet, and Inquiry. But I found out that Polyphia didn't actually play because their van broke down... which sucks.. Sorry Polyphia.
Due to all the shit with Mr. Dreamy, I made a joke about Cindy and I conducting a pageant during the show where we would score all the bands and crown a winner of our favorite band. We weren't actually going to do it, but the guys from Burn the Ballroom and Louder Than Quiet really wanted to be scored. I was informed by Alan Gant, lead singer and guitarist of BTB, that they were displeased with their talent score in the preliminary round and also by Anthony Alexander, drummer for LTQ, that they were gearing up for the swimsuit competition because they wanted to be the prettiest.
In all this, they forgot about our dark horse, Inquiry, who really were just happy to be playing and that I was doing an article about them. I encouraged them to put on a good show and said they could surprise everyone and actually win. Since they were the only band in the mix with a female member, drummer Bri Jackson, I told the guys from BTB and LTQ they just might get rocked in that swimsuit portion because she is very cute.
Anyway, since the majority of band members did want the scoring and as this was Miss Slik and Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant, ask and you shall receive as Miss Slik always aims to please.. So let's break it down in a big way....
Cindy and I actually did tabulate all the scores from both the Preliminary and Final Rounds in an Excel spreadsheet with percentages, weighted averages, and Pythagorean Theorum-esque formulas. The Preliminary scores were based on an average of Cindy's and my individual scores we gave for each of the 3 areas: Swimsuit/Eveningwear, Talent, and Private Interview. The composite scores were an average of Cindy's and my average scores. The overall scores were calculated using the averages weighted out of 100.
The composite scores made a difference for the averaging of averages in the Final Round. However, it was the combined overall scores from both rounds which determined the winner. I told you some serious math went into this shit and we spent A LOT of time on the scoring system and did actually take it very seriously. We work in Accounting so our spreadsheets are dope and, in the words of Yo Gotti and Lil Wayne, "Women lie. Men lie. Numbers don't lie."
The final results were a bit shocking.. Seems one of the bands did actually pull an upset and our initial 2nd place winner we thought we'd decided turned out to be incorrect because we had misjudged the weighting. It would seem being pretty and bribing the judges does make the difference. I will also add that I was the Paula Abdul of this mofo and I was very generous all around. Cindy was harsh in some areas and generous in others. All in all though we did do our best to be fair.
The Preliminary Round
Inquiry
At the end of the preliminary round, Inquiry was in 3rd with an overall score of 70.75 and an average score of 7 out of 10. They really were sweet and actually did the best in the private interview with an average score of 8.5. This band presented the most unified image of togetherness that I've ever seen in a group of musicians. Though they are a young band that hasn't been together long, not one bit of that shows.
However, it was their lack of significant web presence that hurt their scores in the other 2 areas, particularly the talent portion, as there were no videos on YouTube and only a couple things on their website. I made this suggestion for improvement to the band as I think this is one thing that would help them get more notice.
Burn the Ballroom
Burn the Ballroom was in second place coming out of the prelims with an overall score of 75.25 and an average score of 7.67 out of 10.. which was actually the highest average score out of all 3 bands by .17. They did the best in the Swimsuit/Eveningwear portion with an average score of 9 because they're so just so damn pretty. However, they actually took a hit on the private interview score with a 6.5 because the image presented to me was one of drama and dissension.
Sterling Pearson, their guitarist said their bassist, Jackson Harar, was "replaceable" and "could die in a fire".. which is awful because Jackson is actually one of the original members of the band and was very nice and sweet in person. There is also apparently some disagreement over the music the band should be putting out. Their drummer, Jack Ivins aka Ginger Jack, told me he's in the minority in his stance that if the band makes trendy music then when the trend is over, so is the band. But if you make quality music that is your sound then it's more sustainable because the fans that like you always will regardless of trends.. This is a point with which I personally wholeheartedly agree and I will get into that more later during my final thoughts and takeaways.
But, all of this dissension was actually part of what prompted my Almost Famous debate over what to print. As individuals on a personal level, the guys of BTB are all super nice, funny, and fun to hang out with.. But as a collective band they come off as a bit of a hot mess.. a very talented hot mess.. But a hot mess nonetheless.
