NEWS
2
2006May
Emergenza's Final Blows Memphis Away
The Emergenza International Music festival held its final round of shows in Memphis at the Young Avenue Deli. With a sweet venue, an excellent line-up and a professional panel of judges this event was one to remember.
Submerged Truth opened up this evening''s events. With excellent musicianship, this young and vibrant group of rockers stole the heart of the audience. They played songs such as "In the Dark" and "Everything I Have" which incorporated great drumming and strong vocals. Tyler, the drummer of Submerged Truth, was awarded several Sabien cymbals by the judges for being the best drummer of the evening.
Hey Heidi-Rae, the band who took the competition and will be performing at Columbia''s Finals, was up next. The packed venue went wild as these accomplished musicians took the lead in stage presence. Their compositions were up-beat and fun, their vocals solid. Their diverse set left the audience wanting more. Shane, the bass player of Hey Heidi-Rae , went home with an OLP bass awarded to him by the jury who deemed him the best bassist of the evening.
Cornerstone followed with a quite full sound for a three-piece band. Their positive energy seeped from their pores as they ripped through a stronger, almost industrial sounding rock. They utilized dynamics in a very effective way, which had the audience on their feet. Cornerstone took the second place position in this evening''s events. Brandon, the guitarist, went home with an OLP guitar for ripping it up hard during his set.
Blue 4 Pie changed the mood a bit with an acoustic rock set. They were very entertaining. They drew the audience in with strong vocals, and set them on their way when they performed their last song with their pants around their ankles. It was pretty humorous. They audience clapped along as their drummer kept the beat through "Breakaway" and "The Song that No One Knows".
South of Nowhere performed next. They utilized very strong vocalizations and had a very original sound. They knew how to entertain the audience with a strong stage presence, and had a very full-sound. Things got emotional when they preformed "The Race", written for their friend.
Bad Day Andy''s were very very entertianing. The level of energy skyrocketed when they took the stage. They had great harmonies and a strong involvement with the audience. Everyone seemed to enjoy their performance.
This Side of Summer then took the stage. They had an efficient use of singing and screaming, and once again, good stage presence. Their solos were sweet and they had a great drummer. This Side of Summer was voted number ONE by the other bands that performed this evening. They went home with a copy of the Indie Bible and the Musician''s Handbook.
Taco and Da Mofos closed out the evening with an original punk/ska/reggae set. They had great instrumentation and style. Their level of energy was hard to beat. Definitely keep your eyes peeled for these guys!
The award ceremony followed the last performance where the prizes were awarded and the judges were introduced. This evening Emergenza''s panel of judges consisted of some very cool Memphis industry people. David Merril, a location and production manager was on the panel. He has worked with Universal Studios, and NBC CA. He worked on the movie "Walk the Line" about Johnny Cash. Dan Ball is a music photo journalist who has been documenting the Memphis Music scene for many years. He has worked for MTV, Mojo Magazine and various record labels. Michael McCarthy is considered the god-father of indie films in Memphis. He has been involved in the music scene since he as a teenager and is a well-known videographer. Among his music videos are "The Hives", "Jim Dickenson" and "200 Sactien". He has also worked with Track 1 Music of N.Y.C. Emergenza would like to send a warm "Thank You" to all of the fabulous judges who helped with the event in Memphis.