The final set of Emergenza''s elimination rounds were held at Bender''s Tavern in Denver this weekend. "Ilicit Sects" set the pace for the weekend Thursday night with hardcore rock and an image to match. Formally known as "No One You Know", "Halfway to Morning", a young group of musicians, confidently charged the stage with excellent vocals and a bass player who knew how to thump it. "Abinitio" followed with a strong well-thought out set-lst and controlled levels of screaming vocals. "Dennis" was up next, with turntables and a strong ability to actively include the audience in on their set. "The Ninja Face Trio", more comedic noise than music, defined entertainment when they had the crowd rolling in laughter to songs like "Fuck Ewe" and "I Lik Cheese". Try 20 one minute jokes with noisy guitar strumming and a lady friend on triangle to get things stirred up. "Lexen" closed out Thursday night with strong guitar solos and intricate changes. Friday night turned out to be pretty diverse evening in Denver. "Deaphkamp", a metal rap group, kicked off the evening with a high energy opener and great rhythms. "Seven Day Surrender" followed with a tight set complete with lovely vocals and phat bass licks. "Ten Steps to Panama" was up next with "musical flexibility akin to that of a contortionist on novocain." Their guitar solos were funky as they incorporated first-class jazzy drumbeats into their set. "The Shift", a lyric-less trio, shifted into first gear with one of the most talented drummers seen at an Emergenza show all season. Excellent musicianship should aid this group in any musical endeavor they encounter in the future. "Simple and Effective" had a fantastic relationship with the audience and pleasant vocals. "Defeat the Purpose" brought out the funk with an almost perfect performance by their bassist. These youngsters closed out their set with an original reggae jam that had everyone smiling. "Holiday Run" stepped onstage with excellent composition and a very nice stage presence. "SoundVice" closed out the evening with a female vocalist/keyboardist who lulled the audience into a trance as she sweetly rocked us to a close. Saturday was a night to remember. 106.7 KBPT, Denver''s only rock radio station, was present at Bender''s Tavern raffling free tickets for Denver''s Birthday Bash. "Global Hour" started off the evening with a solid opening song that encompassed the high energy genres of rock, reggae and ska. The young lead singer had a highly impressive voice that had everyone on their toes. "Detective Jabsco" was up next with a high energy ska/punk set complete with a trombone and saxaphone section. If they weren''t high energy, I don''t know who is! "Lethal Force" brought out the hardcore metal that utilized a combination of screaming and solid singing. "Entropy" followed with strong vocals and a front-man who not only had an amazing voice, but was not scared to do back-flips off of the stage! Talk about a crowd pleaser! "Quick Victim" rocked some metal with an extremely talented guitarist. "Babihed" closed out the evening with a seasoned lead singer who knew how to belt it out. Sunday evening kicked off with a variety of genres of bands. "The Good Ol Boys" took the stage with hardcore metal with a comical element. They even included a dancer complete with blonde wig and weird mask. Gambit took the stage with an energy that was difficult to top. Sofo, one of Denver''s newest bands, exhibited a full understanding of how rock should be done. "volition", who traveled four hours to participate in Emergenza''s festival struck the audience with the best metal performance of the weekend. "An Idiot''s Delight" was just that. "Blue Stone Abbey" closed out this weekend''s rounds, wrapping up the Emergenza''s Elimination rounds at Bender''s Tavern with strong vocalizations and a rock sound that hasn''t been heard since the likes of Led Zepplin. Stay tuned on www.emergenza.net for de