I did make the point to Ginger Jack that it's important to be careful of what you say to journalists. Though his comments weren't that bad, it's still never a good idea to air out your band's disagreements over anything to any members of the press because, as I said earlier, they're looking for dirt to print. If someone interviews you separately or with your bandmates this one consistent message should ALWAYS be portrayed.. Love my band. Love my bandmates. Love the music. Love the fans.. And remember to thank God because people eat it up and it makes you sound more humble.
Louder Than Quiet
Louder Than Quiet was in the lead by a difference of 1.25 over BTB with an overall score of 76.5 but had an average score of 7.5. They did extremely well on the talent portion with an average score of 8.5, which is rather subjective just because Cindy and I are massive hardcore metal fans. LTQ also did very well in the private interview as they portrayed an image of being down to earth guys with positive mindsets that are all about their music.
The one thing I will add for them is a note on how to improve on their aesthetic web presentation. The guys of Louder Than Quiet are all good looking dudes. But the pictures we found of the band don't do them significant justice. Anthony informed me that they've been scheming on doing a photo shoot in bathing suits, which is why they were cool with actually doing the swimsuit competition for real to win the pageant. I think they should strip down and show off their skivvies.. especially Dominic because he's got pecs that just don't quit.
The Final Round
The big day finally arrived and I scrambled to get ready. Surprisingly enough we actually left pretty close to on time and made it to Empire before the doors opened. There was a big ass long as shit line that wound around and through the parking lot. Well you know your girl ain't waiting in no fucking long ass line cause I'm way to bougey to stand amongst the common folk when I'm perma M.I.P. status.. So Cindy, William, and I jumped the line and went straight to the front. After the people with lanyards went in first and the guy said the doors were now open, nobody moved so we just went right in.
There is us....
There is Cindy and William.. See that long ass line?
That's only the one side..
It curves to the left and wraps all the way around
Fuck that.. Sorry kids.
Here is a pic Cindy took once we got inside when I got to meet Danny Seay from Louder Than Quiet (left) and Justin Piaoan from Inquiry (right)
Before I even got there I was getting texts from one of the members of LTQ that they had just met the guys from BTB and were asking them questions. I was told the BTB guys were just bragging about their accomplishments and came off like primadonnas. I said "Word.. Kinda.. Think they also may be over compensating because they know you guys are in the lead after the preliminary round." I was told, "To be honest, I'm kinda turned off by all the glamour and shit. Reminds me of Falling in Reverse/Papa Roach. I'll still have to hear them live to have an actual opinion but that's my first impression."
I later found out a similar sentiment was also shared by members of Inquiry. This seriously pissed me off. I talked the BTB guys up to the kids from these other bands and I definitely know that members of Inquiry mentioned they looked up to BTB and consider them an influence. To hear that these 2 bands were treated less than ideal by some of the BTB members makes not only them look bad for how they acted, but also makes me look bad for having talked them up.
Just so ya'll know, I talked up each of these 3 bands to each other, not just to fuel the fire of the competition, but to get them listening to each other's music and hopefully to potentially build mutually beneficial business relationships between them. Connections between local musicians tend to generate more bookings for everyone involved because they reciprocate support for each other by throwing out recommendations to promoters looking for additional bands to play at shows. Then when the promoters see how many kids the recommended bands bring out they'll tend to book them for all kinds of future events over and over again.. It also has the potential to lead to dope tours and even crucial music collaborations. All of which forwards the scene.
Anyway, though I did not like hearing that these bands were sharing a less than PLURry vibe with each other, I will say that some of this could be attributed to the pageant. As I mentioned, the guys from BTB and LTQ were really fired up and they're some seriously competitive dudes. So it's possible a lot of what happened was trash talk similar to how boxers go at it before a big fight. I'd like to assume that is the case. When I met the individual members of BTB they were all very nice to me... a little showy perhaps.. But nice and welcoming nonetheless so I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I also later found out that Ginger Jack actually helped LTQ offload their gear and complimented them on their set.. which warms my little heart right up as it is very PLUR (for all my non raver readers, that stands for Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect just fyi btw). These are good dudes so I'm hoping maybe knowing how they were perceived will help to make them more cognisant of how important it is to make a good impression on your peers. The same thing can be said of Dance Gavin Dance because they bogarted the Green Room for themselves and didn't allow any of the other bands playing in the show to come in and utilize the room... which I think is super shitty.
