After the summer break, and before the gigs of the new season kick off, the musical communities of Philadelphia and Toronto get togheter again with Emergenza festival! With one of the two American bands who played at the International final at the taubertal last August, and with the best acts in the cities, the high level of the performances is guaranteed!!!! These gigs are also an anticipation of the faboulous B.E.S.T. (Best of Emergenza Seasonal Tour) in the USA, the huge tour that next spring will take on tour the most interesting bands... another great chance for the bands who take part in the festival!!! Where: Philadelphia, The 5 Spot When: 13 Nov Who: Glasshouse, The Nodd, Experimental Opus, Venus Fly Lounge Why: Glasshouse (in picture) are last season''s US champions, and got 7th place at the International final, besides the 2nd best guitarist prize in the Philly final last June. Very good arrangements and great sinergy between the musicians, melodic blend of vocals and guitars well supported by tight rock grooves. The Nodd, four piece band from Philly are finishing their first album, ''Where the rubber meets the road''. See for yourself how entertaining can their show be, and enjoy their dynamic, diverse and well-written songs, sung by ALL the band members. By the way, they also won the best singer prize in the Philly final last year. Experimental Opus will give the audience a demonstration of skilful playing and an emotional display of progressive Philly rock. Their live performances consist of a real audio-visual experience!They win the prize for the best drummer in the Philly final last june. Their debut live EP was released in 2002. Venus Fly Lunge incorporate in their music experimentation while keeping things down- to- earth, striving to keep the outcome both enjoyable and pleasing to listen to. One genre only can't encapsulate the vastness of styles that influence them, each of their songs tends to have its own sort of breath, and contains a unique sound world that keeps it separate from the rest of our music. They won the prize for the best bass player in the Philly final last june. Where: Toronto, The Kathedral When: 19 Nov Who: J''s Basement, Focal Point, Storm Without a Cease Why: since 1999 J''s Basement has been ''the'' Rock and Roll Institution in Toronto. Their unique sound combines rock, blues, funk and a touch of soul in amazing live shows. They released their first album in December 2003. At the Toronto final last june they won best guitarist, best songwriting prizes, and the band award as well! Room magazine said about Focal Point: ''frenzied, sweaty, intense rock''n''roll at its best'': go and check it out their great sounds and high-energy performances, a real hard felt musical experience! Storm Without Cease first took shape in London, Ontario in the late `90’s. Having released two independent albums and playing numerous shows SWC has established a dedicated fan base. SWC’s live show is an in-your-face explosion of raw power and emotion. The band captivates the crowd with it’s addictive riffs, massive beats and Hanyk’s distinctive presence.