If you're playing in a show then you have just as much right to be in that Green Room as anybody else regardless of how big or small your band is. You still brought people out and contributed to ticket sales. You also have to zen yourself before a show just like the other performers and need a space in which to do that. The guys from the other bands were actually way cooler about it though than I would have been. As a musician, if someone had told me I wasn't allowed in the Green Room at a show I was playing at then I'd have pitched a bitch and said "Excuse me, do you know who the fuck I am? Who the fuck do they think they are?"
As a musician who has been in my own scene for 15 years I always try to be very aware about how I come off to younger DJ's who haven't been in the game as long as I have. Regardless of what kind of music you play, the kids in your scene look to you for guidance, support, and encouragement... and you should know that because at one point you were that kid who went to someone in that same way looking for that same stuff.
Those moments are crucial because they are indelible, lasting memories that shape your music career. You either got what you needed because the bigger musicians you looked up to were awesome to you and validated why they belong on the pedestals of honor on which you placed them or you got crushed because the people you looked up to turned out to be douchey fucktards in real life.
As more established veteran musicians it's your responsibility to pay that forward in a positive way by giving these new kids the benefit of your wisdom and experience to help move them along. It's not like these kids can, will, or are even trying to knock you off your spot.. They're just trying to find their own spot to hold down for themselves. It actually propels you further because they'll share their experiences of meeting you and how awesome you were to them for years to come.. maybe even long after you've dropped out.
I definitely know that years ago when I met one of the veteran musicians I put up on my honor pedestals, a DJ named Sheila Storms, it had a huge impact on me. She played booty house at all these raves I went to back in the day and she was one of the few female DJ's on the scene doing the damn thing in a big way. I was 16 and she was so awesome and super nice to me... even though I was having a fangirl moment that no doubt was probably obnoxious as shit. The things she said to me during the conversation we had definitely gave me everything I could have asked for that I needed to propel me forward. She still remains to this day one of my biggest heroes and influences whom I attribute to helping shape me into the kick ass female DJ I am today. So thanks Sheila! Big ups to you cause you still rock!
Anyway... Bygones.. Back to the pageant...
Now for the Final Round, the composite score counted for 10%. The Swimsuit/Eveningwear, Live Talent, and Live Interview portions were equally weighted at 30% each. This is fair because as a musician at a show how you look, how you sound and perform, and how you come off to the people who interview you are all of equal importance. You could sound great but if you don't look the part or you act shitty then you kill the illusion of awesomeness.
Inquiry - 2nd Runner Up
So going into the Final Round, Inquiry had a composite score of 6.835. They were up first on stage to perform and they were great. My favorite song of theirs was either their 2nd or 3rd song of the set. Unfortunately I don't know the name of it. It had a hardcore vibe and what I liked best was that it demonstrated the strength of their guitarists. This band actually has not one, but 2 very talented guitarists Kyle Richards and Patrick Van Story aka Patty V., who were trading off doing some super sick riffs that were highly impressive. Patrick Allen, their bassist, held his own too.
Lead Singer, Justin Piaoan, started off a little shakey at first. But once he got into the zone he really showed that he's a strong front man with a powerful voice that is made more surprising by his sweet, somewhat soft-spoken demeanor offstage. He's very congenial and let the audience know that they were welcome to come talk to the band after the show because they really are all about making new friends. What really added to their performance though is their drummer Bri. She bangs it out like nobody's business and has qualities that remind me of Cindy Blackman.
I mentioned the shakiness during the interview with Inquiry and they told me they all had mad butterflies because they were playing in front of Dance Gavin Dance who is one of their biggest influences. This actually made me even more unhappy about the diva move DGD pulled with the Green Room situation because I think DGD seriously shorted themselves by missing out on a private opportunity to rap with these kids like I did, which I must say was an extreme pleasure.
This band seriously does present the most consistent image of themselves. All of the things on their website and Facebook page and things they've verbally said about wanting to make friends and be friends and make memories... I buy every last bit of it and eat it up with a spoon. They want to save their dying scene and the puppies and do it all by sticking together. Meet them, hear them, feel them and you'll believe it all too.
To read my full interview with Inquiry and also my one-on-one with drummer, Bri Jackson, check out Part One of this 4 part post Miss Slik & Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant - Q&A with Inquiry.
These kids earned a final round score of 75.835 which put them in 2nd by a hair for the live portions of the pageant prior to additional points being awarded for various bribes and special favors. Unfortunately, it was just not enough to bring it home for their combined overall score. They came in 3rd with 73.293. We thought they had won but when we totaled up the scores we actually found that Burn the Ballroom had beat them out. Sorry guys. I still ♡ you and Cindy does too!
Louder Than Quiet - Winner of Miss Slik and Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant!
Special shout out to LTQ's stuff holder. Like I told her, it really is an important job.
This band was in the lead with an overall score of 76.5 but at a slight disadvantage with a composite score of 7.5. No matter... LTQ was in it to win it. These dudes brought their A++++ game and pulled out all the stops.
All I can say about their live performance is holy damn....
Mind fucking blown. Louder Than Quiet went straight up Project 7000 on Empire and Tsar Bomba-ed the fuck out of that place! The singing in perfect harmony with Ali Rezghi and Danny Seay's soulful voices made it beautiful. Their resident screamer, Urico Schuler, made it live. The music was hard and hyped. They got the crowd involved during one of their songs with everyone clapping and singing back "Don't take her away! DON'T TAKE HER AWAY!" It's been stuck in my head all week.
Hold up.. Part 1...
That's me... In the background... Being all loud but trying not to move too much...
And Part 2...
They even did my favorite song of theirs, "Red Gemini", to close out their set and it was in-fucking-sane! Actually that feels like an understatement...
Again.. Still me... In the background... Going apeshit and being super loud but still trying not to move too much while I was in amazement with my jaw on the floor because that was BANANAS... B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
But did you see that?!?! Their bassist, Dominic Buie, fucking crowd surfed while he was fucking playing! I still can't believe I caught this magic on camera. Apparently he had never done that before.. But this is what I mean by pulling out all the stops. Daring to be dope and crazy is what put them over the top. Let me put it this way.. This was one of the best live performances I have ever seen.. EVER... and I've seen David Bowie live.. which was epic cause it's fucking David Bowie.. This was still better.
Here are the LTQ guys checking out the Red Gemini video I made...
If that wasn't enough, when I sat down with these guys they drove home exactly why they're worth supporting as people and musicians. These guys fought against their religious families who told them they were playing the Devil's music. They fought against their friends who asked them why they play that "white boy shit". They've even had to battle against the stereotypes laid on them that black musicians shouldn't play double kick. All these guys want to do is be who they are and play the music they love despite these obstacles of prejudice and preconceived notions.
For more of my interview with LTQ check out Part 2 of this week's 4 part post Miss Slik & Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant - Q&A with Louder Than Quiet...
All of this.. Their sick live performance, their fun vibe, their words that are so inspirational earned them an average score of 8.875 and a final round score of 91.5. However, as this band was the only one that bought me a drink and offered to buy Cindy one, we'll go ahead and round that up to 100 because I was serious about the judges taking bribes (I still want my LTQ shirt I was promised too just FYI BTW). At their original score they earned an overall combined score to 84.. With the bonus alcohol rounding that brought them up to an 88.25.
Either way we have made them our official declared crowned winners of Miss Slik and Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant. So congratulations to them! Guys, your tiaras and sashes will be in the mail pending receipt of my LTQ shirt.
If I was going to give this band any suggestions for improvement it would be to hurry up and make some new shit to release and also focus on writing a power metal ballad that puts Metallica to shame. I'd also like to see more songs featuring the harmonies that these guys do so well. They're already off to a great start, but I think these things will help take them even further by showcasing their strengths. Considering this was the collectively youngest band I interviewed (yes I averaged their ages), I can't wait to see how they grow and move forward. Get in on this now folks cause I'm betting it will be life changing.
Burn the Ballroom - 1st Runner Up
These guys were only behind LTQ slightly going into the Final Round with an overall score of 75.25 but a higher composite score of 7.667. How does that work right? Well since the composite score was an average of averages and didn't take the weighting into account, it actually gave them a slight edge between their near perfect aesthetic score and their fairly high talent score which was helped by this video...
It really is all about the harpsichord and Alan singing. Plus we fucking love us some Britney Spears. Beyond that though, there is a beautifully stripped down, honest quality about it that just makes you stop and be like "Damn these guys are so good and so super cute."
They did very well in the live aesthetic portion because they are even cuter in person. Pretty sure Cindy was blushing the entire time she was talking to Alan about his hair. She definitely blushes every time his cuteness and hair have been discussed before and since the show. This band seriously had the highest swoon factor out of all the bands that performed. Sorry ladies, 3/5 of the band are in serious relationships so you can look, but you can't touch or you'll definitely get denied and maybe even shanked.
Seriously though, watching them and hearing Alan sing will definitely get you weak in the knees and make you melt like butter. He's an excellent front man who commands the stage and the crowd from start to finish. There were also parts to their performance where these bits of purity and depth shined through. My favorite song of theirs was towards the end of their set called "Do I Look Like I Go To Your Youth Group?" I tried to get a video but my phone was being uncooperative.
I did however get a video of them doing Whisper which was dope...
I started out all stalkery behind the speakers and realized I needed a better vantage point so I had to gently move through a sea of people who saw what I was doing and were nice enough to let me through without even having to ask.
However, I will say that this was a rather mellow performance and lacked the level of ostentation that I was expecting based on their personalities. If you're going to act like divas and primadonnas then fine.. But you'd better fucking own that shit. Kanye West gets away with his antics because no matter how many feathers he ruffles or how many times he pulls a dick move on T-Swift at the Grammy Awards and you're just about ready to write him off cause he's slippin, he comes out with a new track the next day that's pure fire that he must pull out of his ass like a magician at a very weird birthday party and all is forgiven. It's just his personality and the man is a genius. Madonna calls him the black dude version of her.
I kinda feel the same way about Burn the Ballroom.. Be who you are. If the image you put out is that of a crew of primadonnas then go balls out with it. I was expecting WAY MORE lights and lasers and maybe even fireworks. Not sure if I could see the faux hawk triplets crowd surfing for fear the common folk might mess up their hair. But I could definitely picture them on wires or even taking a page out of Cher and Katy Perry's books and gliding over the crowd on platforms.
I wanted craziness and pandemonium and I know these guys are capable. If I can build a 6 foot Lady Gaga egg that lights up for a dinky county karaoke championship then I see no reason why Alan can't fly on a platform with fireworks shooting out of his ass. Be that weird birthday party magician like it's your job.
Had they done this it definitely would've forgiven the lack of seriousness with which my interview questions were initially answered. Granted, they were the last band up for the interview portion and by then everyone was kinda drunk, including me. They also took an unfair hit on all the Mr. Dreamy Drama for which I accept responsibility. But still... I did expect more than rhinoceroses and pillow factories and colorful codpieces.
I did ask Alan about this and his response was a little disheartening. He said, "Honestly, we have answered a lot of serious questions with serious answers and I find that most people don't care. Or listen." I think that sucks. But it also means they probably had shitty writers interviewing them who were boring.
I gave them a chance to revisit their interview questions and add on so the responses were not as disjointed compared to the other bands. Thank God they did because it actually put me in a better position to give a more well-rounded presentation of this band.
They do have issues and drama and don't always get along or always put out the best song.. But that could be said of a lot of bands.. even the biggest and best at the top of the game. However, at the end of the day based on what I've witnessed and been told, they do believe in what they do and they definitely believe in their front man.. and above all, they are collectively 5 extremely talented musicians. I just wish it wasn't obscured by feathers and horns and colorful codpieces.
For the full Q&A with BTB check out Part 3 of this week's quadruple post extravaganza Miss Slik & Cindy's Battle of the Bands Beauty Pageant - Q&A with Burn The Ballroom...
The BTB guys earned themselves a Final Round score of 75.1667 and a cumulative score of 75.2083 with an average score of 7.54. However, I gave them 10 extra points on their final round score for special favors of supreme awesomeness. Ginger Jack took me crowd surfing for the first time ever in my life and it was the most epic 10 seconds that I'll remember forever because crowd surfing has been an item on my bucket list that can now be crossed off thanks to Ginger Jack.
I was always afraid to do it at shows I've been to in the past because the crowd used to always steal people's shoes and shit and throw them on stage or out into the sea of people where you will never find them again. But this crowd at Empire was actually pretty respectful of crowd surfers and I was drunk so I figured why not do the damn thing? It was a crazy feeling having so many people touch my butt and stuff. I almost wiped out twice but Ginger Jack kept me from dying. Since I have 2 ruptured discs in my neck, falling like that would have really sucked. But he had my back and made sure I was OK. Keeping the judges from eating floor is definitely worth 10 extra points in my book.
The bonus brings their final round score up to 85.1667 and their overall score up to 80.208.. Which is respectable. My advice for improvement on that would be maybe look into stocking up on wire and fireworks so the next time the band playing before you crowd surfs you can show them just how divas really get down. Also, considering how buff Jackson is I'm sure if he'd have gone shirtless like Dom from LTQ then you'd have given them an even bigger run for their money.
Dance Gavin Dance - 3rd Runner Up
This band wasn't actually scored like the rest. However, since I did like their set and I got to crowd surf for the first time ever in life during their performance, I think that earns them a spot in 4th place out of the 7 bands. Though I do not agree with the whole Green Room situation, I will say that I did see several of DGD's band members out mingling with people and watching the other bands. So at least they weren't locked away in that room the whole time and made themselves somewhat accessible during and after the show.
I also got a video of them.. Got no clue what the name of the song is but here you go anyway...
Now I didn't get to interview these guys because they didn't respond to my message requesting advanced permission to sit down with them. But I did get the chance to meet vocalist Tilian Pearson (no relation to BTB's Sterling Pearson) and he was very nice to me. If we had actually scored them, Cindy said they would get extra points for the "man bun".
Here I am with Matt Mingus from DGD...
So drunk and high on bucket list crowd surfing I'm being all huggy.. And he looks like he's about to call security...
Sidenote: Dude totally looks like Caleb Followill from Kings of Leon.
Special Awards
Most Congenial
Justin from Inquiry won this for us. We can't get over how sweet and cute he is. He's super nice offstage but when he gets onstage he's like "I'LL KILL YOU! Come see us after the show and be friends." It's fucking super adorable and we just want to buy him a puppy. We won't. But we want to.
Most Photogenic
Hands down this award goes to Tuomas from Burn the Ballroom... and you're about to see why...
Hold up... Cue RuPaul...
You better work! Turn to the left...
Work it! Now turn to the right...
Wet your lips..
While making love to the camera!
Pour mes lecteurs français, je suis sûr que vous serez d'accord que cet homme est très chic et incroyablement jolie!
And finally the special award for...
Who Got Me The Drunkest
This award doesn't actually go to a person in any of the bands competing in this contest... It instead goes to Justin Heresy of Victory in Lights who not only bought me shots (I know.. Niki and shots are a bad combination) and also tried to get me an interview with a dude from Dance Gavin Dance. He was shocked as hell that I actually turned it down but the dude from DGD would only meet with me if I came right away and I had the guys from LTQ waiting. My response was tell him thanks but no thanks because the only diva's schedule I'm on is my own. Regardless though Justin is definitely awesome for trying to help. He's a total sweetie and my new favorite person. <3
Here is Justin Heresy with Ali Rezghi from Louder Than Quiet...
Final Thoughts and Takeaways
First, I'd like to say a gigantic THANK YOU and express my immense gratitude to the members of Inquiry, Louder Than Quiet, and Burn the Ballroom for taking the time to meet with me. I appreciate the fact that they missed bands they wanted to see just to sit down with me. I also want to say a special thank you to Mr. Dreamy for inviting me to the show.. I really enjoyed getting to meet everyone and see them play and think they're all very awesome people with so much incredible talent that it absolutely blows my mind. Though some of the criticism in this may not be exactly what they want to hear, please don't take it personally because it's really not meant to be. Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has them. Mine just get read more.
But if any of my harsher criticism does bother anyone then maybe it will help you if I explain why things like trendy music and band image presentation in the rock scene matter to me in a real way.. Bear with me because I'm about to go on a tangent. I swear it's all relevant and there is a point.
One of the questions I asked all the bands was "How do you view of the present and future of your scene?" Their answers were all kind of similar... It's dying but it's trying to resurrect itself. It's finding itself. It's going through a period of adjustment. Not one of them said it's in a good or stable place or even mentioned any bands who were bringing it around... except maybe themselves.. which I believe could be actually be true if they hold to their desires to make their scene better.
All music scenes have their times when they go through downturns and revivals and I've been there to witness to these cyclical changes in 3 different scenes, the rock scene, the rave scene, and the hip hop scene. But of those 3, the rock scene was where I found a home first. I grew up on rock music.. classic, punk, alternative, ska, metal of all varieties including heavy, death, and 80's hair. I knew the words to every song. I ripped my jeans and wore plaid and begged my mom for black nail polish.
I remember where I was when the world found out Kurt Cobain died and how we mourned him like we knew him. My first concert was the Foo Fighters and I'll never forget Pat Smear playing guitar 20 feet away from me on stage. Most people don't know this but in 8th grade I actually briefly fronted a little band with some boys from school when I lived in Rockville, MD for a year after we moved from Florida before coming to NoVa. I wanted to be Shirley Manson and the one chance I got to live my rock and roll dream was at the school talent show. I had such bad stage fright I fucked up and forgot the words to Hotel California. I was so mortified I ran offstage and cried. The thing that killed me most was letting them down. But they forgave me and picked me up. Moments like that made me a better musician.
I went to HFStival every year and remember standing in the rain watching Incubus. The sea of lighters in the dark while The Cure played. Going berzerk to the Violent Femmes, Lincoln Park, Sum 41, Green Day, 311, Staind, Sevendust, Godsmack, even Good Charlotte when they were still just a local band on the little stage.. The list goes on and on.. and of course as I said before, the shoes.. all those poor crowd surfers' stolen Vans and Airwalks that got thrown everywhere including on the stage and the bands making announcements about it and throwing the shoes back.
I also went to local band shows all over the DMV like it was my job. The guys from all the bands were so cool. They played music that wasn't popular and cared that we came out. They talked to us and thanked us for supporting them. It was awesome. But somewhere in there I peaced out because I became disenchanted and the rave scene started looking more appealing.
There was a lot of crossover between the rock and rave scenes. You can see it in the music with bands like Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy and DJ's like the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim. Every Friday night HFS had Trancemissions on which was all EDM and then they had the Trancemissions tent at HFStival run by the founders of Buzzlife, Scott Henry and John Tab, who would later become my bosses. Even though I left the scene I've still supported the music and sporadically gone out to shows. I just pick and choose who I support now. So if your band is on that short list then consider it a high compliment.
It seems the rock scene is in a downward spiraling hole it's been trying to dig itself out from for years. Inquiry blames Nickelback. But it started long before then. The fault really lies with Blink 182 because they kicked off the bubblegum punk trend. Blink 182 was legit but they spawned these awful copycat watered down cheesy bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco who brought it down because they made it lame with their softcore drivel rubbish that took the depth out of the music.
Much to the shigrin of many rock fans, their bubblegum bullshit prompted a trend that has saturated the scene for over a decade now. What's funny is these 2 bands have since adjusted their image and toned it down as they've matured. I think it's high time for the other bands who cheezed it up to fit in and fans who've had enough to put an end to this sickening fad.
Though I do like some of their music, especially Fall Out Boy because they put out some super catchy shit that gets stuck in your head, I think the image they presented of themselves when they came out was contrived and disingenuous. The outfits and attitudes that I guess they thought made them look all dark and creative and different like they don't care about what people think because they're expressing themselves didn't have that effect on anyone except people with that same mentality. To the rest of us they actually came off fake and cheesy and lame like they were just starved for attention and wanted to get it in the most obnoxious way possible.
They reminded me of the DQ's from high school. These kids went out their way to get made fun of by doing stupid things for attention so they could be seen as rebels. Meanwhile, there were kids like me who tried like hell to fit in with the popular kids and be accepted but never really could because we were legitimately different individuals that stood out too much for shit we couldnt help.. Like not having the right brand labels on our clothes because our parents couldn't afford it. We had to get by on the kind of things that built character just to survive and for us music was our salvation.
We were the smart kids that studied who had to dumb it down for the popular crew.. The freethinking kids with real opinions who used too many big words.. The deeply talented art kids too stuck in our own heads and creative spaces.. The skaters, the hippies labeled as stoner rejects.. and the band kids whose parents sacrificed and saved for months just to buy us secondhand instruments. Our pocket money from after school jobs went to buying albums and going to shows because rock music made us feel like somebody out there who was popular actually understood us.
Music was our savior and concerts were like church. When we went to shows we felt like we belonged and got the acceptance denied us on a daily basis. There we were cool. There we could be ourselves without being judged. High school sucked and made us feel like ridiculed outcasts who lived on the wrong side of town that weren't "normal" or "trendy" enough... It is exactly this feeling that is the very foundation the house of rock was built on... And if you forgot that or lost touch with it then smack yourself for being stupid, watch VH1's History of Metal, and fucking think about what it felt like back in the day when nobody thought you were cool. Your songs you write today may be about it but if you've lost touch with the sad, solitary loser you used to be then your songs mean shit.
In case you haven't caught on yet.. Here is where the point comes in....
The most important things that keeps a scene going are the 2 legs on which it stands, the musicians and the fans. If you think it's those who make the music that are the more stable leg, then you are wrong. It's actually the kids that listen to the music and come to the shows who are the sturdiest because they aren't going anywhere. You might. But they won't. Even if you turn them off they'll still come back. They may take periodic vacations but they're still around. The music that moves them and the vibes that make them feel like they belong are what keep them steadfast and strong. They will evolve along with their scene in whatever direction it chooses to go.
The bands just need to get over the fear that daring to take it somewhere different will result in them losing the kids. I promise you they will still be there. They also need to get over the fear that labels won't sign them and radios will never play their shit if it's not trendy. Rock music isn't going anywhere and stations will always play whatever music in that genre is deemed new, now, and indicative of what the kids want to hear. I agree with Ginger Jack because kids are fucking fickle.
They get bored of trendy shit and once it's played out they move on to something else. But the bands who make the deep, real shit that's so different it's on another level are everlasting. Trends and popularity are the antithesis of true creative expression. Making shit that's trendy is not the same thing as making art. It's like making a copycat reproduction of some other genius' masterpiece. They made it to be different. You made it to be the same.
It is the musicians who determine the direction that the sound goes in. They are responsible for forwarding it's Darwinistic evolutionary path. As such, it falls on them to guide their environment and culture for their genre. Bands are always caught between making the music they feel represents them and selling out and making trendy shit they think will serve them well for the sake of being rockstars. But the reality is real rockstars don't give a fuck. Giving a fuck is what brings you down.
In its infancy, the rock scene was nothing but bands that wanted to be loud and go crazy and wail and rebel against the status quo. They didn't give a fuck if they got famous as long as they got to do what they love. The pioneers of the rock scene made this scene because they wanted to play something different for people who wanted to hear it. Those musicians and those fans claimed spaces for themselves so they could belong somewhere and got pissed at the sellouts because they were convinced it brought down the integrity of their scene. But somewhere along the line the fans stopped holding the musicians accountable and that lack of control lead to the introduction of bubblegum cheesy mainstream bullshit.
I remember someone saying like maybe 8-10 years ago that the people who dared to call their music punk at that point were posers (that word used to really mean something back in the day and was considered a massive insult.. the worst thing you could call somebody because you were telling them they didn't belong which we've established is a big deal).. That real punk was about not giving a fuck about anything.. The kids and musicians didn't shop at the mall. They wore duct tape, thrift store clothes, leather, chains that got caught on everything and ripped out their piercings, and put safety pins through their cheeks. To me, that is real rock and roll. Fuck all this pre-packaged teenage angst you can pick up as a free gift with purchase when you buy your wannabe so dark and different ensembles from Hot Topic.
My advice to the bands and also the fans is if you want to pull your scene back then start holding it to a standard again. If you want to play music that is reminiscent of a better time and take your scene back to the point before it started sucking and rebuild it back up in a better way and inspire kids of any race, color, background, etc. to feel comfortable enough to come out and start feeling like they belong then maybe this will help you in that endeavor because there are a lot of people like me who were part of the scene back in the day and watched that house of rock burn and turn to shit.
The reason why I cared more about focusing on the local bands in this piece is because I like repping what I believe in and care about. There are things about the music these 3 bands make and how they perform it that made me remember what I loved about this scene and genre years ago. They brought back memories for me I haven't thought about in a long time and even made me feel like an excited, giddy, stupid 15 year old kid again.
Don't focus on what sells and what you think will make you famous. Kick the posers out. If they can't hang then tell them to stay the fuck out of the pit. Quit being a pussy and put a fucking safety pin through your cheek. Stop giving a fuck. Dare to be different. Dare to be yourselves. The rest doesn't matter. Just trust that "The Enemies" will always have people like me who will be on your side and support what you do as long as you're keeping it 100. People like me are not interested in making you trendy and popular... But we can help you get heard.
Anyway, go check out the Q&A's with the bands and go like their Facebook pages and shit. Show your support for them and make them feel heard. Give them the encouragement they need to do what they love and live their rock and roll dreams. In the meantime, stay tuned and stay up!
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